To drive awareness of and access to Grapevine, our meeting in print, the Area 56 Grapevine / La Viña committee has launched a read & return program. A handful of generous members kickstarted this program through donations of old Grapevines: Kat M., Bill L., Chuck R., Steve B., and the St. Mark’s Group meeting (7:30pm Saturday). In all 350+ issues were collected and distributed last year.
At the September Area Assembly meeting, GSRs received “starter packs” to take back to their home groups. Each kit contained ten issues of Grapevine and at least one piece of literature published by Grapevine, Inc. It was recommended GSRs display these next to their group’s literature rack and encourage members to borrow an issue, return it to the group when finished (or pass along to another alcoholic) and share the message they find within. The goal was to keep these issues in circulation rather than collect dust in garages or basements. In case you did not know, Grapevine’s content and messages of recovery never expire!
We have only scratched the surface on reaching groups within Area 56 with this project. We expect to launch phase two at the June Area Assembly Meeting. Once again, “starter packs” will be provided to those GSRs in attendance who have not already received one.
If you have old issues you would like to donate to this effort, please email [email protected].
Please visit aagrapevine.org for more information on Grapevine and La Viña.
Since Grapevine does not receive group contributions, it is funded through magazine and web subscription sales. In 1986 a Conference Advisory Action declared, “Since each issue of Grapevine cannot go through the Conference-approved process, the Conference recognizes the AA Grapevine as the international journal of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
Excerpt from The A.A. Grapevine Statement of Purpose. Copyright by A.A. Grapevine Inc., revised December 2013.
