Photo Courtesy to Bloomington Facebook page
BLOOMINGTON, Ill.- The Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) District 10 in Southern Illinois and A.A. groups are dealing with the present Coronavirus situation.
The A.A. District 10’s General Service Office is providing guidance on health issues, but the office is not an authoritative body over A.A. groups, nor does it initiate rules.
Each A.A. group and entity is autonomous and decisions are made through its group conscience.
However in response to the global outbreak, the Board of Trustees does have some general experience regarding how some A.A. groups and members have begun to address this issue.
“Many are following social distancing guidelines established by local, state, provincial and federal officials, while at the same time maintaining their recovery and attending digital A.A. meetings,” said Board of Trustees member and A.A. Fellowship leader Mark Everett.
“By attending digital meetings, groups can focus on A.A.’s primary purpose, which is to carry its message of recovery to the alcoholic who still suffers.”
Many groups have alerted local A.A. offices or hotlines if they are temporarily not meeting in their regular space. Some groups have shared that they are utilizing digital platforms such as Zoom, Google Hangouts or conducting conference calls.
A.A. groups are also creating contact lists, keeping in touch by phone, email or social media.
Many local A.A. offices, and areas have added information to their websites about how to change a meeting format from “in-person” to a digital platform.
“A.A. in the digital age has certainly taken on a new meaning in these challenging times and we are being reminded more and more that A.A. is not a place,” said Everett. “Together we’ll get through this difficult period…one day at a time.”