The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
Thought i would share here also my service experience in alanon face to face and here at Mip. When i entered alanon in person in 1999, I jumped into service right away after a few weeks. I started with getting there early setting up the tables and making coffee, then greeted the newcomers, then i eventually became isr. I also opened alateen after two months in i saw a need for it. There was none here in english and i just wanted one to be available for teens. I saw teens coming into our alanon meetings, and figured they would like a meeting of thier own i didnt chair it myself i got a male sponsor to do it with me and he had 9 years in alanon and was close to my age.. I came to mip in June 1999 and I opened that alateen in September took me a few months to get it all together.
I was oped after a few months in mip in alot of the rooms. I love service so much and the founder gave me as much as i asked for. I answered emails, took care of the list. Did i all could, i couldnt get enough. I wanted to know what i could do and the founder gave me that chance and took the time to teach me. I didnt know what i could do, i came to alanon marked a looser with no job not working much. In a bad marriage, in hell basically with zero skills.
It is through the service here and the alateen that i amazed myself with and said wow i was that really me who did this stuff?????? Cause i would of never imagined i could do half, its not how i saw myself. To this day my family doesnt know what i have done with alateen and alanon cause i havent told them. I didnt want them to put me down for it and was just easier not to. So they still think i cant do anything oh well!.
i took a job search course in 2004, and we were told to write our own resume. Me not working much other than a store and restuarant i kept telling her i had no skills. I did share of my alateen stuff. She said are you kidding me.?????? I want you to list all you have done in volunteer. I didnt think it would be much but it became alot and i was able to write my own resume with things like this just from service work here, Background working with troubled teenagers. Experience in planning and co-ordinating a group, Skilful in intervening with teenagers in a respectful and non threatening manner that foster trusting relationships, strong interpersonal skills as well as commitment to the social well being of others.
ĜSponsor a group.
ĜGive advice and feedback in a positive manner.
ĜOrganize and plan tailored activities to the needs of the clientele.
ĜEncourage and provide support for ĜSolicit spokespersons according to the needs of the group.
ĜCommunicate with other health and social organisations to promote services. Plan and co-ordinate fundraising events.
These are just some of the things that are on my resume that i learned here just doing service work. Most of the skills come from mip. Just being an op and chairing meetings can learn a whole bunch of things. I never imagined i would. I was able to write a skills resume and i find it truly amazing. I do get calls when i send this out to jobs however I need to work on my skills for in person interviews now. The person on the resume and me do not match i have less confidence in person, and i need to work on that. Other than that it has been an amazing opportunity to know what i can do and cant do even.
I encourage you to give service as an op if you can. It will change the way you think of yourself and allow you to know, what you can do, and i was able to shut off those tapes. Of useless looser never did anything in life. I am still told that but i laugh silently now, and say if ya only knew Service has allowed me to know what my abilities are and have confidence that i can do a good job once i know wht i am doing. Commiting to something that you know you are helping others is truly an amazing feeling.
I hope your experience will be as amazing as mine has been. You Just got to volunteer !!!!!
kerry
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Life can only be understood backwards, But it must be lived forwards
Thanks Kerry for all your service to Al-anon, Alateen and MIP.
I would like to address service as well.
In April I will have been in al-anon for three years. I began coming to MIP in Sept. of '04. In December '04 I became an op so that I could begin chairing the wednesday night meeting. I had been doing it on occasion prior to that when no ops were available. I downloaded all the mirc stuff myself and got myself set up. Chairing here at MIP was my first real service work for alanon. About a year later I also became the group secretary and did this for about a year.
My ftf meeting in my home town is very small and was not really organized. Recently I organized our first group conscious meeting in the three years I have been attending and we found people to take on service postitions such as secretary, treasurer. I myself was elected Group Representative and recently attended my first District meeting.
I have a sponsor, and I sponsor others.
Why do I do it? I don't do if for prestige. I don't do it so I can feel like the boss. I do it because when I first started, it was impressed upon me how beneficial service work would be to my recovery. My sponsor passed on this philosophy to me...when asked to serve, say yes!
I have to tell you my sponsor was right. Doing service work has been vital to my personal growth. Taking on those jobs, no matter what they are, has taught me also, that I can do things I never thought I could. That the only thing that has ever held me back from anything was my own disbelief in myself.
Committing to a service position is exactly the same thing as committing to my recovery. It is one and the same. On those days when I am tired, lazy or whatever, and I don't really feel like going to a meeting...having a committment to be there often gets me there. And there is where I need to be..always! Especially, when I don't feel like I want to be!
Anybody out there who thinks they might be interested in chairing meetings for this group please don't hold back. None of us knew it all when we started. There is a lot of help around here to get you going.
Thanks for sharing your story also ((((((David))))))))))
Thanks for posting Eve, I dont use the help i give on my resume like say how many i helped, and the way i helped. Just the skills i learnt from it. I thank you so much for offering me a reference that is so kind, however i dont need one hun. That side is personal to the ones i help and me too. Between me and them I like seeing you to. Hope we can get a chance to chat when i see ya sometime soon. ((((((((hugs))))))))
kerry
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Life can only be understood backwards, But it must be lived forwards
I would also like to share that service continues to aid in my own recovery. As GR, I had the opportunity to venture outside of my home group and see just how many people are aided by my District. Where else would a separated 31 yr old want to spend his saturday afternoons???
I encourage you all to get your hands wet. The experience keeps me focused on my program, as well as the Traditions for our family group.
cj
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time to stop going to the hardware store to buy bread.
Service has allowed me to know what my abilities are and have confidence that i can do a good job once i know wht i am doing. Commiting to something that you know you are helping others is truly an amazing feeling. 
