The Christmas Blessing Store Turns Four!

In December, amid the glittering lights and festive cheer of the holiday season, a beacon of hope and encouragement was set up at the Hollister School District. For the fourth consecutive year, CORE and the school district collaborated to establish the Christmas Blessing Store, allowing people to shop for household goods and toys without limits and at no charge. This annual initiative not only emphasized the spirit of Christmas giving but also served as a powerful reminder of the impact achievable through community action.

The Christmas Blessing Store extended initial blessings to 124 families with 284 children, spanning grades PK through K-12. One out of every five children in the Hollister School District received items from the store! And that’s just the beginning of its impact.

This project is one of several humanitarian initiatives that CORE engages in throughout the year. CEO Cary McKee articulated the philosophy, stating, “Recovery teaches that we can't keep what we don't give.” His insight underscores the importance of active service in overcoming addiction. Helping others provides an avenue to get out of “self” – the root of all addictions.

The Christmas Blessing Store originated in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic when social distancing ordinances made a public initiative unfeasible. Cary sought a partnership with Hollister public schools, relying on the school district's ability to identify individuals who would benefit from donated goods.

To appreciate the magnitude of this event, consider the time and factors involved. The project's genesis lies in the generosity of area retailers, whose donations reflect a commitment to corporate social responsibility. By acting as the "Secret Santas," these retailers inspired the participants to direct the donations toward quality of life needs within the community.

CORE volunteers contributed thousands of hours to the project, with operations manager Gary Osborn explaining, “Our work for this project began a year ago, as soon as the last event concluded. Every Tuesday, we'd make donation pickups from area retailers, continuously for 52 weeks.”

Click To Read More

Kristi Kenkel’s God-Given Purpose

Meet Kristi Kenkel! Having arrived to CORE in September, 2021, Kristi is working the 12 Steps and has recovered. She actively contributes to our program as a 4D Recovery instructor, 2nd Mile member, mentor for newcomers, and avid volunteer.

In fact, Kristi volunteers for so many things at CORE, we never know where we’ll run across her path. She was quite the sight some months ago at CORE’s golf tournament. We saw her standing on the back of a fast-moving golf cart, pointing out sponsor signs to be collected. She kind of reminded us of a sailing ship captain atop of the quarter deck, shouting out orders to sailors below.  

Happily, just the other day, we caught up with her at CORE’s Recovery Center in Branson, where she was getting ready to teach class. Standing behind a podium, she wasn’t going anywhere. So, we snapped her photo and, after class ended, we dragged her in for a chat about life, addiction, and recovery.

Kristi isn’t shy with her opinions, confidently declaring “God has given me purpose; this place has become like my home. If all I do is help newcomers understand the 12 Steps and recognize that God is the answer, that’s enough for me.” 

Her insightful words reflect the wisdom of someone who has faithfully embarked on a genuine recovery journey. They contrast starkly with the 20-something person who arrived here two years ago, who’d never been to a rehab in her life and had no idea what the 12 Steps even were.

Kristi’s spiral into addiction lasted six years, disrupting her promising college career in biochemistry and life sciences. Adept in math and science, she was a straight-A student who’d made the dean’s list multiple times. However, the allure of the party and club scenes proved to be her downfall.   

At first, it was just alcohol. “I didn’t see a problem in what I was doing because I’d always made good choices; I didn’t see any consequences from it,” she says. Then a friend introduced her to opiates which, she recalls, “gave me the feeling I was looking for. I’d never felt confident or comfortable in my own skin. They made me feel at ease, confident and comfortable with myself.”

Click To Read More