Hillside Christian Fellowship’s John Valenzuela, Bruce Bannister
and Dori Bannister received the Blue Ribbon Award from the Child
Abuse Prevention Council. They were honored at the Blue Ribbon Walk
on April 16.
The trio was honored for their work with
”
Celebrate Recovery’s Celebration Station!
”
Celebrate Recovery has been providing recovery services to
adults in San Benito County for the past 10 years. During this time
they have provided free child care to parents seeking recovery not
only from drugs and alcohol, but also sexual abuse, divorce,
overeating and more.
Hillside Christian Fellowship’s John Valenzuela, Bruce Bannister and Dori Bannister received the Blue Ribbon Award from the Child Abuse Prevention Council. They were honored at the Blue Ribbon Walk on April 16.
The trio was honored for their work with “Celebrate Recovery’s Celebration Station!” Celebrate Recovery has been providing recovery services to adults in San Benito County for the past 10 years. During this time they have provided free child care to parents seeking recovery not only from drugs and alcohol, but also sexual abuse, divorce, overeating and more.
Last year they introduced “Celebration Station” – an all-new, 52-week program that mirrors the adult Celebrate Recovery one-year, large group teaching schedule and curriculum plan. While adults explore topics that bring healing and wholeness, their kids are discovering the same truths in age-appropriate ways. Designed for 5- to 13 year-olds, the lessons provide children with the tools needed that help them avoid cycles of hurts, hang-ups, and habits, and ways to draw close to Jesus during challenging times. Through weekly curriculum, journaling, and discussion the children begin to have an understanding of what’s happening in their homes, and are gaining the same tools as their parents in learning how to communicate their anger, fear, frustration, and hurt, which in turn breaks the cycles of dysfunction; and helps them in joining their parents in forgiveness and healing.
Pastors & Celebrate Recovery leaders are active members of the community. Pastor Dori Bannister is on the board at Behavioral Health and Probation. Recovery Leader Andi Anderson serves as the Chair on the Child Abuse Prevention Council and is a member of the Community Assistance Network (ex-Secretary for five years).
According to a nomination form “Celebration Station should receive this award because they are providing tools that help not only the parents, but also the children to learn to deal with their anger, frustration, hurts, etc, which opens lines of communication, thus breaking the cycle of abuse.”
The group has always provided free child supervision for children of all ages by individuals who are background checked and fingerprinted for the safety and well being of all children. This brings a sense of safety and security to parents seeking to better their lives and provides them the opportunity to attend meetings they may otherwise not be able to.
The Celebrate Recovery Program in Hollister, it is the only one-statewide that is recognized by the local courts, probation, sheriff’s office and the Hollister Police Department as a Court-approved recovery program.
