“Service…where the Steps meet the Traditions and Concepts on the road of recovery “
Basic Text: P. 50, Step 12. “By this time, most of us realize that the only way that we can keep what was given to us is by sharing this new gift of life with the still-suffering addict. This is our best Insurance against relapse to the torturous existence of using. We call it carrying the message, and we do it in a number of ways.”
Service comes in many forms and can be undertaken by anyone. Often NA members will share about “being of service” in our regular meetings. When we are new, it’s easy to wonder “exactly what does that mean.” Though some NA service centers (such as the World Service Office) have special workers who are paid, the majority of tasks completed for NA are completed by individual members who volunteer their time. Meetings don’t just happen; we have to make them happen.
“We only keep what we have by giving it away.” Our greatest tool for carrying out our primary purpose is the NA group, and without individuals doing service, the NA group would not survive. In our Basic Text, it says that “Our survival is directly related to the survival of the group and the Fellowship”. We have also found that service is an integral part of personal recovery in NA and allows us to receive the full benefits that this program has to offer.
The purpose of the area is to provide services for the groups that would be difficult for those groups to provide without taking away from the time and resources they need to focus on carrying the message of recovery to the addict who still suffers. The area also has several subcommittees that have specific tasks. Each subcommittee has a Chair that is elected by the GSR’s in attendance at the Area meetings when elections take place. The following is a brief description of each subcommittee:
Hospitals & Institutions (H&I): Carries NA meetings into institutions such as treatment centers, jails, prisons, and hospitals.
Public Relation (PR): Informs the public, professionals, and schools that NA exists in the community and is a viable resource of recovery from the disease of addiction.
Phone Line: Help the addicts and the potential addicts who suffer from mind, body and spiritual dilemma to call us and find out where and when we meet in person and or virtual on a daily basis to help each other remain drug free.
Literature Sales: Keeps an inventory and supplies local groups with literature, key tags, medallions, and other NA merchandise.
Literature Development: Reviews new NA literature that is being proposed for distribution to the NA fellowship.
Activities: Manages recovery events such as picnics, dances, game nights, canoe trips, speak-a-thons, etc.
Outreach: Serves as the outstretched hand of an established NA community to isolated groups and addicts, particularly large rural areas, ensuring that all addicts have the opportunity to attend NA meetings.
Some of these sub-committees meet separately on a regular basis; others meet during Area Service Committee (ASC) meeting. If you would like to help with any of these, it is suggested you attend sub-committee’s meeting. You could also attend the Area Service Committee meeting. Any addict may attend the area meeting or any of the sub-committee meetings. It is also important to know that the Area and sub-committees are accountable to the groups of this area.