Purple Inc. Awarded For Excellence

The “Gwinnett Small Business of the Year” is a prestigious award given at the annual ceremony hosted by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. As hardworking professionals in the treatment industry, we are honored to be one of the finalists recognized at the ceremony. Purple Inc.’s Executive Director, Joel Bagley, was present to accept the award.


In other exciting news, Purple celebrated its 6th birthday on Friday, May 1st. Happy Birthday Purple! Here's to six more years of helping men find recovery from alcohol and drugs!

Purple Inc. Goes Social Networking

Like it or not, the Information Age is upon us and is only getting more advanced. And there's absolutely no reason alcohol treatment and drug treatment shouldn't make an effort to keep up. We were meant to evolve; to improve existing ideas and technology and to get rid of the antiquated ones.



In an effort to reach beyond the traditional means of visibility, Purple Inc. has joined the Information Age in hopes that no man in need of recovery is without a resource for finding sobriety. In addition to the new and (way) improved website, we can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Ning. Come find us; we'd love to meet you and help in any way we can!

Thought For The Day

It is extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary person is. —George F. Will


At our meetings, we often hear stories of the courage of ordinary people and their triumph against great odds. When we hear of a person's life being restored, we are witnesses to miracles. Our friends are heroes and so are we. As a man describes his passage from insanity to recovery, we are moved. Whenever we are truly open to knowing the people around us, whether at a meeting or in getting to know a neighbor, we will see heroism. It is amazing that when we get to know most people, and hear what their lives have been like, we find so much to admire and respect. It is a privilege to have such friends. It is amazing that they are so abundant when we open ourselves to them. God truly does speak to us through others.


I am grateful when I think about the extraordinary people around me and the courage in each of them. I am grateful to be among them.


From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

International Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous

Most people discover early on an important part of sobriety is giving back to the recovery community. For anyone who has battled a drug addiction or alcohol addiction, a certain element of selfishness pervades their using careers. And once sober, it becomes extremely important to "undo" all that self-absorption by giving back as often as possible.


One of the hundreds of ways to do that is to volunteer at 12-step conferences. The International Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous is a perfect opportunity for many since it is coming to Atlanta May 21-24 this year. Two Purple Inc. staff members are on the host committee that is making this conference possible and two other staff members are volunteering to assist with the many panels, meetings, and activities taking place over the weekend. In addition to staff involvement, several of the Purple Alumni are also involved in volunteering at the conference.


Getting involved in this form of service work will be extremely rewarding for all those participating and will ensure another day of happy and usefully whole sobriety.

Recreational Therapy At The Okefenokee Swamp

Last weekend, everybody packed up their gear, themselves, and enough food to feed 35 people to head to the Okefenokee Swamp for a camping trip. We take the guys on some kind of trip like this once every few months. Its an important part of their recovery; they learn teamwork and just as important, they learn how to have fun in sobriety. This was our largest group yet-4 staff members, 2 volunteers, several alumni, and the rest, clients.


Friday night was spent cooking out and setting up tents. Saturday, everyone ate breakfast and then headed for a canoe trip through the Okefenokee. The alligators were out, so thankfully, everyone returned intact. That night, we took everyone out to eat and then returned to camp for fellowship. We left Sunday morning after breakfast. All in all, it was a fun, successful trip!

Thought For The Day

Let no one be deluded that a knowledge of the path can substitute for putting one foot in front of the other.--M. C. Richards


Recovering men know this path is not always easy. We usually talk about the benefits of recovery and the many promises of the program. Today, in our fellowship, we talk of the challenges we must face in order to recover. Honesty may be the greatest challenge. It is frightening to be honest with ourselves about things we have never really admitted or faced before.


Sometimes we have new and confusing feelings and think something must be wrong with us. But we may be just experiencing the logical outcome of our earlier commitment to be honest. No one recovers by thinking about it. We must actively take each Step and meet the challenges presented. We are not alone with our difficulties. We are part of a large movement of men committed to recovery, and this quiet moment is one way in which we are simply putting one foot in front of the other.


Today, I pray for the courage to remain faithful when the fears and pains of my transformation are overwhelming.


From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Ashley Kilpatrick Joins Purple Inc.

We are pleased to announce our newest addition to the Purple staff...Ashley Kilpatrick. Ashley has been working in the field since 1985 and is a Certified Addiction Counselor. He has pursued undergraduate studies at Oglethorpe University and Kennesaw State.


Although he has been in the field for some time, recent advances in the science of addictive disorders has made this an especially wonderful time for Ashley in the treatment industry. He has a personal commitment to his work and consistently pledges to offer his clients the most effective tools for them to be able to make the changes they want to make.


Welcome to the family, Ashley!