Sobriety: You should have a “reasonable amount” of continuous sobriety – at least a year. (If in doubt ask your sponsor.) You should have worked at least into Step 9 with your sponsor. You should have all 12 Steps in your life on a daily basis.
2. PHONE VOLUNTEERS
CAN YOU TAKE CALLS FROM THE ANSWERING SERVICE?
NEEDED: Sobriety, Consistent availability, A desire to do 12th step work.
Sobriety: You should have a reasonable amount of sobriety. (If in doubt, ask your sponsor.) You should be actively working the steps (6 months or 30 years). You should be familiar with both the Big Book and “12 Steps and 12 Traditions”. In other words, you should be an ACTIVE member of AA.
Consistent availability: This doesn’t mean ALL the time. You should be available to take calls at the same times every week. If you use an answering machine or caller-ID to screen your calls, don’t bother to volunteer. Neither the office staff nor the computer will leave messages. If you frequently do not answer or refuse calls we will stop calling you.
A desire to do 12th step work: You want to “pass it on”. Be patient and caring. Remember what it was like for you and those you care about. Remember that each call could be a life-or-death situation. From the out-of-towner who is in desperate need of a meeting, to the drunk who is sick and tired of him/herself and that way of life, to the spouse/parent/child/friend of a drunk who needs some hope and some information, to the newcomer/old-timer who just needs to have someone listen.
The District 41 Answering Service is funded separately from the District.
To contribute to the District 41 Answering Service, the address is:
Answering Service P.O. Box 6365 Villa Park, IL 60181-5318
Answering Service: The answering service chair ensures an A.A. listing in the local phone directory. In addition, this person, and those volunteering for this service, receive inquiries from those seeking help; they may refer callers to local A.A. groups where sponsoring can be arranged or may set up a twelve step calls. To accomplish these tasks the following action items should be addressed:
activity reports are to be presented at each district meeting which should include at minimum financial status, number and type of inquires received and manning status
maintain the district’s equipment and make sure it is housed in a location that provides 24/7 access, as well as adequate facilities for the volunteers working there
maintain a current list of all volunteers with phone numbers and addresses and update as needed on a timely basis.
maintain the meeting schedule in the database keeping all meeting information current and accurate.