What Can a Central Office Do For Me?

First, what is an Intergroup or a Central Office?

A central or intergroup office, (e.g. AA  Cleveland District Office) is a service office of Alcoholics Anonymous that involves partnership among groups in a community — just as AA groups themselves are partnerships of individuals.

A central/intergroup office is established to carry out certain functions common to all of the groups — functions which are best handled by a centralized office — usually maintained, supervised and supported by these groups in their general interest. It exists to aid the groups in their common purpose of carrying the AA message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

There are nearly 700 central/intergroup offices throughout the world (many throughout Ohio) performing vital AA services. These constitute a network of service outlets and contacts to help carry the AA message.

An Intergroup / Central Office can:

• • Put you in direct contact with Alcoholics Anonymous in just about any area throughout the United States and abroad.
  • Answer inquires from those seeking help.
  • Refer you to a nearby group — where sponsorship or contact through a Twelfth Step call may be arranged.
  • Maintain a conveniently located office in which paid workers and/or volunteers coordinate local AA services.
  • Publish and distribute up-to-date lists of meetings and other information about local AA services.
  • Sell AA Conference-approved literature and other spiritual/recovery related materials.
  • Circulate and exchange information among all the AA groups in the community.
  • Provide “exchange” meetings, where group program chairpersons gather regularly to exchange meetings with other groups.
  • Be an ideal contact with those in the community seeking information about AA.
  • Maintain contact with local groups in correctional facilities and treatment facilities, offering literature and prerelease AA contacts and arranging for AA speakers and visitors to meetings.

• Be a logical body to manage the details of an annual dinner, picnic, or convention, if the participating groups wish it.
• Publish a periodic distribution to AA groups in the form of a monthly newsletter.
• Carry information about wheelchair accessible meetings or those that provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for members who are deaf.

By AA Guidelines – Central or Intergroup Offices