4
Inez M. suggested the winning name…
“C.H.I.P.S.”
This is an acronym for
“Caring
Heals If People Share”
The C.H.I.P.S. Group on the north end of Holmes Street began to grow, and it
appeared this might be where our Higher Power intended for us to stay.
After we had been in the building for five months, the owner informed us the
rent would be raised for the next six months. Our frequent moves had made it
hard to maintain a solid, steady group large enough to pay this jump in
rent. It was time for this nomad group to find a cheaper place.
A month later, Ross P. located an old bait shop and garage building about
ten blocks south on Holmes Street. The rent was cheap, so in the fall of
1988 the group once more gathered up the tables, chairs, and coffee pot, and
moved again!
This building was far, far worse than any we had been in, both on the inside
and the outside. It was a miracle anyone came. When it was hot, the old air
conditioner made so much noise it had to be turned off, and when it was cold
the heater made so much noise you wanted to turn it off but could not for
fear of freezing. The C.H.I.P.S. Group continued with its four meetings a
week, and a miracle began to unfold: the group started growing, with members
having one or more sober years, and many newcomers with less than a year who
were working the steps… but, with the outrageous heating bills, the group
knew it should find a new place.
5
Having moved so
many times and refusing to fold, the group continued its search for a home.
In the spring of 1990 Phillip P. made contact
with a friend in the banking business. This friend told Phillip P. about a
building on Bridge Street, sadly in need of repair, which was part of an
estate being administered by the bank. This was shared with the group, and
several members went to look the building over.
The two story building had an abandoned
doctor’s office on the ground floor with small rooms opening from a long
hall; the second floor was an apartment consisting of four rooms and a bath.
The roof had a huge leak, and (in the back half of the building) both floors
had been virtually destroyed. No one was impressed: it seemed that the
necessary repairs would require too much work and way too much money.
Phillip P. talked to the banker, and a deal
was struck where the Bank would fix the roof if the C.H.I.P.S. Group would
repair the rest. In return, the group would not be charged rent for two
years.
Because of Phillip P.’s service work at the
regional jail in Frankfort, and Romey P.’s County Court House position, a
strong connection developed with the Franklin County Jailer. The jailer let
it be known that he had a complete construction crew as inmates in the jail,
and they wanted something to do which would get them out of jail during the
daytime.
Charles A. had acquired a new credit card and volunteered its use to
purchase materials, if the group kept the credit card balances paid off.
