Graphic with a blurred calendar background and colorful lights. Text on image reads: “Review your Al-Anon group’s meeting info & be ready to WELCOME NEWCOMERS this holiday season!” The words “WELCOME NEWCOMERS” are bold and orange. At the bottom, a yellow banner reads: “Update your group’s information at: followed by a blue box with the URL al-anon.org/ig145

Are You Ready to Welcome Newcomers this Holiday Season?

The holidays are approaching quickly. For newcomers seeking help at this time of year, please make sure that your group meeting information is correct.

A close-up image of a hand pulling a file folder labeled “LAST WILL & TESTAMENT” from a filing drawer. Overlaid text reads: “HELP Al-Anon Family Groups continue to support the FAMILIES and FRIENDS of alcoholics for future generations…” At the bottom, a blue box with the website address al-anon.org

Leaving Al‑Anon a Bequest

Many Al‑Anon members have designated Al‑Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. (AFG, Inc.), also known as the World Service Office, as a beneficiary in their will, in gratitude for the help they received from our fellowship during their lifetime. Designating a bequest to AFG, Inc. is one way to ensure that our program will be there for future generations. Find out how you can include AFG, Inc. in your legacy planning,

A graphic showing a small group of men seated in a circle. Overlaid text reads: “Al-Anon Family Groups Literature for Men – Check it out!” Two pamphlets are displayed on the right side: one titled “Al-Anon is for Men” and the other titled “Does She Drink Too Much? For Men Concerned About Women in Their Lives.” At the bottom right, a blue box with the URL: al-anon.org/ig338

Men Are Welcome, Too!

For many of us, walking into that first meeting felt uncomfortable. We were trying to make sense of why our loved ones behave the way they do. We wondered if anyone could truly understand what we’d been through. That experience is no different for men.

A close-up of a calendar page with several colorful pushpins marking different dates. The text on the image reads: “Life Happens— is your group still meeting as scheduled?” At the bottom, a blue banner with the text: Update now: al-anon.org/grp-records

Life Happens—Is Your Group Meeting as Scheduled?

When schedules shift due to holidays or time off, a little communication can make a big difference. It could mean the difference between a newcomer feeling discouraged or finally finding that help and hope we feel in Al‑Anon.

You can keep everyone informed and connected to the hand of Al‑Anon by:

Updating your meeting listing on local and World Service Office websites
Notifying your District or AIS of schedule changes
Informing the venue and posting a clear sign
Providing alternative meeting resources, such as information about electronic meetings or a list of additional meetings in the area

Update Now!

A stack of open magazines with fanned-out pages against a blurred background in shades of blue, beige, and light orange. Overlaid text reads “FROM THE Forum.”

The Day I Gave Up Fixing

“Last year, on the first Tuesday in February, I attended my first meeting. It started as one of the worst days of my life—worse than the day I lost my dad to a sudden heart attack, worse than the day I lost my mom to a horrific infection. It was the day I had decided to end my suffering by driving off a winding road that overlooked a lake from several hundred feet above…”

Read a Selection from the November Forum

Close-up of a person’s hand holding a silver pen and writing on a sheet of paper.

The Forum Needs the Male Perspective

Your experience matters. Recovery isn’t just about personal transformation, it’s about lighting the path for other husbands, partners, fathers, brothers, and sons of alcoholics who are struggling with the family disease of alcoholism.

When men share their authentic experiences of living with the impact of a loved one’s alcoholism, it breaks down the walls of shame and isolation that keep so many away from the rooms of Al‑Anon. Your vulnerability becomes someone else’s hope, and your journey forward becomes proof that recovery is possible. Your sharing may help other men realize they are not alone.

Submit your Sharing Today!

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