Meet Ghanaians Living in Virginia

On Sunday, August 26, 2012, Dan & Agnes O’Laughlin attended a mass for Ghanaians living in the Northern Virginia area, near Washington, DC.  The service was in Twi and was a two-hour service conducted much the same as in Ghana. Ghanaian Catholic priest, Fr. Anthony Appiah, said the mass and spoke to the parishioners about the House of St. Francis and the Hopeful Way Foundation’s work with the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra. The Ghanaian group was invited to send ten representatives to the gathering to be held at the Embassy of Ghana on Sept. 27. Dr. Asare’s letter announcing the opening of the House of St. Francis was distributed.  On September 2 a similar mass will be held for the Ghanaian community living in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Ghanaians living in the U.S. are given information on addiction and recovery that could be usefully shared with friends and relatives living back home in Ghana. 

House of St. Francis Announcement

 

ANNOUNCEMENT

Dear Colleagues,                                                                                 23 August, 2012

 An Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation facility has been opened at Ashiaman near Tema called House of St. Francis. The facility is close to the roundabout from the Tema motorway leading to Ashiaman turning left some 800 meters from the Tema- Ashiaman roundabout and driving on the rough road for about three minutes.

This residential facility has a 40 bed capacity and is initially accommodating men with alcohol and substance use disorders.

The facility is being established by the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra and the Hopeful Way Foundation.  The Archdiocese has the overall ownership and legal responsibility for the House of St Francis, and Hopeful Way is responsible for the day to day running of the facility.

The House is part of the overall effort by the Archdiocese to educate and raise awareness among the youth and other members of society about the destructive nature of addiction;

 The treatment approach models being used are:  the 12 steps recovery approach using Recovery Dynamics program curriculum and Therapeutic Community approach concepts.

Partnerships developed by interested experts from Ghana and USA in recovery are currently assisting in establishing a solid foundation, lead by Oxford House, Inc. of the USA, to help rehabilitate persons with alcohol and drug addiction disorders.

 Detoxification facilities, hospitals, clinics, organizations and professionals involved in the management of Alcohol and Drug Addiction and any related fields in Ghana are being encouraged to send clients for assessment and admission to this facility. Each client should be sponsored as they will benefit from both the boarding and services provided.

 For more information and admission assessment of clients, kindly contact the following telephone numbers: 0205 695 903 and 0278 878 299.

 Efforts are being made to establish relationships between the House of St. Francis and the Ghanaian communities in the U.S.

 

Prof. J.B. Asare
Chairman, Hopeful Way Foundation

INVITATION MIRACLE NOT MAGIC Recovery in Ghana  --  The House of St. Francis Sponsored by Recovery Africa Hopeful Way Foundation September 27, 2012 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Embassy of Ghana 3512 International Drive, Washington, D.C. (Van Ness-UDC Metro Stop) RSVP –  danagnes1@yahoo.com Dan O’LaughlinTel: 202-255-5886                                                         (Donations Welcomed)

PROGRAM 6:00 to 6:30     Refreshments 6:30                 Welcome by Ambassador of Ghana or his Representative                         Kofi Afful – Chairman of the Council of Ghanaian Associations 6:40                 Hopeful Way Foundation & The House of St. Francis – Dan O’Laughlin 6:45                 Funding Needs – Matt Brown 6:50                 Three Minute Talks -          Emily Eisenhart – Georgia Southern University -          Paul Molloy – Oxford House, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland -          Debbie Dungee – Oxford House, Inc. - Report from Ghana -          Pat Taylor – Faces and Voices of Recovery, Washington, DC -          Al Mooney – Willingway Foundation, Statesboro, Georgia 7:10                 Larry Gaines – Recovery – Miracles in Ghana and Around the World 7:20                 Archbishop Palmer-Buckle – Catholic Archdiocese of Accra (or his rep.) 7:25                 Additional Three Minute Talks -          Chris Budnick – The Healing Place, Wake County, North Carolina -     Peggy Murray – National Institutes of Health - NIAAA -          Lee Manley – Live Talk Show Host, “RECOVERY a Universal Experience” -          Representative of the Ghanaian Community – 7:45     -     Closing Remarks by Gerald Marti – National Institute of Health