Translation Help Needed!
Calling Multilingual Members!
Translating Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature (CAL) into Spanish and French is just the beginning of the World Service Office’s international work with service structures across the globe who wish to translate and reprint our Al‑Anon CAL into their native languages. Part of this process includes an independent review of translated CAL to ensure it is faithful to the spiritual tone and message of the original. If you are fluent in Georgian, Swahili, Arabic, Czech, or Mongolian as well as English and would be willing to serve as an independent reviewer, please email international@al-anon.org with your contact information and the languages (other than Spanish or French) in which you have proficiency.
Welcoming Student Observers
Extending a Warm Welcome to Student Observers
Welcoming students (professionals in training) helps extend Al‑Anon’s message of hope beyond our rooms. Observers come to learn without judgment, while respecting anonymity and confidentiality. A warm welcome, a brief explanation of our Traditions, and clear boundaries help keep meetings safe while putting Al‑Anon principles into action. By opening our meetings with care, we invite others to understand how Al‑Anon and Alateen support the families and friends of alcoholics and the shared path of recovery.
Inside Al-Anon Family Groups
Attracting and Cooperating: Best Practices for Tradition Eleven
When we serve in public outreach, we share clear information without promotion or pressure, attracting people who are seeking help and cooperating with those who serve them. Even small efforts can help someone find hope and connection.
Making Al‑Anon and Alateen resources available to the public can be simple yet powerful. Community wellness fairs are an effective way to attract interest while cooperating with local agencies, schools, and health centers. A table with friendly members invites conversation and builds trust. Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism magazines (AFAM), pamphlets, meeting lists, and bookmarks help people find us when they are ready.
Building relationships with professionals is another important part of public outreach. Professionals are often the first point of contact for those affected by alcoholism. Meeting with them at their facilities, offering Al‑Anon and Alateen speakers, and providing complimentary literature such as Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism helps build cooperation. Inviting professionals to “Families, Friends, and Observers Welcome” meetings also helps them understand the support our program offers.
Outreach can also happen digitally. Keeping meeting information up to date online or sharing resources through local networks helps people find support anytime.
Public outreach can be done by one member, a small group, or through District and Intergroup committees. Explore simple ways to begin by visiting the “Public Outreach Toolkit” at al‑anon.org, and consult the Al‑Anon/Alateen Service Manual (P-24/27) and Public Outreach Guidelines for additional guidance.
The Forum, September 2026
Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.
Inside Al-Anon Family Groups
Inside Al-Anon Family Groups
An Al-Anon Group Is an Al-Anon Group—Even Online
I wasn’t sure what bothered me about electronic Al-Anon groups when I first started attending them. They were new and different to me, and with my camera off and a made-up name, I could be completely invisible. I could drop in and out when I felt like it, without considering any disruption I might cause or sharing in the responsibility of serving the group. This made me vaguely uncomfortable, but the convenience swept me off my feet: I could do some household tasks or “just listen in,” letting the other members carry the meeting.
Then I started comparing my participation in electronic meetings with my participation in face-to-face meetings. The difference was stark! When I realized how little effort I put into “attending” an electronic meeting, I decided to change the way I showed up. I started joining the meeting on time and making myself available to help ensure the meeting opened when it was supposed to and included helpful topics. I sat up straight, kept my camera on, and paid attention. I started doing my best to recognize that an Al-Anon group is an Al-Anon group; whether we meet in a hospital conference room, a church basement, or on an electronic platform, it still remains an Al-Anon group.
Now, when I attend an Al-Anon meeting online, I think about how I’m supporting the group and how that affects Al-Anon as a whole. Am I contributing by serving, sharing in leadership, and taking turns so as not to control? Do I contribute financially to the electronic “basket” even though the expenses for the electronic platform or welcome materials are not obvious to me? Do I encourage other members to participate in the group and share Al-Anon-related announcements? Do I participate in group business meetings to keep the group informed and vibrant?
When I first started attending Al-Anon, I had only three face-to-face weekly meetings to choose from in a 40-mile radius, no matter the weather or any unexpected obligations that came up. After all these insights, I’m more grateful than ever for the many ways I can find recovery in an Al-Anon group—whether in person or online, almost anytime.
By Christa A.
Group Services & Alateen Coordinator
“Inside Al-Anon Family Groups” presents news, policy, and commentary from volunteers, staff and readers sharing experience through service. Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.
The Forum Magazine
Michigan Al-Anon Group Records Change:
If you have any information about permanent or temporary changes to a group, including
- name
- location (including instructions)
- day or time
- type ("Families and Friends only" (closed) or "Families, Friends and Observers welcome" (open)
- services (beginners, child care, etc.)
- Group Representative (GR)
- Current Mailing Address (CMA)
- phone contacts,
Please email the details of those changes to miafgrecords@gmail.com and your local district. The Area Records Coordinator will update WSO records where appropriate.
To update or change information related to a group, go to this link:
https://al-anon.org/for-members/group-resources/group-records/changes-existing-al-anon-group/
