The WFC
houses up to 45 men and women. They are provided three meals and
"open" AA meetings daily. The house receives no federal
or state funds and is self-supporting. The men and women
of AA learn to build friendships and work with sober
sponsors to help them on their journey to sobriety. The
men and women are taught they must be responsible to
themselves and others.
Many of the people that "got sober" at the halfway house
and the AA meetings have gone on to build lives for
themselves. Most of them volunteer at the house and
provide emotional support to the men.
The Board of Directors' prime directive is to keep the
original design of the rehabilitation as it was in the
beginning: one person talking to another and helping
each other to stay sober, all in keeping with the
teachings of the AA program.
The Christmas holidays are very difficult times
emotionally for the disenfranchised alcoholic. Friends
of the house bring fruit, gifts and candy to attempt to
teach the alcoholics that they cannot keep their
newfound success unless they give it away to others.
They must learn to give and care for others, or they
will never get well. Each Christmas Eve, the group goes
to a care home and sings for the residents. The
volunteers have done this for more than 20 years.
Volunteers are essential to the success of the 18th
Street house and fund raising activities. Wichita
Fellowship Club employs one person full time to oversee
and supervise the half way house, part time cooks (men
that are not yet well enough to get a job) and a part
time bookkeeper.
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