Letter to the editor:
How long will the lights still shine at 909 W. Belmont Ave.?
In early 2004, I climbed the stairway at The New Town Alano Club ( NTAC ) beaten, broken, alone and afraid. I was met with an outstretched hand and these simple truths: "You never have to use again;" "You are not alone;" and "We will love you until you learn to love yourself." From that day forward, each time I walk through the door of 909 W. Belmont Ave. I see, on the faces of the many newcomers, that same desperate plea for help.
The New Town Alano Club was opened in 1980 by a group of recovering alcoholics/addicts as this nation's "first" ALANO Club with a specific outreach to the LGBT community. In providing a safe place for recovery, many of us who desperately longed for help and acceptance, and countless thousands since, have found a new way to live free from active addiction within her rooms.
During the early 1980s—when many in our community, impacted by the AIDS epidemic, felt hopeless and helpless—NTAC broke new ground once again by starting a peer-led 12-step recovery ( AA ) meeting ( another historic first ) where those of us with HIV could share openly about our HIV status and how it affects our recovery. Now, despite the tireless efforts of a completely volunteer board of directors and the ongoing financial support of recovering alcoholics and addicts, the immediate and long-term futures of NTAC is uncertain.
NTAC currently provides the meeting space ( rooms ) in which 50-plus 12-step recovery meetings are held weekly, with more than 250 weekly attendees seeking and finding recovery. Over the years, NTAC has sought new ways to be an active and ever-present resource in and for Chicago's LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ community of today has seen significant movements toward change over the past several decades in gay civil rights and equality; gay marriage; and the fall of DOMA and of "Don't ask, Don't Tell," to name a few—none of which could have occurred without a community coming together and saying, "It's time to take a stand" and "We are here in loving support of one another. This proves that we are a force of change, a voice to be heard, and people fully committed to restoring dignity and vitality within our community, our city and our families. As a community, we enjoy many freedoms and resources today that were earned by and through the selfless sacrifices of many who were once called "the least" in/and of society.
It is virtually impossible to walk through the streets of our community and not see how devastating the effects and affects of addiction are. NTAC's centralized location provides easy access to these resources and support seven days a week from the early mornings into the late nights Now, greatly impacted by the current tough economic times we are all struggling through, NTAC has had to make some strong financial decisions, reducing its meeting space substantially, while trying to remain ever vigilant in its mission to carry the message to the "still-suffering addict/alcoholic."
NTAC is a 501( c )( 3 ) not-for-profit organization that has always diligently and passionately worked toward the restoration of hope, health and dignity of all those who entered her door regardless of what they have or who they are ( never charging a fee for these services ) and is completely dependent on and fully supported by the tax-deductible contributions of its members and our community.
So, my hope and prayer is that by sharing a little of my story, and some of NTAC's history and mission, that your readers would see how crucial this resource was in our history and vitally important it is to our community's future. This recovering addict/alcoholic knows first-hand of the miracles that happen in these rooms, and would encourage all to be a part of the next miracle.
Visit NTAC at 909 W. Belmont Ave.; check out its website at www.newtownalanoclub.com; or call 773-529-0321 to find more information on NTAC's mission and resources and ask "How can we help carry the message of recovery?" Once again. we must take a bold stand in pride and refuse to let ANYTHING or ANYONE take the dignity or life of another family member on our watch.
John
Chicago
