Local broadcaster Allen Childs convenes with area judges and recovering addicts each week on his “First Step” radio show that is aired on WGAC radio to an ever-growing audience.
The people around the normally soft-spoken radio host say that he is the absolute epitome of a community role model.
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Radio program gives people a voice
The radio program gives insight into the various accountability court programs available to offenders and also gives a voice to those who have faced the tragedy of drug or alcohol addiction and have fought for their recovery.
One of those people is former UGA baseball star Terry Childers who now works for Bluff Alcohol and Drug Rehab.
“I remember when Allen told me that he had Judge (David) Watkins on board, and I have been on the show many times. It is such a tremendous resource for the community and for people who may be struggling with an addiction,” Childers said.
Sometimes the stories told are just gut-wrenching.
A young man by the name of Christian, bravely held back the tears as he told of being sexually abused by his father and his father’s pedophile friends. The man disclosed how the abuse in his family drove him to addiction and spoke of the redemption he felt in finally getting the treatment he needed.
People who have found themselves homeless due to a chronic addiction have called into the radio program seeking help and found a state court or superior court judge on the other end of the phone-line offering the very advice and help they need to keep themselves out of the courtroom and on a path to recovery.
Augusta Circuit Chief Superior Court Judge Danny Craig says that Childs has gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to the community and has left, in his wake, life-belts for those in danger of drowning.
Life lessons provide wisdom
While Childs comes across as the affable broadcast host who lets the judges do most of the talking, there is a lifetime of wisdom gained through life lessons underneath the humble facade. The real reason Allen Childs created the First Step radio program eight years ago is because it is part of his own recovery.
Danny Craig remembers first getting acquainted with Childs back in 1992 when he was running for district attorney and Childs offered to help his campaign with media ad buys.
“People warned me about him, but, at first, I never noticed anything wrong or amiss. He was connected through his father’s law firm, he was talented when it came to putting together cost-effective ad buys and he made sure I didn’t go on camera with a five o’clock shadow. It was much later that I learned what was going on behind the scenes,” Craig said.
Past issues
Allen Childs had been a functional alcoholic from the age of eight.
“I have never really talked about this much, but I was bullied badly as a child. It was endless and an everyday thing. I had no self-esteem at all. One day a friend dared me to try an Old Milwalkie, and I don’t know, I liked the feeling it gave me, so I started sneaking around and drinking beer,” Childs says.
What started as snagging a beer or two from the family fridge developed into a habit that Childs says both buffered him from the bullying and also caused him to get drunk and mouth off, bringing on more ridicule.
“I was drinking before I was driving, so when I started driving, I was drinking while I was driving. I guess I was really good at hiding it. Even when I got caught, I really didn’t think it was a big deal,” Childs said.
Consequences of his actions
It just so happened that Childs belonged to a prominent family and, in those days, surname recognition went a long way. Some misdeeds presented before the court were handled in a genteel manner so as not to reflect badly on the family.
“After hearing about the third DUI, I found out that there was a problem with Allen, and I told him that I could not protect him. He was subject to the law like everyone else,” Craig said.
Childs’ life began to go into freefall and, then, he encountered Judge David Watkins.
Watkins, who is now retired, was known to the court as a stern yet compassionate judge, and he treated Childs with tough love. The two eventually became friends.
“He really helped save me from myself, it is hard to describe the bond we have,” Childs said.
Radio show now
The pair spent six years on the radio together until Watkins retired. The radio show continues on with judges and Augusta commissioners taking part in what has become a giant community conversation about a problem that affects all of our families. Solutions are discussed and people can find solace in hearing from a person recovering from addiction.
Judge David Watkins commented on how proud he is to have been a part of Childs’ success, both personally and professionally, stating: “Allen is a force for good in the CSRA. He especially has a heart for the recovery community and goes out of his way to support it.”
Craig, who is one of the recurring judges on the show, goes even further in praising his colleague.
“I don’t know how many lives he has saved putting on that radio show. I know there is at least one, probably hundreds, but after eight years, maybe thousands,” Craig said.
As for Childs, he says that he maintains regret for some of the decisions he made during his non-sober years and considers his public outreach today as a continued means of asking forgiveness from both his God and his fellow humans.
“Hopefully, for anyone I hurt along the way, I can be forgiven some day. That has really been the point, I have really been blessed, but I live everyday with the lessons I have learned,” Childs said.
The First Step radio program can be heard at 6 p.m. on 95.1 FM and 580 AM each Sunday.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
