DO NOT use the 0508 toll free phone number in advertising within the Auckland calling area as this is an unnecessary cost to the NZ Al-Anon General Service Office.
Use a sticker with local phone contacts where possible. If a small community use only the phone number without a name.
When doing outreach use the full name of Al-Anon Family Groups as this sets us apart from Alcoholics Anonymous. Also refer to Al-Anon as a fellowship not an organisation as this infers that Al-Anon has rigid rules and regulations which it does not.
The Public Outreach person for the group needs to encourage all members to participate in their area of expertise, available contacts or interest. The groups can do lots of PO from putting up posters to holding public/open meetings and co-operating with Professionals and Alcoholics Anonymous.
If there is no PO person in service in the group the Group Representative needs to encourage discussion and planning of activities around the PO Calendar.
Do fundraisers to raise funds for PO in your group or send to NZ GSO for National Projects.
Keep a list of where posters/pamphlets have been left so members can ‘Keep going back’ to these places to ensure the contacts are current. Posters/pamphlets can be used in too many areas to be listed here.
For the best results in doing any PO Service the group needs to have meetings on The Twelve Traditions. All members require an understanding of the Traditions and how ‘Al-Anon’s Message of Hope’ needs to be carried outside the fellowship in order for us to grow.
The group needs to have and use an up-to-date copy of the NZ Al-Anon Service Guidelines (KN-17), Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual P24-27 and the NZ Al-Anon/Alateen Service Handbook PN-27 and Paths to Recovery B-24.
Affiliation is lending Al-Anon’s name, giving or receiving endorsement (announcing activities other than Al-Anon at meetings), having legal or financial association (this puts Al-Anon under an obligation to do what another organisation commands and diverts us from our primary purpose).
Promoting is when we push or demand people come to Al-Anon using physical authority or by promising a specific result.
Attracting is leading people to Al-Anon by our example, inviting them to meetings, telling them about Al-Anon and how to find us. Advertising at the level of press, radio, TV and Internet is attracting the Public’s attention, to who we are and how to find us.
Anonymity means, at the level of press, radio, TV and the Internet. It is for our personal safety and to protect our personalities. It is individual choice how anonymous a member wishes to be with friends, associates and others, but Al-Anon’s purpose and meeting details are what the Public needs to know about and that is what Public Outreach is all about. Most people come via a friend.
Co-operating means to ‘work with’ others. With some give and take on each side for the mutual benefit of those in need of Al-Anon we can co-operate without affiliating.
(Read - Public Outreach in WSO Manual, Public Relations Policy in Paths to Recovery and Al-Anon Family Groups).
Use the current literature list (Check the date in the top right corner) to order posters, Service Guidelines KN-17, Media Kit KN-19, Public Outreach Kit P-90, Videos and Fact sheets.
Enquire how newcomers found out about Al-Anon and include this information in your reports to Area or District meetings so we can determine which areas of outreach are working or not working.
Use the guidelines to help anyone interested in speaking. Have a list of speakers available. If your group is in a small community you may like to ask speakers from another area and vice versa.
NZ General Service Office
PO Box 68124
78 Pitt St,
Auckland 1145
OFFICE OPEN: MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10AM - 3PM
Phone 09 309 4792 Fax: 09 309 4790 Freephone: 0508 425 2666 Email:nz-al-anon-gso@xtra.co.nz
