Al-Anon Contact for the Public: A Practical Role Guide
A person looking for a meeting may have one question the listing cannot answer. An Al-Anon contact for the public can help with that practical uncertainty. Before taking the role, ask what contact information will be used and what kind of questions the group expects you to handle.
Agree to the contact arrangement
Confirm the number or address the group proposes to use, how it will be provided to people seeking information and who will replace you if you are unavailable. Do not give a volunteer's name or number to a service body merely because they answered a question at a meeting. Explain the actual role and ask for their agreement first.
Use a group-approved way of keeping contact information current. A dated note with the owner and update route is more useful than a list of previous contacts. Keep details needed for the role separate from a personal membership list.
Prepare answers to concrete questions
Write down the meeting name, day, format and entry route. If a visitor asks about parking, stairs or how to find the correct room, answer from current information. If you do not know, say what you can check and when, rather than promising an arrangement the group cannot provide.
Let people decide how much they want to share. You can give someone directions without asking about the person whose drinking affects them. If a question calls for help beyond meeting information, point them to an appropriate resource instead of trying to settle it in a contact exchange.
Do not guess about recognition
Someone may ask if they need a token or a particular length of attendance. The guide to Al-Anon token customs gives context about local recognition practices. If your group does something specific, explain it only as that group's practice. Do not suggest a newcomer must earn or purchase anything before they can ask about attending.
Keep a gift conversation separate. An AA medallion marks a confirmed sobriety milestone when the recipient wants that gesture. The public contact role is about finding information, not assigning a milestone or arranging a purchase.
Give the next volunteer a clean handoff
When your service ends, tell the responsible group contact what needs to be changed and check the new details after they are processed. Agree how to handle messages that still arrive through the old route. Avoid forwarding personal disclosures unless the person has agreed and there is a clear reason.
Pass along practical questions that revealed a gap in the listing, without names or personal stories. If several people could not find the entrance, the group may be able to improve its directions. That is a more useful record than a history of who called.
Medallions to consider
These optional retail medallions are for a confirmed AA sobriety anniversary. Ask whether the recipient would welcome a keepsake and verify the milestone before choosing a design.
Tricolor Jet Black Rainbow Sparkle (1-50y)
The current selector lists 1 to 50 years, plus 18 Months. The photo shows one sample inscription. Use the selector to choose the confirmed milestone.
Tricolor Velvet Plum (24h, 1-45y)
The current selector lists 1 to 45 years, plus 24 Hours and 18 Months. The photo shows one sample inscription. Use the selector to choose the confirmed milestone.
Common questions
Is the public contact the same as a sponsor?
No. The role helps people get practical information about the group.
Can I list another member as a backup?
Ask them first and use the group's current record process.
Keep reading
Explore Elite Medallions and Deluxe Coins to compare the designs and available sobriety milestones.
