The Next Door Recovery is inviting Nashville supporters to its annual Fall Luncheon on Tuesday, a fundraiser built around the theme “Light for a Lifetime” that helps sustain the nonprofit's addiction and mental health treatment programs for women. The event runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. at St. George's Episcopal Church, located at 4715 Harding Pike, and features a keynote address from bestselling author Rebekah Lyons along with a musical performance from the Christian vocal group Point of Grace.
According to Nashville Lifestyles, the luncheon is chaired by Dione DeWitte and Shea Ghertner, and this year's program will honor Anna Thornton with the 2026 Jesus Calling Award. DeWitte has served on The Next Door's board since 2022 and also works with Crisis Pregnancy Centers, while Ghertner is a local real estate professional and longtime community advocate, according to The Next Door Recovery. Thornton, the award recipient, is a former chair of the organization's board of directors being recognized for her long-standing volunteer leadership and service to women in recovery, as reported by FranklinIs.
From a Church Ministry to a Statewide Provider
The Next Door Recovery's roots trace back to 2004, when it was founded by a group of women from First Baptist Church Nashville who called themselves the “Wild Praying Women.” The group initially built a residential transitional housing program for women returning from incarceration, according to The Next Door Recovery's own account of its history.
More than two decades later, the organization's reach has grown considerably. In 2025, it provided addiction and mental health treatment services to 1,282 women across 97 Tennessee counties, including 132 who were pregnant upon entry and 1,077 mothers, per the same FranklinIs report. Beyond its main 22nd Avenue North campus in Nashville, the nonprofit also runs a nine-month residential re-entry program in Chattanooga that offers zero-cost transition services to women on probation or parole.
Specialized Care for Pregnant Women
Part of what distinguishes The Next Door's Nashville campus is its willingness to treat pregnant patients that many standard rehab facilities turn away over liability concerns. The program admits pregnant women up to 38 weeks gestation and provides coordinated OB-GYN transportation, prenatal nursing support, and parenting classes alongside addiction treatment, according to Addictions.com.
That kind of specialized medical care is expensive to sustain, and it is precisely the sort of programming that fundraisers like the Fall Luncheon are designed to support. The event is structured as a charity benefit, with tickets and sponsorship opportunities available through the organization, and more information posted at its 2026 Fall Luncheon event page.
A Statewide Crisis Still Looms Large
The luncheon arrives against a backdrop of slow but real progress on overdose deaths in Tennessee. Fatal drug overdoses in the state dropped 5.5% in 2023 to 3,616 deaths, marking the state's first annual decline in overdose deaths since surveillance began in 2013, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
Even so, Tennessee remains far from out of the woods. CDC data compiled by USAFacts shows the state recorded 2,499 overdose deaths in 2024, and its age-adjusted overdose mortality rate remains nearly 52% higher than the national average. That gap underscores why organizations like The Next Door continue to expand treatment access for women across the state.
A Keynote Built Around Resilience
Rebekah Lyons, the event's keynote speaker, is a bestselling Christian author and podcast host whose 2023 book, Building a Resilient Life, lays out a framework blending psychology and faith to help readers work through trauma and adversity, according to Zondervan. Nashville Lifestyles describes her simply as a bestselling author and motivational speaker who will deliver the luncheon's keynote address.
Musical guest Point of Grace, formed in 1991, brings decades of national recognition to the event. The group has won GMA Dove Awards, earned Grammy nominations, and racked up 27 number-one Christian radio singles while selling more than 8 million albums, according to the Gospel Music Association.
