We need AA members to volunteer to be Temporary Contacts (not sponsors) to help in the very important first step for alcoholics who have just been released from a detox, hospital, treatment program or correctional facility. By providing a temporary contact, Bridging the Gap (BTG) helps newcomers make the transition to Alcoholics Anonymous in their home community.
How it Works:
● When a new, soon-to-be discharged member contacts us, we match that person to a
Temporary Contact in the community where they will be living. If you have volunteered for this
type of service, your Bridging the Gap District Chair or District Committee Member will contact
you, get the okay and then send you their contact information.
● Your job is simple. You contact the new A.A. member and arrange to take them to an A.A.
meeting, preferably within 24-48 hours of their discharge. Your commitment is to take them to
a variety of meetings and introduce them to other A.A. members.
● During this time, you help them become acquainted, get phone numbers and perhaps locate a
sponsor and a home group. You introduce them to others in A.A. so they have a broad, healthy
base, then you are available to serve as a Temporary Contact for another person.
Please note: It is not intended that you become their sponsor, even temporarily. It is best if the word
“sponsor” is not used to describe this type of service. The term Temporary Contact is preferred.
For more information, go to: nenyaa.org/btg
Your information will be sent to the committee chair for your District and the Area 48 BTG Chair.