Dear Grapevine

Four men and a coffee pot
I found the Pioneer Group when life’s circumstances gave me good reason to move back to Ohio. I was eight years sober and going through a rough spot in my life when I first walked down the stairs of that church. All I saw was four old men, a coffee pot and some Grapevines. I originally sobered up in a big city, so this place was a bit of a surprise, but one I’m forever grateful for. One of those four men became my sponsor, and the others my close friends. Two of the men have passed on in the six years I’ve lived here. The group is like a family to me. I owe them my life, as I do AA. I’m proud of how well we work together for our single purpose. We have a Grapevine subscription, and we pass them on to the local juvenile detention home. I’m blessed to carry our message out to those boys every Thursday, and I often use a story out of Grapevine as a topic.