Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Our primary purpose is to help families and friends of alcoholics, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not.
Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any cause. There are no dues for membership. Al-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions.
Al-Anon is a worldwide fellowship with over 27,000 groups; Alateen, which is part of the Al-Anon fellowship, is for younger members.
The Twelve Steps
Study of these steps is essential to progress in the Al-Anon program. The
principles they embody are universal, applicable to everyone, whatever your
personal creed. In Al-Anon, we strive for an ever-deeper understanding of
these Steps and pray for the wisdom to apply them to our lives.
The Twelve Traditions
These guidelines are a means of promoting harmony and growth in Al-Anon groups and in the worldwide fellowship of Al-Anon as a whole. Our group experience suggests that our unity depends upon our adherence to these Traditions.
The Twelve Concepts of Service
The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions are guides for personal growth and
group unity. The Twelve Concepts are guides for service. They show how Twelfth-Step work can be done on a broad scale and how members of a World Service Office can relate to each other and to the groups, through a World Service Conference, to spread Al-Anon’s message worldwide.
Al-Anon/Alateen Literature
Since its founding in 1951, Al‑Anon has published more than 100 books and pamphlets that share a single purpose: to help family and friends recover from the effects of someone else’s drinking.
This literature supplements the face-to-face meetings where Al‑Anon members share their insights and experiences with each other. Al‑Anon/Alateen literature is most fully understood when used in conjunction with other tools of the program. The books and pamphlets can strengthen your recovery, but they cannot substitute for the help and healing that takes place at Al‑Anon meetings in the context of a complete recovery program.
A selection of literature is available at many Al-Anon meetings; the complete selection is available at Al-Anon’s on-line store. You can expedite your order by ordering locally: write to Vermont.afgliterature@gmail.com or call Chris at 802-522-3749 or submit an order form to:
Literature Depot
P.O. Box 916
Barre VT 05641