Children in Crisis: The Story of CHIP

CHILDREN IN CRISIS: The Story of CHIP

Join us in viewing a Powerful Documentary Film directed by Scott Galloway, son of our own Rev. Dr. John Galloway, Jr. A discussion/Q&A session with Scott will follow.

As Christians we know that we are called to stand with our brothers and sisters in need, showing the love of Christ in a hurting world. An inspiring example of a response to this call is found in the collaboration of Pittsburgh churches – one of which was led by our own Rev. Dr. John Galloway, Jr. – to lead a grassroots program that expanded into one of the most important federal healthcare programs ever enacted – the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), ultimately helping to insure millions of children.

In the early 1980’s, over 150,000 steel-related jobs were lost in the Pittsburgh area, many residents were starving, and their anger was directed at corporate leaders. One Sunday, the displaced steel workers confronted the steel executives at the churches where they worshiped, including Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, where Dr. Galloway served as senior pastor. Rather than engaging in confrontation, Dr. Galloway welcomed the protestors and listened as they expressed their pain. Recalling the testimony of one steelworker, Dr. Galloway says, “He apologized for interrupting the service but he wanted us to know they’re really hurting. ‘How do I take care of my kids? How do I feed my family? How do I keep my house?’ You don’t just hear that…and ignore it.”  That engagement expanded to encompass numerous sectors of the community, including not only the displaced steel workers and local churches, but also schools, sports teams, celebrities, and Blue Cross. It culminated in the formation of the Caring Program for Children, which provided health insurance for children in need.

The model proved highly replicable and was extended throughout Pennsylvania and other states. In 1997, federal legislation established the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) based on the Pittsburgh model. Scott Galloway, Dr. Galloway’s son, has produced a powerful, hour-long documentary film about these events. Entitled Children in Crisis: The Story of CHIP, the film will be shown at WPC, followed by a discussion/Q&A session with Scott, on Sunday, March 17, at 3:00 p.m. in the Chapel. Join us to learn about this inspiring story of churches taking action to fix broken systems. Click here to watch the trailer. The film is currently streaming on PBS, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.