54 WWW.CHARLESTONWOMENPODCAST.COM | WWW.READCW.COM | WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/CHARLESTONWOMEN PHILANTHROPY friends and other women in need. Ben’s Friends didn’t simply help me stop drinking—they showed me that recovery, a career and service can exist together. I am still actively involved in the local hospitality industry, an active member of both Ben’s Friends and AA, and I am looking forward to returning to the classroom, healthy and healed, later this fall. If my story reaches one woman- who may appear to have it together, but is quietly suffering and feels isolated, overwhelmed, scared or alone, I hope she knows this: you do not have to lose everything before asking for help. There is a community of women waiting to meet you exactly where you are. If you or someone you know is navigating the very real struggle of addiction in the food and beverage industry, contact Ben’s Friends today. This is only a chapter of your story, and through this beautiful community, you can re-write your next one. BensFriendsHope.com On Facebook @BensFriendsHope Email: Bensfriendshope@gmail.com YOUR TRUSTED FINANCIAL PARTNER Dynamic, proactive, and strategic financial planning solutions for your specific goals YOUR JOURNEY STARTS HERE. The first step towards a better financial future is just a phone call away. 843-608-8487 | 635 EAST BAY STREET, SUITE C CHARLESTON Charlie Capasso, CFP® Managing Partner tion in the mirror. In one of the darkest moments of my life, desperate, looking for relief and help, I called Mickey Bakst—an old friend, and one who I knew worked in hospitality and service and had long-term recovery. Within 30 minutes Mickey was sitting across from me, looking me in the eye and telling me the truth: “Melissa, you’re going to die if you don’t get help.” That humbling conversation changed my life. Mickey introduced me to Ben’s Friends- a coalition of sober professionals working in service. He connected me to many amazing women in recovery- women my age, women who shared my story. He also connected me to a variety of local recovery resources. That evening I attended my first AA meeting. During my first 90 days of sobriety, with the support of Mickey and my new tribe of sobriety sisters- I attended 201 recovery meetings, including more than 100 with Ben’s Friends. I had found something I never knew I needed: a community of people who understood my story because they had lived it themselves. Today, sobriety has given me far more than the absence of alcohol. It has given me clarity, peace, purpose and the opportunity to be fully present for my family,
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