Home of the longest-running AA speaker meeting in North Carolina, founded in 1946. Access our library of speaker recordings, learn about our rich history, and connect to resources for those seeking recovery.

How it all started

We are responsible!

In the spring of 1946, a radio program about Alcoholics Anonymous was heard by Ike I. and his wife Mildred I. The only thing they could remember about it was that it was from New York.

They had a serious interest in this new A.A. they heard about. They soon wrote a letter, but having no address, they addressed the letter to:

Postmaster New York City

Low and behold, in two weeks, John B. a member of the Alcoholics Anonymous Central Group in Charlotte NC (established in 1941), contacted Ike and Mildred and made plans to meet them in Salisbury.

In June 1946 John B. rode a bus to Salisbury and met with the couple in their home. After the meeting, John B. took the bus back to Charlotte. That represents a perfect example of doing A.A. 12th Step work. In 1946 it was probably a couple of hours by bus ride.

The Salisbury couple, Ike and Mildred, started driving to Charlotte twice a week. The couple was actively doing 12th step work in Salisbury. In a remarkably short time, there were six who were making the trip to Charlotte.

The Central Group in Charlotte recommended that Salisbury form their own group. With their help, the Central Group of Salisbury was formed. The first meeting was held in Ike and Mildred’s home on November 6, 1946.

Attending the meeting that night was: Mildred I. Ike I. Tom B. Winfield H. Gurney H. Scoot N.

The group soon outgrew Ike & Mildred’s home. The next meeting location was the First Presbyterian Church hut on S. Jackson Street. From there they had to move because the members were always throwing their cigarette butts on the floor.

The next meeting location was at the County Courthouse. There were many meeting places after that until the group finally found a home for the next quarter of the century. For twenty five years Salisbury Central Group was at 213 S. Main Street over an old theater.

From there we moved to our present location on November 5, 1989, over 30 years ago. Haven Lutheran Church has been a wonderful host that has allowed us to be the hand of A.A. for anyone that reaches out for help.