Public Information & Cooperation with the Professional Community Committee
&
Bridging the Gap Committee
Joint Committees with District 04 & District 40
Each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose–that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
– Tradition 5 (long form)
Our District is still guided by the same primary purpose with an added responsibility to provide services to groups so that the message can be carried to the alcoholic who still suffers
A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
– Tradition 9
Committees
Public Information
Cooperation with the Professional
Bridging the Gap
Are all committees formed to serve groups within a District by providing services that encourage newcomers to attend meetings.
What services are provided by a Public Information and Cooperation with the Professional Committee?
Public Information (P.I.) in Alcoholics Anonymous means carrying the message of recovery to the still-suffering alcoholic by informing the general public about the A.A. program.
The A.A. program works when an active alcoholic wants help, and A.A. is on hand to give that help.
However, somewhere in the background, there has usually been the help of a doctor, alcoholism agency or facility, relative, employer, teacher, someone who knew about A.A. and where to find it.
From the beginning, A.A. has depended on good community relations to keep its “helping hands” informed and ready.
Community members who encounter active alcoholics:
p. 13 PI Workbook
2022 Membership Survey
62%
2022 Membership Survey
Suggested Committee Goals from the PI Workbook (pages 7-8)
1. Be sure every public library has at least one Conference approved book, e.g. the Big Book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions or Living Sober.
2. Let the Fellowship know how to reach out to the hearing impaired.
3. Place a literature rack in every high school, college, police station, library and hospital in the district and keep the rack stocked with appropriate literature and meeting schedules.
4. Send a letter to high schools, offering A.A. literature and A.A. Videos for Young People and/or a presentation on A.A. — what we do and what we do not do. (See Guide Letters in this Workbook.)
5. Send a letter to convalescent homes, rest homes and senior centers in the district offering A.A. literature and/or a presentation on A.A. (See Guide Letters in this Workbook.)
6. List open A.A. meetings in the newspapers in the district.
(Copyright 1994)
7. Place a small (paid if necessary) announcement in every district newspaper around the holidays.
8. Work with the newspapers — anonymity, Traditions — generating interest in our Fellowship.
9. Respond to speaking requests at non-A.A. meetings in the district.
10. Place Public Service Announcements with radio and television stations.
11. Put meeting schedules behind the front desks at every hotel, motel and bed and breakfast.
12. Participate in district and state A.A. seminars and conventions.
13. Fight apathy within the Fellowship, find a co-chair and interested people in order to achieve all the above, and most importantly, keep your sanity and stay away from the first drink.
What services are provided by
Bridging the Gap Committee?
Bridging the Gap supports anyone who has just been released from a:
or
by providing temporary contacts who help the newcomer make the transition to Alcoholics Anonymous in his or her home community and who can take the newcomer to a meeting.
How do these Committees fit within Santa Clara County and our District?
Area 06 - California Northern Coastal Area (CNCA) was originally divided in Districts by County
Over time 3 Counties have divided into North & South
Counties Divided North and South
(09 & 90)
(07 & 70)
(04 & 40)
Santa Clara County
D04: North
D40: South
We became 2 separate Districts: District 04: Santa Clara North District 40: Santa Clara South
Record of D40 in Area Motions from 1987 (at least 37 years)
We share the same Intergroup Office that serves all of Santa Clara County
Why would a County Split into North & South?
Number of Groups
Santa Clara County
753 meetings per week
108 meetings per day
Geographic Distance
Santa Clara County
Palo Alto
Milpitas
Gilroy
Population
Santa Clara County
~ 2 million
people
1,877,592 according to 7/1/23 U.S. Census
What is the composition of Santa Clara County North (D04) & South (D40)?
Just as the area divided by counties, our District is divided into subdistricts by city.
District 04: Santa Clara County North
Palo Alto (N&S)
Mountain View
Los Altos
Sunnyvale (N&S)
Santa Clara (N&S)
Cupertino
Saratoga
Campbell (E&W)
Currently comprised of 12 Subdistricts in:
District 40: Santa Clara South
Los Gatos
Monte Sereno
San Jose
Milpitas
Morgan Hill
San Martin (includes a linguistic sub-district)
Gilroy
Currently comprised of 12 Sub-Districts in:
When did D04 & D40 start having joint committees?
April 2016
Before 2016: PI/CPC was part of Intergroup
Starting in April 2016 PI/CPC became a Joint District Committee for District 04 and 40 continuing to serve all of Santa Clara County
We have had a joint committee for 8 years
What does it meant to be a joint Committee with D04 & D40?
Service Work that Committees Provide
Purpose of PI or CPC Events:
Informing the general public or professionals about the A.A. program so that they can refer people to A.A.
What is the breakdown of events per District?
PI/CPC Events
36 Events
Record of events start Aug 2017
31 % in District 04
Events 2017-2023 for the Public or Professional Community
D04 (10 events = 11/36 = 31%)
“Be Strong, Live Long” Health & Wellness Fair - Santa Clara
Santa Clara Senior Center
El Camino Hospital - Outpatient Mental Health Services
Zephyr Self Help Center, Santa Clara
Santa Clara Senior Center Health & Wellness Fair
Sunnyvale Fit & Fun Fair
City of Cupertino Health Fair
Sunnyvale Fit & Fun Fair
Santa Clara Senior Center Health & Wellness Fair
Foothill College Panel for Clinical Psychology students
City of Cupertino Wellness & Benefits Fair
D40 (19 events=23/36= 64%)
Many Paths One Destination (MPOD) Conference - San Jose
Community outreach - Morgan Hill
Veterans Stand Down - San Jose
Trans Visibility Day - San Jose
Many Paths One Destination
Jewish Community Services in Milpitas - Health & Wellness Fair
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
Many Paths, One Destination
Nursing School Presentation (?)
Many Paths, One Destination
Valley Village Retirement Community
Community Resource Fair, Bascom Branch Library
Rotary Club Presentation (?)
Trans Day of Visibility
Senior Resource and Wellness Fair, San Jose City Hall
Many Paths, One Destination
Project Homeless Connect Resource Fair
Multicultural Health Fair, Hellyer Park
San Jose City College Town Hall
Many Paths, One Destination
D06 - San Francisco
(2 events =2/36= 5%)
American Psychological Association
BTG Events
BTG
No records past 2023
4 % in District 04
Bridging the Gap
Year | Bridges made in D04 | Bridges made in D40 |
2023 | 1 | 23 |
District 04
Hospitals:
Stanford
Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center
El Camino
Sutter Health Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Kaiser
Treatment Facilities (Institutions):
Kaiser Addiction Medicine and Recovery Services (AMRS)
Summit Estate Recovery Center, Saratoga (may have moved to Palo Alto)
Correctional Facilities (Institutions):
none
Funding 50% of the activities of the Joint PI/CPC Committee but only 30% of the events have been in D04.
Funding 50% of the activities of the Joint BTG Committee but only 4% of the Bridges were made in D04.
Just because there is a need in other Districts doesn’t mean that D04 should fund those service activities.
For example would it make sense to fund PI/CPC or BTG in our other neighboring Districts: District 05 - San Mateo or District 03 - Santa Cruz? Or any other District in our Area?
Why should D04 fund the bulk of the service activities for District 40?
Additional Considerations
Needs of District 04
Inform the Public of our Diverse Communities about A.A.
Inform Professionals and Professional Organizations about A.A.
Form more Bridges with Stanford and the VA Hospital
Establish connections with more Hospitals and Institutions
What is our Responsilbity as a District?
Manage group contributions and provide services to the groups in our district from those group contributions
I am responsible when ANYONE
who speaks any language
comes from any ethnic or cultural background
Any economic status
ANYWHERE
In District 04 - Santa Clara North
Reaches out for help
Who do people reach out to for help in our District?
Where do people reach out to for help in our District?
I want the hand of A.A. always to be there.
Do we have and/or have we maintained those connections within D04 with our “friends” of A.A.?
How do people know how to go to the meeting guide app?
And for that I am responsible.
How am I personally responsible?
How has the District been responsible?
It doesn’t seem that the current joint committee structure is responsible to and able to effectively serve the needs of District 04.