St. Paul Al-Anon / Alateen Intergroup

12/16/2025

How to "Al-Anon like a Minnesotan"

New to Al-Anon / Alateen in Minnesota? Visit the Newcomer's Page on the Minnesota South Area website to find info on "how to Al-Anon" like a Minnesotan!

- Ope! Do I need Al-Anon? (Yah, sure. Ya' betcha)
- Who PAYS for all this stuff? What's the burn? (Hint: we are self-supporting)
- Where da heck do I meet ya? (How to find a meeting)
- Uff Da! Sounds hard. Whatta I gotta do? (Info on Sponsorship)
- What's a hotdish? (Find out at potluck Speaker meetings)
- What's a potluck? (Just come. You'll be surprised)
- Let me squeeze right past ya, there (How to find your seat at a meeting)
- Oh, for sakes! (What your sponsor will say when you're complaining)
- Yeah, no, yeah. (Yes, you should work the 12 Steps)
- Well, that’s different. (You're judging someone else's share at a meeting).
- Duck, Duck, Grey Duck (You. You're new. You're the Grey Duck. And we LOVE you for it).

New to Al‑Anon or Alateen? Learn how to get support in Minnesota. Find meetings, resources, and hope for anyone affected by someone else’s drinking.

12/16/2025

How does gratitude bring you back to a place of hope?

When alcoholism clouds your thinking and progress feels invisible, you can find clarity by sharing the positive things currently in your life with newcomers . Sometimes we all need to be reminded that Al-Anon Family Groups offer a safe, loving space and tools and principles to support our daily living. Staying mindful of what we are grateful for can restore our sense of hope. This month’s blog topic is “How does gratitude bring you back to a place of hope?”

If you are an Al-Anon member, consider sharing your gratitude on the Member Blog. Not only will it help ground you once again in hope, but it will also serve as a fountain of hope for newcomers who may still be struggling with the chaos of living with the family disease of alcoholism.

Share your hope or, if you’re having a difficult day, borrow some from your fellow members:

🔹 https://al-anon.org/blog/how-does-gratitude-bring-you-back-to-a-place-of-hope/

12/09/2025

“After several years of trying to fix her, I heard about Alcoholics Anonymous…I took her to her first A.A. meeting… I wanted her to hear from ‘those people’ how to stop drinking and stay sober. Do you know what ‘those people’ told me? They said I didn’t belong in the A.A. meeting.”

“The Seed Was Planted,” “The Forum” May 2017

This husband found out that there was a program that could help him navigate the family illness of alcoholism – Al-Anon. Find out how the Al-Anon program has helped families of alcoholics since 1951 at https://bit.ly/3bbYerB.

12/09/2025

Is Al-Anon or Alateen for you? Take the quick 20-question quiz to find out!

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12/06/2025

“My very worst experience was when my dad died. I thought it was all my fault because I wasn’t there to stop him. If I could change anything in this whole wide world, it would be for my father to come back and never pick up a drink again. It really hurt me that I couldn’t change that. It took Alateen and the Serenity Prayer to teach me how to accept the things that I can’t change. That means that I can forgive myself for not saving my dad. It wasn’t my fault, and it’s not right for me to go on punishing myself for something that I didn’t do. God, grant me the courage to change the things I can. Help me to find the courage to be good to myself.”

“Courage to Be Me,” p. 77-78

If you know a teen whose life is or has been affected by someone else’s drinking, you may want to share information about Alateen with them. It may be what they need to help them cope.

For more information about the Alateen program, visit:

https://bit.ly/2GoqASj

11/30/2025

What does it mean when you hear the phrase "Minnesota South Area" in your Al-Anon/Alateen meeting?

Al‑Anon and Alateen in the United States and Canada is made up of 67 Areas. In the US, most Areas consist of a whole state.

Minnesota is one of six states that are divided into two Areas--Minnesota South and Minnesota North. The boundary consists of the north borders of Washington, Anoka, Wright, Meeker, Kandiyohi, Swift and Big Stone counties.

Most of the groups in the Twin Cities metropolitan area are in the Minnesota South Area, although a few are in the Minnesota North Area or the Wisconsin Area.

More information on Minnesota Districts and Areas is available on the Intergroup website, at the link below.

https://al-anon-alateen-msp.org/pages/MnSouthArea/index.html

The Minnesota South Area website is located at:
https://mnsa-afg.org/

Find strength and support at Al‑Anon meetings in Minneapolis and surrounding areas of Southern Minnesota. Help for families and friends of alcoholics.

11/26/2025

Alateen is for young people and teenagers whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking. Alateens do not let the alcoholic dictate whether they attend a meeting.
There is always a way. ❤️

“When I was a freshman I noticed that some of my friends had parents who suffered from alcoholism. I invited them to come with me to my Alateen meeting. When their parents found out, they refused to let my friends go. I wondered if we could start an Alateen meeting at school during the day, so I started a petition among all of the students in our school. To my surprise, a lot of kids signed the petition. In fact, almost three-quarters of my school signed it. The principal gave us permission. Two Al-Anon members who completed our area certification process agreed to be our Group Sponsors. Fifty kids showed up at the first meeting. Now we have several sessions during the week, and a lot of kids go.”

“Courage to Be Me,” p. 179

If you would like to start an Alateen meeting, contact Al-Anon’s World Service Office to find out how:

📧 wso@al-anon.org
📞 (757) 563-1600

11/26/2025

Is your group still meeting as scheduled?

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

You can help families find hope for the first time by:

• Updating your meeting listing on local and World Service Office (WSO) websites
• Notifying your District or Al-Anon Information Service (AIS) of schedule changes
• Informing the venue where your meeting is held and posting a sign in a highly visible location
• Providing alternative meeting resources, such as information about electronic meetings or a list of additional meetings in the local area

You can update your group info anytime, at:

🔹 https://al-anon.org/for-members/group-resources/group-records/

11/12/2025

The Saturday Morning Al-Anon Book Study is currently reading:
"Discovering Choices: Our Recovery in Relationships"
11:00 AM, 2nd and 4th Saturdays, On Zoom

Email D11afc@icloud.com for connection
Or reach out to Al-Anon/Alateen Information Services of Greater Minneapolis

Hosted by Al-Anon District 11