COVID-19 UPDATE FROM COMC AND CALGARY INTERGROUP
March 18, 2020

To our fellow AA members:
In this challenging time, let’s remember the words of our co-founder, Bill W: AA is simply “one alcoholic talking to another.” Together, we can continue to fulfill our primary purpose of staying sober and helping other alcoholics achieve sobriety.

Central Service Office
It has become necessary to close the Calgary Central Service Office during the COVID-19 crisis and lay off our full-time and part-time employees, effective immediately. The website at www.calgaryaa.org and the 24-hour phone lines at 403-777-1212 will continue to operate.

Meeting Closures
Many Calgary groups are choosing to shut down for now or are finding that their meeting facility has been closed. The website committee is updating the list of meeting closures as soon as they receive the information, so email centraloffice@calgaryaa.org with the details.

Guidance from the General Service Office
Go to www.aa.org and click on the COVID-19 link for up-to-date information about how other groups and AA members throughout North America are continuing to help each other stay sober. What You Can Do. Many of us have found that the best way to ensure our own sobriety is to help another alcoholic. Here are some things you can do:

• Commit to reaching out to at least two other AA members every day with a phone call, text or email.
• Use conference calling on your phone or an online conference program like Zoom to hold small
meetings, with or without a video link.
• Participate in an online AA meeting: http://www.aa-intergroup.org/directory.php.
• Sign up to help answer the Calgary AA phones from home: email cgigtelmonitorchair@gmail.com.
• Put your name on the Calgary AA 12-Step list so phone monitors can contact you to talk to a
suffering alcoholic: email cgig12steplist@gmail.com.

Financial Contributions
AA in Calgary has set aside a prudent reserve and may have to rely on it to get through this crisis period. Although we will pare our expenses to the minimum, for now we still need to pay rent/utilities, phone services, internet, etc. You can help by continuing to make group or personal  contributions (even on a much smaller scale) to Calgary Intergroup, as well as the Calgary General Service Committee, your District, Area 78 and GSO. You can still send cheques by mail to the usual addresses. Contributions to Intergroup/Central Service Office can be made by mailing a cheque or arranging an e-transfer through centraloffice@calgaryaa.org.

 

Yours in service,
Central Office Management Committee
Calgary Intergroup