What Works for Me
May 2026
| How the steps changed my life
By:
Chad P.
| St. Louis, Missouri
A member takes a keener look at how he helps alcoholics and what our primary purpose actually is
Domino Effect
Web Exclusives
| Grapevine Online Exclusives
By:
Tom C.
| Mancos, CO
When he finally accepted that “the sauce was the boss,” everything fell into place
An Evolving Desire
March 2025
| Sober and Out
By:
Jimmy C.
| Peculiar, Missouri
He wasn’t ready to stop drinking at first, but as he hung around and listened, things changed
Snow Globe Mike
September 2023
| Young & Sober
By:
Patrick D.
| Maquoketa, Iowa
What he recalls most fondly about his first home group are the smiles and laughter behind glass
A Grateful And Blessed Alcoholic
Web Exclusives
| Grapevine Online Exclusives
By:
Debra U.
| Kansas City, MO
A family crisis leads to a lasting miracle
How To Belong To A Home Group
Web Exclusives
| Grapevine Online Exclusives
By:
Julie J.
| West Hartford, Conn.
To belong to a home group is to discover that we are each imperfect—and each deserving of love
Lost and found at sea
November 2021
| Prayer and Meditation
By:
D. T.
| Billings, Mont.
Her anger nearly sent her overboard. But pausing to meditate put her back on calm waters
Oops, Wrong Bar!
December 2019
| Remote Communities & Sober Holidays
By:
Cory R.
| Los Angeles, Calif.
The day after Christmas, two new guys stroll into his AA meeting. It’s a toss-up on who was more surprised
A New—But the Same—Addiction
March 2019
| What’s On Your Mind?
By:
Definitely Steve
| Nashville, Tenn.
He was a garden variety alcoholic, not a drug addict. Or so he thought
Plugging in
July 2018
By:
Leon A.
| Doylestown, Pennsylvania
When AAs get together, something powerful happens, he says. It’s up to us to join in
The rowdiest, rockingest group
March 2017
By:
Gwyneth N.
| Saco, Maine
Who knew there’d be this much knee-slapping fun in the dingy basement of her local church?
A Place in the Sun
February 2016
As the dolphins leaped and his daughter smiled, he knew his Higher Power had brought him to this moment
Hotel Serenity
February 2025
| Longtimers
By:
Laura B.
| Grants Pass, Oregon
The clinking glasses and the mini-bar were telling her to check out. Luckily she found a reason to hang on
Shower Not Required
March 2024
| Spanish-Speaking AA Members
By:
Kevin S.
| Hingham, Massachusetts
Only one thing is asked of him to become a member, he learned, and it’s not whether he has clean socks
The second wave
November 2023
| Gratitude
By:
Morgan J.
| Annapolis, Maryland
What saved him that day on the ocean...or all the other times he was drunk?
Huge Amounts of Love
May 2023
| Home Group
By:
Jim R.
| Nebraska.
The gifts of kindness and patience that go into sponsoring come back in ways we can’t imagine
Payback
February 2023
| Making Amends
By:
Allie F.
| Paw Paw, Mich.
Her drinking and stealing damaged their friendship. But the healing the Steps gave them was priceless
Truth works
February 2021
| Sponsorship
By:
Joe S.
| Oakland, Calif.
Unsure of sponsoring a member inside San Quentin, he decided that honesty would be the way to go
Meetings, Meetings, Meetings
January 2020
| Spiritual Awakenings
By:
Anonymous
| Amherst, Mass.
A perfect depiction of why “meeting-makers make it”
Austin Citywide
October 2019
| Is AA Accessible to all who need it?
By:
Lisa W.
| Austin, Texas
A festival of “fun, food, fellowship and recovery” changes one AA’s life forever
Dear Grapevine
November 2015
Loving It!
August 2015
After being rendered homeless by alcoholism, his life in sobriety was pretty good
Love on Emerald Lake
May 2014
By:
Anonymous
After a breakup, he headed to Vermont to be of service. But his HP had much bigger plans
Big Ego, Bigger Cup
May 2013
By:
Valerie
| Bloomington, Illinois
The more important she got, the more she poured
Garden Variety Sobriety
August 2012
By:
Don G.
| Little Rock, Arkansas
A sponsor showed him how to get his hands dirty and learn to love AA
Step One on Repeat
March 2011
By:
Barbara
On her one-year anniversary, a member recalls the fear and excitement of early sobriety