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Service Opportunities

Committees Needing Volunteers

Public Information and Professional Outreach (PI/PO)
Diversity and Inclusion

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Intergroup Reps

Intergroup Binder Files

Find these and other Intergroup documents in the righthand sidebar.

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IDEA Community

Welcome to the Southern Arizona OA Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Community page! We are so glad you are here.

I:    Inclusion

D:  Diversity

E:   Equity

A:  Access

The word “committee” is rooted in Western hierarchical practice whereas the word “community” promotes a collaborative, democratic approach where every voice is valued and encouraged. We do not have a single leader or chair but rotate responsibilities so that everyone shares the work.

“THE FELLOWSHIP encourages and promotes acceptance and inclusivity. All are welcome to join OA and are not excluded because of race, creed, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other trait. We welcome all who share our compulsion.” -WSO Statement on Diversity

Why are we talking about diversity and inclusion in program?

bright green leaves create heart with a view of the ocean. Text reads If you can be anything, be inclusive
“If you can be anything, be inclusive.”
“When we know better, we do better!”

As members of OA, a part of service is reaching out to ALL those who suffer.  Diversity work is central to creating welcoming spaces for people of diverse experiences. Doing both the internal work as individuals and the community work to create those spaces is key to attracting new members and maintaining healthy spaces for our current membership.  The ability to uphold the Traditions and spiritual principles of the program depends on diversity, inclusion, access and equity. There can be no unity in the fellowship without first honoring our differences.

Survey

In 2020, the IDEA Community conducted a survey in order to 1) get to know our current local community, 2) understand the current level of diversity in the Southern Arizona Intergroup meetings and 3) start to understand any barriers to OA participation among current members.  

To see the results of the survey and read more, please click below.

Diversity & Inclusion Survey Results

 Community Purpose and Vision: 

The purpose of the IDEA Community is two-fold. Its first purpose is to provide space for committee members to support each other’s individual learning and skill building around diversity work.   Its second purpose is to support the Southern Arizona community in their learning and applications of diversity and inclusion both within our fellowship and in carrying the message to other suffering compulsive eaters. 

The focus starts with HOW we are carrying the message not just that we are doing it.  

It is neither kind nor compassionate to ask people to come to the group when the group hasn’t done its internal work. It is also unkind to expect people to know how to do th work for themselves.  The committee’s focus will be on supporting the community in doing their internal work. 

Current Community Goals:  

  • Self-reflect and self-educate about how privilege and bias operate in our own (IDEA Community) lives and in OA. [Do internal work].
  • Bond as an IDEA Community.
  • Help OA members understand how privilege and bias operate in their own lives and in OA.
  • Help OA members understand how to make their meetings more welcoming to underrepresented groups.
  • Help OA members understand how to effectively carry the message to underrepresented groups.

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Officers and Committees

2023 Board Members

Chair, Cheryl L.
Vice Chair, Cynthia N.
Secretary, Karin C.
Treasurer, Chris N.
Senior Region 3 Rep and WSBC Delegate, Barbara V.
Junior Region 3 Rep and WSBC Delegate, Joy V’M.

2023 Committee Chairs

IR Trainer, Open
Meeting List / Zoom Coordinator, Jan F.
Newsletter, Judy G.
PIPO, John W.
Retreat, Mickey M.
Special Events, Emily R-S. & Janis R.
Telephone, Roni B.
Twelfth Step Within, Janis R. & Emily R-S.
Website, Joy V’M.



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Committee Service

About OA Service

Service in Overeaters Anonymous takes many forms – it is part of the twelfth step of OA to help carry the message to the suffering compulsive eaters. Many of us start service the first time we step into an OA meeting and decide to share. We do service at all levels of the OA fellowship including individual, group, area- or Intergroup, regional and world service. We do our service voluntarily, and mostly with gratitude to give back what has been so freely given us.

Volunteer for a Committee

There are no requirements, any OA member can serve on any committee. If you would like to serve on one of these, we would LOVE to have you. Please contact the Intergroup Chair at chair@oasouthernaz.org if you have questions or want more information.

Although a committee may not currently have a chair, there is still work to be done and help needed to keep the OA Fellowship going. If you would like to chair a committee, see Committee Chair Qualifications below.

Chair a Committee

A. Complete the nomination form.

B. Send the form to the Southern Arizona Intergroup Chair at chair@oasouthernaz.org.

Common responsibilities for a Committee Chair

  • Attend Intergroup meetings, create and share monthly reports and documents electronically and by paper, if needed
  • Create budget requests and monitor committee expenses

Qualifications

  • Be working the Twelve Steps of OA.
  • Have knowledge of OA’s Twelve Traditions
  • Have a knowledge of OA’s Twelve Concepts
  • Currently be abstinent
  • Be or have been an OA IR for a minimum of six months

Typical Committee Chair Duties

Intergroup Rep (IR) Trainer

Facilitate Intergroup Rep effectiveness by creating and using tools to help IRs share within their groups and at Intergroup; maintain a sample “IR notebook” with extra copies of materials for new IRs; maintain and distribute the SoAZ OA “We Care” list; mail out meeting materials to absent IRs; create a process for IR and other Intergroup member sign-up to Intergroup committees; act as designated downloader for SoAZ Intergroup by visiting OA, Inc and other OA websites for appropriate documents to share and attend monthly Intergroup meetings. Encouraged to attend monthly Board meetings and write a newsletter article describing committee responsibilities and activities/achievements.

Meeting List/Zoom Coordinator

Update the online live [Google Sheets] and upload pdf version of the SoAZ meeting directory, manage the SoAZ Zoom accounts and assist meetings with its use as needed.

Newsletter Editor

Create, upload and distribute by email periodic editions of the SoAZ Desert Recovery newsletter featuring recovery-related articles by OA members and information on upcoming OA events.

Public Information/Professional Outreach (PIPO)

Maintain contact with health professionals within our communities.  Attend health fairs and like events with OA members who can share their own experience, strength, and hope.  Create resources such as flyers and OA literature for posting in public venues and sharing at events.

Special Events

Plan and/or oversee events such as IDEA, Unity Day, Sponsorship Day, Thank-A-Thon, and the annual Retreat.  Select venues and purchase or create handouts or props.  Create flyers and communicate with Intergroup members about upcoming events.  Ways and Means is a subcommittee of Special Events.

Telephone

Update the voicemail greeting on the mailbox of 520-733-0880 as needed and create a committee of members who will each have a day of the week for checking and returning messages.  Create a training document and train new volunteers.  Ask the SoAZ Treasurer for monthly reports of the messages billed.

Twelfth Step Within (TSW)

Plan events that support the TSW committee’s mission of sharing information and ideas that generate recovery within the fellowship.  Select venues and purchase or create handouts or props.  Create flyers and communicate with Intergroup members about upcoming events.

Website

Create content, update and modify existing posts and pages, update WordPress CMS and plugins, maintain the hosting, SSL and domain name and related expenses for oasouthernaz.org. Create and post monthly Intergroup Call to Action content.  Encourage usage of the website.

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What is Intergroup?

Intergroup Board Members 2020
Emily R.-S. – Chair
Linda J. – Vice Chair
Cheryl L. – Treasurer
Chris N. – Secretary
Randi – Senior Region Rep and World Service Delegate
Cynthia – Junior Region Rep and World Service Delegate

Monthly Intergroup Call to Action: Please see the first item on the left-hand sidebar, this page.

WHAT IS INTERGROUP?
When several groups form in an area, they soon realize that they can better perform certain functions together rather than separately. So the groups may form an Intergroup that is directly responsible to the groups it serves. For southern Arizona that Intergroup is called Southern Arizona Intergroup of Overeaters Anonymous. Intergroups spring from a need to provide service for a number of local groups and better information about OA in a community. Separate Intergroups make up Regions and then the Regions (10 in all) combine to make up the World Service Organization (WSO). Our SoAZ OA is part of the Region III OA. Region III consists of the Southwest Region of the U.S., including the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, southern Nevada and parts of Wyoming and Nebraska.

Intergroup meets on the third Saturday of each month. Anyone can attend – there are no rules about this. The normal makeup of the monthly Intergroup meeting consists of Intergroup Representatives from each OA group in the area when possible, committee chairs, and the Intergroup Board, which is just a description for the trusted servants who occupy the positions of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and SoAZ Region Delegates. Intergroup currently meets at:

SoAZ Intergroup Meeting: The 3rd Saturday of Each Month
by Zoom
(contact Emily R-S for more information)
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or earlier

Board Position Descriptions and Qualifications are listed in the Bylaws, beginning at the bottom of page 4, and include the following:

  • Chair
  • Vice Chair
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Region Representative/Delegate (two to three positions)

Committee Chair Qualifications and Descriptions are in the Bylaws, beginning on page 8 and also here Committee Chair Job Descriptions. These committees include the following:

  • Intergroup Rep Trainer
  • Meeting List
  • Newsletter
  • Public Information and Professional Outreach (PI/PO)
  • Special Events
  • Telephone
  • Twelfth Step Within (TSW)
  • Ways and Means
  • Website

Nomination Forms:

WSO Newsletter for Intergroup: A Step Ahead 

Virtual Region: OA Virtual Region