Lifeline Through the Years

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Our “Meeting on the Go”

Lifeline offers one of the most effective means to carry the message of recovery to still-suffering compulsive eaters. And it provides OA members with a wonderful opportunity to give service and enrich recovery.

Lifeline has performed these roles since it began as The OA Bulletin in 1963. A few samples of its message grace this page. For a potpourri, click here: Lifeline Through the Years

Rolinda’s Miracle

Rolinda R., of Hollywood, Cheviot Hills, Panorama City and many other LA-area OA groups, was heralded again and again early in June on the advent of the celebration of her first OA birthday. Large attendance at two birthday meetings really made our gracious Rolinda blossom and glow.

Highlighting the event was a most significant sight — the two walking canes on which Rolinda had been completely dependent when she came into OA now stood propped up in a corner as ornamental souvenirs, adorned with a ribbon, no longer a part of her.

Her expressions of gratitude to the group and to her husband, who stood by her, brought many tears. Her beauty and eloquence, serenity and faith inspired many who witnessed this living proof of working the OA program.

An OA papier-mâché “no-calorie” cake brought rounds of applause as Happy Birthday was sung at the Hollywood meeting. The following morning at the Sunrise Birthday Party given by the Panorama City group, a magnificent floral and candle arrangement and the Happy Birthday singing gave further tribute to Rolinda’s “MIRACLE.”

— Reprinted from The Bulletin, August 1964

Reprinted from Lifeline, February 1988

You may be wondering, “How can I give service and carry the message with Lifeline?” It’s easy!
If you are a sponsor, encourage your sponsoree to become the Lifeline rep for your group.

If you are an event planner for your group, intergroup or region, include a Lifeline display and subscription forms at one of your tables. Encourage members to subscribe for themselves, a newcomer, someone who can’t afford it or a health-care facility.
If you attend intergroup meetings, ask your intergroup to consider using funds from its Public Outreach Committee to donate a subscription to a doctor’s office.
If you love Lifeline, spread the word. Talk about it with your friends in and out of OA and encourage them to subscribe. Direct them to this page or the Lifeline sample issue.

Reprinted from The OA Lifeline, January 1968

If you are a featured speaker at an OA event, include as part of your speech the value of Lifeline to recovery and encourage members to subscribe or to donate a subscription. Be sure to have subscription forms on hand.
If you have “techie” friends who love to do everything on a computer, make them aware of e-Lifeline and direct them to the sample issue and encourage them to subscribe.
If you want to give service to your group, volunteer to be a Lifeline rep.
If you want to see Lifeline filled with stories of experience, strength and hope, gather your group and set aside one meeting (or more) to have a Lifeline writing workshop. Select a topic from the Lifeline Monthly Topics calendar that appears annually online and in the July issues of Lifeline and A Step Ahead, and write to that topic. Send your stories to Lifeline. Each story must include the author’s name. Lifeline publishes the first name and initial, city, state/province and country of authors. Authors may request anonymity for any of the preceding.
Can you think of other ways to carry the message and serve with Lifeline? Send us your ideas, and we may post them here.