Become a “Newcomer Caller”

from Recovery Road, February 2011

In January of every year, we are bombarded by ads and articles meant to entice compulsive overeaters to try one more diet or weight loss program. Some people searching for a solution make their way to OA where I fervently hope they will find a home.

There is no service position for “Newcomer Caller” but it is a self-appointed position that I love. At each meeting I take the names and numbers of newcomers off the “We Care List” and try to contact them. I have found this to be a wonderful way to strengthen my program while reaching out to others. It takes courage for newcomers to attend their first meeting and we “old-timers” can lend support and ease their fears by extending a welcoming hand and a listening ear.

If you have not tried this form of service, give it a whirl. You may be surprised by the blessings that result from carrying the message in this way. To all “newcomers” out there – Welcome to OA. Welcome Home.

— submitted by Jane N.