Join us for The 4th Annual Gathering on Thursday, October 25th at 6 pm (doors open at 5:30 pm) in the Parrish Hall at St. Philip's Church (142 Church St.). This year's featured speaker is Renee Hodges, author of the groundbreaking memoir, Saving Bobby. Hodges will be joining us in Charleston to to further discuss her journey and helping Bobby let go of the stigma and shame surrounding addiction.

Renée Hodges

Renée Hodges and her husband have called North Carolina home for the past thirty years. Hodges has worked as a campaign manager for a candidate for the Texas State House of Representatives (she won); front desk person at a ski resort; and volunteer recruiter and registration head during a presidential campaign in New York City

When Renée Hodges invited her nephew, Bobby, to come stay with her for a few weeks so he could visit a doctor about his back pain, she knew he was recovering from an addiction to prescription painkillers. She believed that if he could address his back problems, he would have a better chance of staying clean—but she had no idea what a roller coaster ride she was getting on.

Settling into motherhood and raising a family has been her most satisfying work, however, and today she is a wife, mother of three, writer, investor, community volunteer, and avid tennis player. She also co-wrote and self-published the Best Kept Secrets series of guides in the 1980s.

To learn more about Hodges, visit her website at www.reneehodgesauthor.com.

"Saving Bobby"

Unlike other books about addiction, Saving Bobbybegins after rehab is over. Told in part through journal entries, e-mails, and personal recollections, this raw, honest, deeply moving memoir—begun to keep the family accountable—describes the sixteen months that Hodges, her husband, and their community struggled alongside Bobby as he attempted to successfully re-enter the day-to-day world. Using a holistic and open approach, the shame and stigma associated with addiction was lessened—and ultimately, Bobby learned he had to save himself.

A gripping and heartrending story of survival, Saving Bobby is an essential, timely read for those concerned about America’s most pressing epidemic.

This year's event is FREE and open to the public but registration is required because space is limited. Click the link below to register!