When a person joins the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, they usually discover that AA is a giving program. Those of us who are active members of AA learn over time that much of what we are taught and learn at meetings are gifts from the program.
At some point, it is highly recommended by most longtime members of AA that all active members of the program perform some type of service work as a way of helping other alcoholics and giving back for what we have freely received.
There are many different ways of performing service work in Alcoholics Anonymous, each of which is potentially satisfying and beneficial to both those who perform the work and those who are on the receiving end.
One form of service work that new members of AA, especially those who are fresh out of rehab are encouraged to take on is being the coffee-person for a specific AA meeting. This type of service work entails preparing coffee for the meeting and also usually involves preparing and/or setting-up any food items to be served with the coffee as well setting-up chairs and books for the meeting.
While being the coffee person at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting might not sound like an important position, in the hierarchy of AA it really is an important duty. To many members of the program, an AA meeting without coffee just wouldn’t seem right. To the person in early sobriety, making the coffee for a meeting gives them a sense of responsibility and helps to make them feel useful and that they really do belong to the group.
Giving rides to and from meetings is another way of performing service work in Alcoholics Anonymous. Sometimes, a member of the group might not have access to reliable transportation and getting to and from AA meetings might pose a problem.
Being a sponsor to one or more members of the program is a good way of doing service work in AA that is mutually satisfying. By taking on the role of sponsor, you can help another member of the program by relating your experiences in dealing with situations and helping the person you are sponsoring go through ‘The Steps’.
Some of the other types of service work in Alcoholics Anonymous include being a door-greeter at a meeting, speaking at meetings, being on convention and Roundup committees, speaking at and holding meetings at institutions and being a G.S.R. (General Service Representative) for a meeting group.
No matter what type of service work in AA is chosen, it is sure to be a learning and ultimately satisfying experience.
Sources :
Personal experience in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous