The Special Needs/Remote Communities/Languages Committee of Area 11, is currently directing our focus on reaching out to those Alcoholics, whose primary language is not English. We are currently reaching out to local community centers and ethnic organizations, such as the Portuguese, Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, Greek, and Ukrainian, We have received requests for books, and literature in these languages, by individuals, as well as members of the clergy. Our committee, currently has every available piece of literature, or book available in all languages, for those who may need them, so there will be no delay, in having to order these items, before the suffering alcoholic can find a solution, and the help we often take for granted. In addition to these efforts, we have recently purchased new translation equipment, to replace our aging, and outdated device. Our new equipment, has the capabilities to have three(3) different languages translated simultaneously. This will be a great asset to our area, in reaching across the barriers of language, and allow us all to speak the "Language of the Heart", and it will help everyone feel apart of rather than apart from A.A. as a whole.

We also are continuing our efforts to build and maintain a database of A.A. members who know ASL(American Sign Language), so that we may be able to help the hearing impaired attend A.A. meetings on a regular basis. Currently, we can only provide Signers at our larger Area 11 sponsored events(keynote speaker meetings), but we will provide ASL tapes(Big Book, and 12&12) to the hearing impaired if they request them.

Our efforts concerning the visually impaired, consist of being able to provide Braille books and literature, as well as audio tapes of A.A. materials. In the future, we hope to someday establish a database of A.A. members who would be willing to give rides, and act as guides for the visually impaired, so they may also be able to attend A.A. meetings on a regular basis.

The Remote Communities aspect of our committee has only been established through reaching out to the "over the road drivers", who are unable to attend meetings on a regular basis because of a variety of reasons, mostly due to "logistics", these A.A.'s find it difficult to attend meetings for lack of parking facilities. Many meeting barely have room to accommodate the cars of the A.A. members, considering most Drivers have an "extra" 70 ft of truck and trailer to maneuver. To help alleviate some of these problems, we have placed literature racks, with current meeting lists in truck stops throughout the Area, and have provided AA Grapevine subscriptions to all the driver lounges, at every truck stop in our area(CT). We hope in the future to place literature racks on the Indian Reservations, and military bases in our area.

We continue to carry out our goal of the "Adopt a Facility" program, that is outlined on the Area 11 website. As a new committee to Area 11, we (the committee) feel we are achieving many of our goals of service in our area, and hope to learn more about other Areas and how, and what they are doing. The Committee, is very grateful for the support we have been given by Area 11, and the interest that the A.A. members have shown, in trying to help us reach our goals. We Thank You, for this opportunity to serve.

The Special Needs/Remote Communities/Languages Committee of Area 11 will be trying to establish a database of A.A. groups, and nursing homes that will be working together to help the Alcoholic who is unable to attend regular meetings due to temporary, or permanent illness. By establishing this link between groups and local facilities, together we can remove any logistical problems that will impede the recovery of fellow A.A.'s.

As we are all aware our spiritual, emotional and physical recovery is all linked together. What this program is intended to do, is to bring an A.A. meeting to alcoholics who are out of the normal area of their Homegroups, where it is not really possible for their fellow Homegroup members to bring them the gift of sobriety on a regular basis. Therefore the idea is, that your home group, would volunteer to adopt a facility nearby, and in the event a fellow alcoholic is ever put in that facility, then your group would be contacted with all the necessary information.

The information this committee would need from your group, should they decide to participate is as follows:

Group Name
Group contact persons(minimum of two persons; one male, one female)
Phone Numbers for group contacts
Name, phone number and address, of facility your group is willing to sponsor

This committee, will then make the contact with the facility to get the necessary approval, and authorization, times that it would be feasible so as not to interfere with daily schedule of the facility. All information will be coordinated through the committee via the district chairs and anonymity can be maintained of group members and also of the alcoholic, on a need to know basis.

If a group is also willing to provide literature, books or The AA Grapevine, we will be able to help them achieve this. The committee would like to thank all the groups in advance who will be participating in this important and valuable program. And as a permanent reminder to us all, that: I am responsible...When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that I am responsible.

The Area 11 Special Needs/Remote Communities/Languages Committee

Respectfully submitted by

Leonard T. (Chairperson)

Rolondo P. (Co-Chair)

specialneeds@ct-aa.org

Do you speak another language?

Can your group meet a special need?