24 Hour Helpline   510-839-8900 English       510-502-8560 Espanol      Helplines are staffed 24/7 by A.A. member volunteers who have solved their drinking problem.

Sponsorship Cafe: Can’t Stop the Sun—Searching for a Higher Power

by Bill M. A member who was having trouble developing a conception of a power greater than himself was told by his sponsor to go to the shoreline at sunset, and when the sun was halfway below the horizon, to stop it and hold it there. Mother Nature became his first Higher Power, and that […]

Heard in a Meeting: The people who stay sober are people who…

The people who stay sober are people who don’t drink again. I have a God box, and my ego’s not allowed in. I was an only child. And I wasn’t the favorite. I wrote a resignation letter to AA and gave it to the secretary. He said he would not accept it, and so I […]

A.A. History: Bill W. and LSD

By Dan M. To those who don’t know the history, it may be a surprise that Bill W. experimented with LSD in the 50s. It is worth recounting how that came about and what the repercussions were. Since the mid-forties Bill had been friends with Gerald Heard, the Anglo-Irish philosopher. They had a long correspondence […]

Heard in a Meeting: I was at the bar 365 days a year. Except for…

I was at the bar 365 days a year. Except for Leap Year. Sign in fellowship: We’ll laugh at you until you can laugh at yourself. Alcoholics don’t get better so they can carry the message, they carry the message so they can get better. I quit my job in a blackout and couldn’t figure […]

Sponsorship Cafe: When Do You Let Go?

by Bill M. As sponsors, we all want to work with sponsees who are willing and committed, however, that’s often not the case. We alcoholics are rebellious, ego-driven and fearful people who may or may not have received the “gift of desperation” that opens the door to willingness. As a chronic early relapser, my heart […]

June 10 – AA’s 89th Anniversary

On June 10, 1935, the dried-out but still jittery doctor was due in surgery. That morning, Bill W. gave Dr. Bob a bottle of beer—to steady his scalpel hand. The operation was a success. The beer was Dr. Bob’s last. And the two men pledged that day to work to bring Bill W.’s principles to […]

A.A. History: Dr. Silkworth

by Dan M. Dr. Silkworth was the writer of the letters included in the chapter, “The Doctor’s Opinion,” in the front of the Big Book. He was instrumental in viewing alcoholism as an illness, rather than a moral failing, and became one of AA’s greatest supporters. Silkworth treated Bill W. for alcoholism at Towns Hospital, […]

Board Nominations

The EBI Board of Directors seeks members interested in service to apply for a Board position for the 2025-2026 term (Jan 2025-Dec 2026). This is a deeply gratifying way to help our community! We seek new members who have experience with accounting, budgets, and technological experience.