Orange County Hospitals And institutions Committee of AA
Who We Are
The Orange County H&I Committee is an independent Ninth Tradition service committee of Alcoholics Anonymous®. We are comprised of hundreds of volunteers throughout Northern Orange County who bring meetings into the facilities we serve.
Come visit us on the second Sunday of every month at the Alano Club of Garden Grove located at 9845 Belfast Dr., Garden Grove, CA 92844. We have two committee meetings: Hospitals (6pm) and Institutions (4pm). If you know you want to join as a member, it’s advisable to attend an orientation as soon as possible. Orientation occurs right before each business meeting at 3:15pm and 5:15pm. You only need to attend one, and you can attend either.
Our Purpose
The purpose of Orange County Hospitals and Institutions Committee (H&I) is to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous® to the alcoholic who is confined in a hospital or institution. H & I is a service committee as defined in the Ninth Tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous®; “AA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.” H&I’s charter is stated in AA’s Fifth Tradition; “Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.”
It is an illustration that was done by a Grapevine volunteer illustrator and presented to Bill W. in 1955. It is a depiction of that first visit to St. Thomas hospital in Akron, where Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob talked to Bill D. – AA #3. When Bill W. received this picture, he said this illustration CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF AA.
Our 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® who 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