Sober News - Winter 2013

soberNEWS
New York Inter-Group Office
307 Seventh Avenue, Room 201
New York, New York 10001-6007
(212) 647-1680 (914) 949-1200
(212) 647-1648 Fax
www.nyintergroup.org
www.newyorkintergroup.org
[email protected]
Gratitude Month
The Inter-Group Association of A.A. of New York sincerely thanks those
many groups in the Greater New York Area for their generous contributions
to the organization. Group donations fund more than half of Inter-Group’s
approximate $450K of annual operating expenses.
Consequently, without the support of these groups practicing the 7th Tradition, the New York Inter-Group Office cannot exist.
Wanted:
Phone Volunteers
One Year of Continuous
Sobriety Required
Wanted:
Bridging The Gap
Representatives
Bridging the Gap is a Temporary
Contact Program, which is designed
to help the alcoholic in a treatment
program transition to A.A. life.
It is suggested that each A.A.
Group in the New York area elect
a Bridging the Gap Representative. This is a suggested six-moth
commitment, with at least one year
of continuous sobriety required.
Duties include contacting patients
in treatment facilities, arranging
to have someone meet patients
upon their discharge, and attending monthly Corrections and Treatment Facilities Meetings in all
five boroughs and Westchester.
“Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help another alcoholic achieve
sobriety.” These closing words of the AA Preamble summarize very well
what New York Inter-Group strives to do every single day. The volunteers
who answer phones at the Inter-Group Office stand on the front lines of our
Fellowship, helping alcoholics achieve sobriety and, through their service,
strengthening their own recovery and staying sober another day. Your donations pay for the phone bill and AA meeting lists that ensures these volunteers have a supportive environment in which to share the message with
those who need help.
Despite your generosity, and the herculean efforts of its small staff, the reality is that Inter-Group’s operating expenses (rent, utilities, phones, office
supplies, postage, and salaries) are increasing at a greater pace than group
donations. This is obviously a challenging dynamic but one that can be
overcome by boosting, even slightly, the percentage of groups who give to
the association. We are very grateful that in 2012 over 33% of A.A. Groups
from the Greater New York Area made donations to Inter-Group. It would
be tremendous if we could raise that number going forward.
We thank everyone who helps Inter-Group do the crucial work it does.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Parker P.
Treasurer, New York Inter-Group Steering Committee
CTFC NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
The Corrections and Treatment Facilities Committee (CTFC) is responsible for carrying the A.A. message to alcoholics in prisons and institutions.
CTFC arranges to have meetings brought into these facilities and provides
them with free literature. This valuable 12th step service cannot continue
without your much needed financial support. All donations welcome. Please
specify that you wish your donation to go to the CTFC Literature Fund.
BRONX
A Day at a Time
A New Person
A New Start
AA and Beyond
AA at Sunrise
AA is Good Living
AA is Your Way
AA On the Hill
Afternoon Workshop
Bainbridge
Bronx A.M.
Co-op City
Early Morning Sobriety
End of the Line
Footprints
Friday Nighters
Getting it Together
Gratitude
Grupo el Mensaje
Grupo Hispano
Gun Hill
It’s Possible to Live Clean &
Dry
Jughead
Just Trying
Lifeboat
Marble Hill Kingsbridge
Mid-Day Beginners
Miracles
Morris Park
Morrisania
New South Bronx
N.O.W.
Orchard Beach
P.A.T.’s Place
Primary Purpose
Recovery at 1
Reliance
Riverdale
Serenity on Fish
Stepping Stone
Throggs Neck
Thursday Niters
Tremont
Turning Point
Van Nest
We Agnostics of the Bronx
We Care
Women into the Solution
Woodlawn Women to Women
You Get What You Need
Young and Old in A.A.
BROOKLYN
A Room of One’s Own
Alphabet Soup
Alpine
GRATITUDE LIST
Another Chance
Army Plaza
Bay Ridge
Bedford
Bleeding Deacons
Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Sober Agnostics
Bushwick Madison
Caucus
Changes
Clinton-Carroll Men’s Big Book
Clinton-Carroll Morning
Cobble Hill
Crown Heights
Feelings
First Step
Gateway
Gerritsen Beach
Green Steeple
Greenpoint
Greenpoint Day
Greenpoint Gratitude
Greenwood
Grupo Mi Salvacion
Hanson
Hilltop
Into Action
Kenilworth
Kingsway
Men’s Bridge Back
Midday Sobriety Two for One
On the Avenue
Once Again
Our Father’s House
Our Town
Ovington
Park Slope Women’s Step
Park West
Plaza Hour
Promises Plus
Prospect
Reaching Out
Seeing is Believing
Seven at Seven
Sidney Place
Simply Saturday
Slope Open Discussion
Sober Living
Sober Sunday
Sobriety Plus
Sons of Bill
S.O.S.
Spirituality in Recovery
Spring Creek
Starting Point
Steps to Freedom
Sunday Solution
Sunrise
Third Step One Flight Up
Tightrope on the Slope
Twelve to Life
We Can
Weeksville
Williamsburg Morning Higher
Power
Women in Recovery
Women in the Spirit
Women’s Room
Young Brooklyn
Young People in Recovery
MANHATTAN
AA at the 3 Jewels
AA It Works
Abingdon Square
Active
Adventures in Sobriety
Alive Again
Amazing Grace
Amsterdam
Ansonia
Artists in Recovery
Atlantic
Attitude Adjustment
Avenue B Clean and Dry
Bagels and Big Book
Between Shows
Big Book in Chelsea
Bookshop at Noon
Breaking Through
Bridge to Sobriety
Broadway at 96th
Cadillacs for Everyone
Came to Believe
Campus Cheer
Carnegie Hill
Carlyle
Central
Central Park West
Chambers Street
Chapter Five
Chelsea Nooners
The Following A.A. Groups
Donated to New York Inter-Group
From July 2011 to December 2012
Chelsea Riverside
Chinatown
City Group
Classen Hall
Clean and Dry
Columbus at 5
Completely Sober
D.I.V.A.
Downtown
Dyckman
East Harlem
East Village Group
Empire State
Exchange Views
Fast Break
Fearless
Fellowship
Fifth Avenue Step
First Things First
4 The Grace
Forty-Five Solutions
Found-a-Way
Friday Central
Friday Downtown
Friday Night Men’s Step
Gotham
Grace on Broadway
Gramercy
Grateful Group
Green Room
Greenwich Village
Grupo Brasil
Grupo Como Trabaja
Grupo Dulces 24
Grupo Luz Divina
Happy, Joyous and Free
Hell’s Kitchen
Henry Hudson
High Noon
How it Works
I’m All In
Into Action
Inwood-Ft. Tryon
Isham Park
Just for Today
Lambda West
Learning to Live
Lenox Hill
Lex 80 Step
Live and Let Live
Living Clean & Sober on 121st
Living Now
Living Today
Lunch Bunch
Madison Park Beginners
Madison 73
Manhattan
Metropolitan
Mid-Day Cheer
Mid-Harlem
Midnite
Monday East Topic
Monday Men
Monday Night Challenge
Morning Reflections
Morningside
Morningside Heights Beginners
Mustard Seed
Never Had a Legal Drink
New But West
New Choices
New Group
New Life in Sobriety
New Way of Living
Night Light
96th Street Workshop
Ninth Avenue
Nu Garden
N.Y.U.
125 – Two for One
Oxford
Park Bench
Park Madison
Passing the Bar
P.A.X.
Perry Street
Potpourri
Powerless
Primary Purpose
Promises Group
Promises Two for One
Rainbow Room
Reality Check
Recovery Room
Renewal West
Rhinelander
Riverside
Riverton
Room for Improvement
Rude Awakening
St. Nicholas
Salem
Sane and Sober
Saturday Afternoon Discussion
Saturday Beginners
Saturday Rotating 12 Step
Saturday Step
Saturday Weekenders
Save Her a Seat
Seamen’s Group
Seaport
2d Avenue Clean & Dry
79th Street Workshop
Sheridan Square Follies
SOBER
Sober Adult Men
Sober Women
Sobriety on the Square
Soho
Smithereens
Statler at Noon
Step by Step
Steps 3 & 11
Sugar Hill
Sunday at 6
Sunday Beginners
Sunday Morning Meditation
Sunday on 70th
Templeton
10th Step Workshop
T.G.I.F. &S.
The 12th Street Workshop
Trafalgar
Trinity
Turn it Over
Twelve at Six
Twelve Concepts
22 Below
Upon Awakening
Village Sober over 60
Washington Heights
We Humanists
Wednesday Focus
West 58th Street Step
Women Now
Women Together
Women’s Beginning Literature
Women’s Eleventh Step
Women’s Nite
Women’s Tell it Like it Is
Women’s Westside Topic
Writing Sober
Young and Wise
Young in 164
Youth Enjoying Sobriety
QUEENS
A Day at a Time
A New Pair of Glasses
GRATITUDE LIST
(Continued from Page 3)
A Vision for You
Astoria Group
Astoria Heights
Astoria Save and Sober
Back to Basics
Bayside
Belle Harbor
Best of Times
Broadway-Steinway
Cambria Heights
Catch the Spirit
College Point Malba
Corona
Crescent
Daily Dozen
Deliverance
Douglaston Fresh Start
Easy Does It
Elmhurst
Flushing
Forest Hills
Forest Hills Liberty
Fort Tilden
Fort Tilden Feelings
Gardens Group of Forest Hills
Gift of Desperation
Glendale
Gratitude
Hand in Hand
Helping Hands
Jackson Heights
Lighthouse Rego Park
Message on Metro
Middle Village
Midwood
Morning Medicine
New Leaf
New Life
Not a Minute Too Soon
Oakland Gardens
PPAW
Pride in Woodside
Queens Village Catch the Spirit
Rego Park
Rich Haven Splinter
Ridgewood
Rockaway Big Book
Rockaway Clean and Dry
Rockaway Pavilion
Roxbury Men’s Group
Serenity Sisters
She Found a Solution
Show Up for Life
Sober Feelings
Sobriety and Beyond
Starting Over
Stick With the Winners
Survivors
Third Step Good Orderly Direction
We Group
Why Not
Women of Courage
Women Living in the Solution
Woodhaven
Woodside
Woodside 62d Street
Woodside Wisdom
Woodside Women’s Meditation
STATEN ISLAND
Attitude Adjustment
Big Book Pioneer
Bill and Bob’s Excellent Adventure
Came to Believe
Common Solution
Conscious Contact
Eye Opener
Family Afterward
First Drink
First Step Group
Fourth Edition
Friday Night Women’s
How It Works
Inspiration
Keeping it Simple
Lunchtime Beginners
Meeting in the Park
New Hope
Pass It On
Power for the Hour
Prince’s Bay Step
Promises
Serenity Lodge
Sisters in Sobriety
Steps by the Sea
Sunday Morning Early Birds
Sunlight of the Spirit
The Crossroads
The Other End
The Promises
Unity Group
Victory Group
Why Not
Women Sharing
WESTCHESTER
Armonk
Bedford Village – It’s Guaranteed
Bronxville
Bronxville Asbury
Chappaqua
Crestwood Gardens
Dobbs Ferry
Dobbs Ferry Gay and Lesbian
Hartsdale Ardsley
Hastings Reach for Recovery
Katonah Keystone
Larchmont
Mamaroneck
Mount Kisco LeonardPark
Mount Vernon
New Rochelle Early Risers
New Rochelle Hump Day Young
People
New Rochelle Men’s Discussion
Ossining Maryknoll Women’s
Peekskill
Pelham Manor Shore Road
Pelham Women’s Discussion
Pocantico Hills
Purdys Now
Rye Harrison Group
Scarsdale Crane Road
Scarsdale Helping Hand
Somers Granite Springs
Tarrytown
Tarrytown Pocantico Hills
Tarrytown Solutions in Sobriety
Valhalla
Westchester Sponsor House
White Plains a Vision for You
Yonkers Failte
Yonkers Lincoln Park
Yonkers Sobriety on Sunday
Yonkers the Way Out
Yorktown Heights
Yorktown Heights Early Birds
Yorktown Heights Noon
Yorktown Heights Spirit of
Grateful Sobriety
Anniversary Club
c/o New York Inter-Group Association
307 Seventh Avenue, Room 201
New York, NY 10001-6007
The Grateful Group was
founded in November
2007 when a few members of a meeting we were
attending at the time decided to start a meeting
where we could welcome
everyone with some coffee service and snacks
and with an attitude of
gratitude for our sobriety
and recovery. Thus, the
Grateful Group was born.
group history
The Grateful Group
Saint George Episcopal Church
209 East 16th Street, Basement
Btwn. 3rd Avenue & Rutherford Place
Monday through Friday at 5pm
Monday at 6:30pm and Sunday at 5pm
Book meetings are closed meetings to enable alcoholics to concentrate on their recovery.
Membership now encompasses people with all different
periods of sobriety. The Grateful Group encourages members to get involved in service. There is a core group of
In the beginning there were
regular attendees with long term sobriety as well as many
just a very few members.
members with less sobriety who chair the meetings, serve
We found a beautiful room
as group officers, etc., and many newcomers who do set up
at the St. George Church
on 16th Street between
3rd Ave. and Rutherford
Place. Many members call
this room the “Harry Potter” room because of its
somewhat medieval look.
But far from being austere or forbidding, it is a
very warm and welcoming space that embraces
all who enter and participate in the love that the
fellowship has to offer, a
solid message of recovery
through the application of and clean up service as well as welcome people at the door.
the 12 steps of Alcoholics
Anonymous and an op- The Grateful Group just had a beautiful 6th Group Anportunity to do service. niversary party, where a couple of the founders of
the meeting spoke not only about how the group was
The Grateful Group spon- formed but also shared inspiring stories of their own
sors six meetings a week, journey of addiction to recovery. The meeting culmifour of which (Beginners, nated in a hot meal and delicious anniversary cake.
Speaker Exchange, Meditation and Men’s) are open The Grateful Group celebrates personal AA Anniversaries
to all, in order to provide on the last Thursday of every month where the group gives
for all, who may be in- the celebrants their anniversary coins. It is an open meeting
terested in this message and celebrants are encouraged to bring their family members
of sobriety and recovery, for all to participate in this joyful celebration of our recovery.
a safe place to explore
their own conscience We open each meeting with a reading of A Thankful Heart:
and addiction issues. “I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart
Step meetings and Big cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with grat-
itude, one’s heartbeat must
surely result in ongoing
love, the finest emotion
that we can ever know.
“My sponsor told me that
I should be a grateful alcoholic and have ‘an attitude
of gratitude’, that gratitude
was the basic ingredient
of humility, that humility
was the basic ingredient
of anonymity, and that
‘anonymity was the spiritual foundation of all our
traditions, ever reminding us to place principles
before personalities’. As
a result of this guidance,
I start every morning on
my knees, thanking God
for three things, I’m alive,
I’m sober and I’m a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Then I try to live an
‘attitude of gratitude’ and
thoroughly enjoy another
twenty- four hours of the
A.A. way of life. A.A. Is
not something I joined;
it’s something I live.”
And we close each meeting with the reading of the
Acceptance Reading from
page 417 of the Big Book.
The Grateful Group hopes
to welcome you to one of
our meetings in the future
where we can all celebrate this miraculous recovery and freely share
our experience, strength
and hope with each other- giving, day after day
and meeting after meeting with Gratitude, what
was so freely given to us
Sallie K, Moe M, Sara K.
Photo by Joe L