...Anonymous Donor Saves Shelters English 112 Professor Tara Ciccarone DeVry University Two women’s shelter that have basically been on life support for nearly two decades are now fighting to keep their doors open as more and more debt piles up. On Wednesday, October 16th, 2013, Clara Kirk, a 72-year old woman, said she was having difficulties paying for two different gas and water bills at her shelters that she runs to provide for women and children in need. One of the bills was roughly $21,000 and another bill was around $11,000 (Hutson, 2013). Due to the fact that she was unable to take care of those bills, the gas was shut off on Wednesday, October 16, 2013. This left all of the helpless people without heat or hot water which forced them to go to nearby cafeterias so they could get cleaned up. Clara’s Place, which houses 19 women and children, is one of the two shelters that have run out of gas. The other shelter – Clara’s House – also has approximately 40 women and is also in devastating financial misfortune. Both of these shelters have struggled financially in recent years, facing punishments from the town for building code violations and consequences from the IRS for being overdue on their payroll taxes (Hutson, 2013). With temperature going below 30 degrees, residents of both of these shelters finally had something be happy for. An anonymous donor has contributed a rather large sum of money in order to keep the gas successfully running at the two Chicago...
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...FR Alcoholic Anonymous Group Paper PC6505 Alcoholic Anonymous Group The purpose of this paper is to describe the nature and purpose of an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group and its members. The paper will discuss the AA group’s philosophical orientation to human development. While using the writer’s knowledge of therapeutic factors, the paper will analyze the group process and its stage of development. The paper will also discuss the approach of the leader, often called ‘trusted servants” or “secretary”. Finally, the paper will discuss the use of the reconstructive inventory steps of 4-10 and how the writer would work with a client who was seeing her in individual or family counseling. Alcoholics Anonymous has a well-defined recovery program that AA members have been following since the founding of the group (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). In 1939, the group published its basic textbook, Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). The Big Book explained AA’s philosophy and methods, the core of which is the now well-known Twelve Steps of recovery (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). The Twelve Steps are the core of the recovery program, which are based on the trial-and-error experience of early members of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2014). The Twelve Steps are not simply a set of tasks to be carried out (personal communication, September 30, 2014). They are a guide for living and being in the world, and, for many individuals, they become a way of...
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...Twelve Step Program Unk Author1 1 Kaplan University Abstract This paper is about the twelve step program and the lasting affect it has on individuals who suffer from addiction. The twelve step program is a treatment program that holds people accountable for their actions to overcome their addiction and head down the road to recovery. This paper also explains an organization that I want to observe who implement the twelve step program among other things like a phase based treatment program. A phase based treatment program, is a structured program set up for individuals who recently were released from prison or jail. The program is intense and structured leaving the offenders accountable for their own actions, progress, and success. Once the offender has completed all their phases successfully they are up for graduation, where participation in their alumni is encouraged. Twelve Step Program Twelve step programs or self-help groups are designed to help in the treatment and recovery of addiction and are highly effective with a lasting success rate. The main focus of self-help groups are to bring people together who suffer from addiction and provide an emotional support system along with valuable information. Self-help groups are great for individuals to be able to relate to something or someone, because they may not get that opportunity out in their personal life. They get pressured into using, pressured into stopping, given ultimatums, etc. and all they really...
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...Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) is a self-help group developed to help and support alcoholics maintain sobriety. AA has a twelve-step model that helps guide alcoholics to sobriety. I attended an AA meeting that was held in a church. At the beginning of the meeting, the group said the serenity prayer. The prayer encourages the participants to make changes in their lives. Following the prayer, introductions were made by the members of the group. The members stated their names and some of them said that they were alcoholics. The theme of the meeting was “Letting Go, Letting God”. There was a featured speaker who discussed how letting go of insignificant problems helps improve the quality of your life and bring you closer to God. He stated that AA meeting...
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...Sample Group Meeting Format # 1 1. Good Evening! This is the regular meeting of the ____________________________ Group of Alcoholics Anonymous. My name is _____________. I am an alcoholic and your Secretary. 2. This is an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. We are glad you are all here - especially newcomers. In keeping with our singleness of purpose and our Third Tradition which states that "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking," we ask that all who participate confine their discussion to their problems with alcohol. 3. Let us open the meeting with a moment of silence to do with as you wish, followed by the Serenity Prayer. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. 4. Definition of Alcoholics Anonymous: Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. We are self supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any cause. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other...
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...What I like about the group members functioning were their courage to talk about their issues in front of a room full of strangers, even the two new people. For example, when the speaker asked if there were anyone in the room that would like to share their story with the group one of the new ladies asked to share. She stated that she was physically abused as a child by her grandfather and abandon by her mom. She started drinking to cope with the abuse at age 9. She said she drunk to numb the pain. She stated that throughout her life she continued to drink when things got tough for her. She used drinking as her coping mechanism. It was a very sad and even brought tears to my eyes. I really felt her pain. The group members interacted with each other in a respected way and even console each group member when they started crying. It was like looking at a small family. The significant comments and feelings expressed by the group members were that they felt alone or lonely because they had no family to help them through their recovery. The speaker made sure he let them know that they were not alone and that each group member was there for them in any way that they could be. I think I heard that from at least 4 members....
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...Biography of Bill Wilson Co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous Alcohol has been abused and been problematic in the history of the world. Before Alcoholics Anonymous it was believed that alcoholism and addiction was a mental illness and failure of willpower (Cheever 253). There was never any real hope for alcoholics till Bill Wilson discovered that one alcoholic simply talking to another alcoholic could help them both stay sober. This soon became a self help program that now has over a hundred thousand groups and over two million members worldwide. Bill Wilson’s program became what we know today as Alcoholics Anonymous or simply A.A.. Bill Wilson wrote the book, Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered From Alcoholism, and co-founded the 12 step program with Dr. Bob Smith. In 1999 Time Magazine listed him as “Bill W.: The Healer” in the Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century (Time Magazine 153). Bill Griffith Wilson was born November 26th, 1895 in East Dorset Vermont, to Gilman and Emily Wilson. He was born the night before Thanksgiving behind the bar at his parents home and business Mount Aeolus Inn and Tavern. He had a sister, Dorothy Wilson who was four years younger than him. In the spring of 1906 his mother took both children on a picnic to Emerald Lake in Vermont to tell them that their father was not coming home from a business trip and that they were going to get divorced. After the divorce Emily Wilson left her...
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... Alcoholics Anonymous: The Reality If ever you find yourself in fear of alcoholism, you then become tasked with finding a way out of the downward spiral that your life has or will become. There are many programs and rehabilitation strategies that have claimed to have a great benefit against alcoholism. Being an alcoholic used to be a war that you fought alone, but after attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, I now know that group support can be a great benefit towards the battle to sobriety. At Alcoholics Anonymous, you no longer need to be afraid of fighting alcoholism alone and in the dark. The ideals that the program upholds hold the keys to helping you get back to who you need and deserve to be. What is Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous is a recovery program that focuses on one prime objective. The group has no leader or governmental structure. They are not looking to sway you to a certain religious purpose or any political stance. Alcoholics Anonymous’ primary purpose is to help others with a problem with alcoholism to get sober. Alcoholics Anonymous began in Akron, Ohio in 1935. At this time there were only two men with a brand new idea. These two men were problematic alcoholics and found that helping others get sober helped them stay sober. After four years of helping and encouraging more and more to get sober, the nameless society grew and released its first publication, Alcoholics Anonymous. Since then, with the help of many friends...
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...2011 What Can AA Do for Problem Drinkers? Does Alcoholics Anonymous work? Many people have family members and/or loved ones that have a drinking problem. So what should they do to get help? There are many different abstinence programs; Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as AA, is one of the programs. An analysis of the AA program reveals that the program can be very effective, but only if the alcoholic wants help and gets the help they need. AA celebrated their 76th anniversary this year. They counted two million members participating in 115,000 groups worldwide, half of them in the U.S. AA started its first meeting in Akron, Ohio, in 1935. Bill Wilson, a businessman, and Bob Smith, a physician, started the association. They were both alcoholics. Bill Wilson achieved sobriety mainly through his association with a Christian movement. Smith was inspired by Wilson, and also stopped drinking (Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work 1). They were determined to help other alcoholics, so the men published “The Big Book”. “The Big Book” explained their philosophy, methods, and principles. One method that became very famous, and still is famous, is the 12-step method. The 12 steps are what a recovering person must go through initially and repeat in order for the process to work. For newcomers, the steps are often grouped into three major categories: trust God, clean house, and help others (Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work 1). The 12-steps is about one getting honest with oneself, accepting...
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...James Brow Professor DuBro English 111 June 15, 2015 Response Essay I read the article The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous by Gabrielle Glaser and her opinion on the effectiveness of the AA program. The author states that the AA program is not as effective as people believe and is not the only option when it comes beating alcohol addiction. As the author states " Hospitals, outpatient clinics, and rehab centers use the 12 steps as the basis for treatment. But although few people seem to realize it, there are alternatives, including prescription drugs and therapies that aim to help patients learn to drink in moderation. Unlike Alcoholics Anonymous, these methods are based on modern science and have been proved, in randomized, controlled studies, to work." The author researches through the article to find other options to combat alcoholism and compare AA to other therapy companies. The AA program says it has a 75 percent success rate but interviews with actual members, puts the percent range around 8 percent. The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous has stories of former members that had Alcoholic problems that tried AA but could not fix the problem and AA blame them for it and not themselves showing their true colors. The AA program is not flexible and uses the same treatment for all members instead of adjusting to the level of drinking of the person. With interviews and travels, it shows that AA is not the only options alcoholics have to help them. ...
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...Last night, I attended a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. This was not quite a new experience for me, be my late father was an alcoholic and narcotics addict that died of cirrhosis later on in my life this is why I identified myself with them. Narcotics Anonymous is a fraternity or association where there a recuperating addicts and their main purpose is stay clean. Consequently, the member of this fraternity were well-groomed, yesterday was ice cream sticks day where they had a keyword written on a little piece of paper, such as “perseverance”. Anyone can be a narcotics or alcohol user. Furthermore, as I stated previously Sunday night I attended was a NA meeting. This meeting included one woman and approximately eight men, all the attendees were recuperating addicts. Personally, I did not feel out place or anxious around them because, I identified myself with them by my personal experience with my father and myself being that some of the medication I take for both my emotional and physical disability are addictive as well. This experience was not any different from my experience with the Alcoholics Anonymous fraternity as well because I stayed sober or clean from my occasional drinking habits because suffer gastritis or acid reflux. . As the apostle Paul wrote inspired by God “Older men are to be quiet and to be careful how they act. They are to be the boss over their own desires. Their faith and love are to stay strong and they are not to give up; teach older women to be quiet...
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...Alcohol anonymous and nicotine anonymous are groups organized for alcoholics and nicotine (pills, heroine, weed, tobacco, etc.) users who are trying to become clean and stop their addiction, recovering addict, or for a support group, to those who no longer abuse the substance. Both groups follow their own 12 step guide and prayer, which is read aloud at the beginning and end of meetings; According to The Twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (1952, 1953, and 1981): 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4. Made a searching...
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...Love Sobriety After about forty years of beating myself up, had lost my job,marriage and my dignity. With all the drugs and drinking, finally was in my full blown addiction. Hitting my rock bottom,and was in the Internal Brotherhood Home for six months of rehab. In the Internal Brotherhood Home is where my foundation for alcoholics anonymous program started. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience,strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism.The only requirement for the program is the desire to stop drinking, to aquire a foundation for sobriety, and to providing service for the still sick and suffering alcoholic. There is a formal part of our Alcoholics Anonymous philosophy of life is four absolutes,the twelve steps,and the twelve traditions. Our sobriety had to become number one to gain a spirituality,mental,also physical well being while working the program. Because the Absolutes are not specifically repeated in our Steps or Traditions, some of us are inclined to forget them. Yet in many old time groups where the solid spirit of our fellowship is so strongly exemplified, the Absolutes receive frequent mention. A twelve-step program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems. The Twelve Traditions of twelve-step programs provide guidelines...
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...Meeting at a church on a Friday night is not usual for most college students, but it is for the members of an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) women's group in my hometown. A square room with windows, two couches, and an odd assortment of chairs, the space is the home for a vast array of women who meet weekly to discuss their addiction journey, as well as to both provide and receive support for their decision to remain sober. My experience at the AA meeting began with a mix-up, not to be confused with a mixer. A classmate and I spoke first with the woman who was opening the door and greeting members as they arrived. I asked her if she was the group facilitator and she explained that she was just the attendant. I later discovered that the group was autonomous and had no true leader. I explained that we were students and she let us know that it was a closed group. While apologizing for the misinformed website and letting her know we'd try elsewhere, the attendant stopped me and said that they could ask the group if we could observe. She explained that as long as no one objected, we could stay. The meeting opened with the leader for that week explaining that students were here, and asking for discussion. This was the first glimpse into the leadership and decision-making of the group. Collective leadership ran the decisions, with every member playing an equal part in voicing their opinion. While one member was chosen each week to facilitate, decisions were unanimous or majority-based...
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...Setting The alcohol anonymous meeting I attended took place at East Bay in warren at a club house between 5:15 pm and 5:45pm and I will refer to the meeting as “The gathering of morals”. The room is big enough to accommodate the members and from what I learnt nothing else happens there apart from the meetings. Signs are put in the walls which are basically the announcements, 12 steps, and 12 traditions and slogans. There was a lot of coffee indeed and people freely filled there cups. There are members as young as 16 years old and older individuals making the median age to be around 45 to 55 of years. There were individuals of different social class: those who seem to be living in the street and those who seem much confortable financially. There was no much big amount in racial diversity. Meeting occurrence AA meeting started on time with the chairperson “Mr. Milton” calling the meeting to order. Other conversation stopped and people took their sits. It then followed a moment of silence before one of the members offered to pray then there after members recited the Serenity Prayer. The chairperson then asked if there was any person attending the meeting for the first time and their reasons for attendance. The aim of doing so was to welcome any guests or visitors. What I observed and shocked was "The gathering of morals” meeting room is not a church in but in many ways, it imitates the church among the Christians faithful space that would be familiar to any Catholic church...
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