I came to be involved with The 24 at the request of a longtime friend. While I had never been inside the famous building on Ross Avenue, I had heard stories for decades of the miracles that had happened there. So, when the call came to serve on the board of directors, I knew I couldn’t say no. For families like mine that know the pain of the disease of alcoholism service work is a big part of living a life in recovery. Working to serve those still struggling to find their way—someone’s child, sibling, or parent—was what I needed and wanted to do. The 24 is a place where homeless men and women exchange lives of shame, blame, guilt, and anger, to live in gratitude for the enormous blessing, abundant grace, and unimaginable peace of knowing that sobriety is about so much more than not drinking. I am equally grateful and blessed to be connected with a place where these miracles happen.
Teddie Garrigan is Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for Dallas 24 Hour Club.
