Northern California Hospital and Institution Committee

Carrying the message of A.A. to the alcoholic in Corrections and Treatment facilities and facilities serving alcoholics in Northern CA

Contributions: Contribute online or via mail to: P.O. Box 192490 San Francisco, CA 94119-2490
(Make checks payable to: NORCAL H&I and note your Area # on the check)

Looking for orientation?: find your area on the map for more info

Our Purpose

The only purpose of this committee is to carry the message of AA to alcoholics in Corrections and Treatment facilities and facilities serving alcoholics in Northern CA. The activities of this committee are governed by the Twelve Traditions and based on the spiritual principles embodied within the Twelve Concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous.

What We Do

  • Provide AA Meetings: Two or more members bring an AA meeting into hospitals, recovery centers, rehabs, community facilities, jails and prisons in Northern CA. AA Literature is brought into the meeting and provided free to the members who attend; this is where approximately 90% of the money contributed to the H&I Pink Cans goes. There are a few ways to volunteer: in your local area or at a prison.
  • Provide Sponsorship: At selected and authorized prisons, we provide Inside Visiting Sponsorship Services. We match prisoners requesting sponsorship with specially oriented, anonymity-protected volunteers. Learn more about our program.

Where We Go

Under the aegis of the 44 Areas within the H&I Northern California Committee we service hundreds of local hospitals, recovery centers, rehabs, community facilities and jails in northern CA. Under the aegis of the Major Facilities Coordinators of the H&I Committee, we bring meetings into approximately 25 State and Federal Correctional Institutions in Northern CA.

To learn more, explore our map of Areas and Insitutions in Northern California we serve.

Who We Are

The Northern California H&I Committee is a Ninth Tradition service committee of Alcoholics Anonymous. We are comprised of the thousands of volunteers throughout Northern California who bring meetings into the facilities we serve, the H&I Group Representatives elected by their groups, and the members of our NorCal Committee who perform the business of the committee. All H&I members are welcome and encouraged to attend our quarterly Committee meetings, where they can observe our operations and participate in discussion.

Funding

Funding for our committee’s activities is provided by donations collected in the H&I Pink Cans passed at A.A. meetings, and by other contributions from individual members and groups. Over the years, these monies have enabled us to provide books to tens of thousands of confined alcoholics who would otherwise not have access to the life-saving message of A.A.’s literature. Because we are governed by the Twelve Traditions and guided by the spiritual principles embodied in the Twelve Concepts, H&I is committed to full transparency and accountability in all our financial activities. To make an online contribution, please visit our Contribution page, or for more information on our finances, our Pink Cans and to view our monthly Financial Reports, please go to the Finances page. We gratefully thank the groups and members of the Northern California fellowship who so generously support the work we do.

History

In 1942, Warden Duffy at San Quentin State Prison noticed that 80% of the prisoners released ended up back in prison, and that alcohol was usually a contributing factor. He was aware of a group called Alcoholics Anonymous whose members claimed recovery from alcoholism, and invited them into San Quentin to hold meetings with the inmates. Thus H&I was born in Northern CA and San Quentin Group #1 became the first group in the Hospital and Institution Committee.