By Marie Mulvenna

A small sign in the hallway of the rambling old house on 11th Street tells a stark story which is also a success story. The sign reads simply “Don’t Blow This Chance” and the 32 residents of Renewal House have every intention of making this “chance” a remarkable change in their lives. They are, or have been, drug abusers and the three-stage, 24-hour therapeutic environment at the house has made the brief history of the Renewal House family a sort of Cinderella story.

Last week, a gala birthday anniversary celebration was held at the house with Mayor Sam Massell officiating at the ceremonies and others integrally involved with the new concept offering brief but moving testimony to the unique program which executive director Hilary D. “Mac” MacConnail says was “an impossible dream one year ago. Had it been presented in any other city but Atlanta, this would never have come true.”

But it did come true and it has brought hope and unparalleled enthusiasm to the residents, staff and to all who have faced or may ever face the threat of drug abuse that plagues society on every level. Ellen Shoemaker, executive assistant, described the birthday celebration as our “Christmas in July” and the feeling of those participating certainly gave testimony to a holiday spirit.

Renewal House is one year old and its 12-month history ranges from what staffers and residents smilingly call their “peanut butter and jelly days” to their current delight that the innovative concept in drug rehabilitation is now to be funded almost completely by the Georgia Narcotic Treatment Program. Funding in the past had been pretty much a “hand to mouth” story Ellen Shoemaker relates, with help coming form the state’s Family and Children’s Services Bureau (through HEW). Matching funds on a three-to-one program were raised by the energetic and dedicated group of volunteers entitled “Come Together, Inc.”

Although the rehabilitation program per se is more than a year-old healthy infant, the entirely new approach is just that, one year old and thriving. “Mac” and Ellen came to Atlanta last July from a therapeutic program in Richmond, Va. What they found here was the local two-year-old program housed in a condemned residence on Columbia Avenue. Hardly more than a crash pad and totally inadequate to really rehabilitate the ex-addicts who so badly needed and wanted help. But it was a start, a much needed beginning, and Ellen and “Mac” took it from there.

The new process began slowly with a dedicated staff and a dream to match that made the program effective in helping people obtain therapeutic treatment and a return to society. They existed on pleas for funds, constant threats of having to close down the facility entirely, challenges of changing the image of Renewal House from a crash pad to a fully coordinated professional residence for rehabilitation. Crises were numerous but so were determination and persistence. The latter forces won an uphill battle and today Renewal House seems to be squarely on its feet as a model program for drug rehabilitation.

The battle to remain in existence took a turn for the better last December when some funding became available to Renewal House. Salaries could finally be paid to the professional staff, official recognition was achieved by the program and most of the essential operating expenses were covered by the federal government. But the money struggle was still ever-present and fundraising efforts were legion – proceeds from garage sales, donations from horse shows, every conceivable means of acquiring a dollar. Although partially funded, Renewal House still had to raise substantial amounts in order to receive the matching funds. Ellen Shoemaker laughs when she recalls the crazy ideas and projects proposed for both fund raising and to keep the family in food.

“But it was a real Christian feeling throughout, a wonderful thing. Some nights we’d wonder what on earth we could have for supper, with no money to buy anything. And someone would show up at the door with a roast beef or a casserole. It was a great Christian experience,” she relates. Ellen is an effervescent young woman with a degree in anthropology, a deep commitment to her post and a source of unending energy.

In March, the picture brightened even more for the young program with the new facilities on 11^th Street, donated by Mayor Massell. Residential capacity was tripled to 35 and some much needed office space was available. The house is old, large and meticulously clean, brightly painted and filled with a real family spirit. One room boasted two sprightly monkeys, Stanley and Mr. Jones, who normally roam the house getting into mischief, but for the anniversary proceedings were discreetly caged for visitors. The huge staircase in the house has already served as a graduation entrance for residents completing their program as well as for those residents who have now completed their educational training in high school, previously terminated by a drug problem.

Work crews and assignments are numerous in the house and cover every possible facet of maintaining and running the rambling house and at the same time instilling in the residents a feeling of responsibility and self-discipline.

Discipline is a very much a part of the Renewal House program, which is conducted in three important stages. According to Miss Shoemaker, stage one is an intensive residential treatment period with rigid rules, completely internalized, and lasts for four to six months, varying on the individual being helped. She explains that the person is trained comprehensively in self-discipline, to cope with everyday problems that make up the real world. They must realized, she says, that the world is not perfect and they have to deal with it sensibly instead of blowing what they could be and do and taking a negative turn to drugs. The completion of stage one finds the resident well above the norm accepted for social behavior and outlook, extremely honest, with a very positive outlook.

Stage two is termed the re-entry phase, when the resident becomes less subjected to rigid rules, more flexibility is introduced and they achieve a level comparable to that of normal society. Throughout the stages they receive responsibilities and assignments which increases with their progress. Self-help is very much a key word.

By the time stage three is reached, the member has decided what he wants to do, whether it be a return to work or school or an effort to save money. He now lives in an adjacent house which can house 10 residents, dormitory style. Many have continued their education and adult education courses are given on a regular basis at the house. Following this stage, Miss Shoemaker explains, the resident is a graduate, receives a diploma and recognition pin and is ready to face the world and enter it again as a whole being. The “alumni” return often to Renewal House, pitching in to help others just as they were helped.

Renewal House itself is an unusual blend of professional and para-professional people, all trained thoroughly to work effectively in the rehabilitation program. A clinical psychologist and psychiatrist are available and residents are referred to other professionals when severe problems or illnesses require. The basic formula seems to be pressure, love and empathy. Staff and residents of the house are a closely knit family, “a loving and responsible family,” says Miss Shoemaker as she relates outings to the park, restaurants and ball games. First and foremost, Renewal House is not an institution and the residents provide striking testimony to this fact. Their concern and affection for one another is amazing to witness. Perhaps because it so genuinely sincere and not a mere façade.

Renewal House now has a softball team entered in the Atlanta Summer Recreation league, it has opened operations in Columbus, Ga., making it a state-wide program, the “Come Together, Inc.” volunteer group has plans for other helping projects besides their past role as primary fund raisers and spirits are soaring on 11^th St. “Graduates” of the program speak almost ecstatically of their return to society and finding themselves as people. They range in age from 15 to 40-plus, white and black, male and female, educated and uneducated. But they all share one ambition, to never again return to the world of drugs and to do whatever they can to keep others from entering that world.

In spite of the much brighter picture of today’s Renewal House, there are still many needs to be met, most of which cannot be funded but will rely on donations and volunteer services. The family needs a car or bus-van to provide transportation. Funds are still needed for clothing and shoes. There is no television in the house. There is a need for recreational equipment, refrigerator, freezer, dental care and job opportunities. This list is long and challenging but with the spirit that has put Renewal House where it is today, it’s a challenge that will be met and conquered.

When the family of Renewal House sang their song “Tell it All Brothers and Sisters” at the birthday celebration, there were few dry eyes, and even fewer who doubted for a moment that Renewal House would make it over any hurdles that might lie ahead. It’s just that kind of family.