Primary Purpose

Neighbors helping neighbors

The history of Narcotics Anonymous is a story of friends helping friends and neighbors helping neighbors. We have a legacy of members, groups, and service committees helping one another. The section on Tradition One in our Basic Text says, “We have seen members drive hundreds of miles to help support a new group. These activities and many others are commonplace in our Fellowship. Without these actions, NA could not survive.” (p. 60) Sometimes we need to support those in need until they can support themselves. In April 1990, The NA Way Magazine published a feature article describing regional outreach work in Michigan. These multi-year efforts developed NA in Western and Northern Michigan. Outreach efforts have always existed in Narcotics Anonymous, though they may not have been called “outreach” by the members engaged in them. Outreach is simply a broad application of our Twelfth Step: one group, area, or region helping another group, area, or region. Over time, NA communities become better able to meet their own needs and eventually may become self-supporting. The development of a local NA community is a process that can occur over many years of assistance and ongoing interaction. Outreach efforts form as a result of neighbors helping neighbors.

A sampling of NA assistance efforts reveals a common theme of literature distribution and ongoing interaction. During 2004, NA World Services gave away approximately US $400,000 in literature. NAWS receives thousands of requests each month for literature, starter kits, and other support. The Greater New York Region has sent literature donations (and customs payments) to the Peru Region. Since 2000, the Chesapeake and Potomac Region has provided support to the Latin American Zonal Forum each year. The Southern California Regional Cruise brought $2,000 in literature on each of three visits to Ensenada in Baja California, Mexico. NA regions in the United States along the Mexican border have been providing ongoing support to NA groups in Northern Mexico. The Tejas-Bluebonnet Region supports groups in Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey, Mexico, with literature and visits. From El Paso, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Rio Grande Region has conducted outreach road trips to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Casa Grande, and Mexicali, Mexico.

In August 2004, NA World Services presented a fellowship development workshop in Juárez, Mexico, and the NA groups in the state of Chihuahua have been a part of the El Paso (Texas) Area. Starting in 2002, the Arizona Region has had outreach “road trips” taking literature to Nogales, Agua Prieta, and San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico. Since 1994 the San Diego/Imperial Regional outreach subcommittee has conducted “Addicts on Asphalt” road trips to Baja California. These road trips deliver literature and include a bilingual meeting. Each year the Baja California convention in Tijuana and the Baja Cachanilla Area convention in Mexicali receive literature donated by attendees; later, they distribute these literature donations to other parts of Mexico. At the Latin American Zonal Forum in July 2005, the Baja-Son Region requested literature to support H&I work. Responding to this request, NAWS provided 22,000 information pamphlets to the Baja-Son Region in August 2005.

In addition to group startup literature, provided virtually everywhere in NA, substantial quantities of literature have been given to NA communities in Russia, Ukraine, other parts of the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and India. Some local NA communities will need assistance for the foreseeable future, while others—such as Iran—are becoming capable of meeting their own literature needs.

Sometimes disasters have devastated a geographical area, leaving NA communities in need of literature assistance to get back on their feet. This was true in the USA with Hurricane Andrew (Florida, 1992) and more recently Katrina and Rita. Both NAWS and the Louisiana Region suggested sending literature, not money.

The idea of addicts helping each other is one of the foundations of our program—indeed, we “keep what we have only by giving it away.” While we do not accept donations from outside of NA, our Basic Text states: “Sometimes members who can afford it give a little extra to help.” (p.57) These may be members of a group or a service committee reaching out to assist another part of NA. Whether the gift is given one time or on an ongoing basis, the intention is to benefit NA so “that no addict seeking recovery need ever die.”

Most isolated or struggling NA communities do not have literature consistently available at an affordable price. Donations of literature foster NA survival, fellowship development, and recovery availability, and they are a demonstration of fellowship unity. Our efforts to help each other are inspired by our NA World Services Vision Statement, which says in part “that one day: NA communities worldwide and NA World Services work together in a spirit of unity and cooperation to carry our message of recovery.”

As neighbors helping neighbors, we have grown from one NA group in the San Fernando Valley of California, USA, to become a worldwide fellowship of recovering addicts. With each country and each community, there continues to be more addicts to reach and assist as they build and strengthen Narcotics Anonymous in their neighborhoods. As neighbors, we are inspired to realize our common vision together and to look forward to a time when “every addict in the world has the chance to experience our message in his or her own language and culture.”

Scott A, California, USA

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