What is AA?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a worldwide support group dedicated to helping individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. AA provides a free, peer-led program that supports recovery through regular group meetings where members share their experiences, strength, and hope, with additional resources available via the World Forum for Mental Health.
In Minnesota, Minneapolis, and cities across the USA, AA meetings occur frequently, offering individuals an accessible, judgment-free environment to pursue sobriety and mutual support. Meetings can vary in their format, language, and focus, but all maintain AA’s core principles of anonymity and peer connection.
2218 1st Ave S, Alano Society of Minneapolis
Meeting Time: 8:00 PM
Details: This location hosts the “Garage Group,” an English-speaking open meeting geared towards sharing personal stories and group discussions in a welcoming atmosphere. Members focus on peer support, and newcomers are encouraged to participate gently in conversations after introducing themselves.
5748 Nicollet Ave, Southwest Minneapolis (Gratitude Group)
Meeting Time: 12:00 PM (Noon)
Details: The Gratitude Group offers in-person and online meetings held at this address. It is a closed meeting, meaning attendance is limited to individuals desiring to stop drinking. The discussion format is topic-focused, with sessions designed to allow members to confidentially explore and work through their recovery challenges.
3600 Kennebec Dr 220, Eagan
Meeting Time: 12:00 PM (Noon)
Details: This meeting, part of the Eagan-Burnsville-Savage Groups, is held both in-person and online. It is an open meeting geared toward men and women of all ages. Meetings are child-friendly and include readings from the Big Book, forming the foundation for guided discussions emphasizing spiritual growth and sobriety.
The 12 Steps of AA
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.This first step focuses on acknowledging the addiction and the need for change as the foundation for recovery in Minnesota and Minneapolis AA groups.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.Members find hope and strength through faith or belief in a higher power, personalized individually to motivate positive change.
- Made a decision to turn our will and lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.This step encourages surrender and trust, helping members let go of control to seek support beyond themselves.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.Members engage in honest self-reflection about their behaviors and attitudes contributing to alcoholism.
- Admitted to God, ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.Sharing vulnerabilities with a trusted person helps relieve shame and opens the path for healing.
- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.This step is about willingness to change deeply ingrained negative behaviors to support sobriety.
- Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.Members practice humility and seek assistance from their higher power to overcome character defects.
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.This encourages accountability and readiness to repair relationships damaged by alcoholism.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.Practical restoration of trust and fairness is emphasized, balancing honesty with care.
- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.Ongoing self-awareness helps maintain sobriety and personal growth.
- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.This step encourages spiritual development to sustain recovery.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.Service to others and maintaining sobriety by living AA principles is the hallmark of lasting recovery.
Getting Started with AA in Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
The most effective way to find local AA meetings in Minnesota and Minneapolis is by visiting wfmh.org. This official resource offers an up-to-date, comprehensive meeting search tool that covers both in-person and online meetings, ensuring accessibility regardless of location or circumstances.
AA meetings are widely available throughout Minnesota, providing members flexibility to attend physically or virtually, according to preference or need.
Attending Your First Local AA Meeting
Understanding the distinction between open and closed meetings is important in Minnesota and Minneapolis. Open meetings welcome anyone interested in the AA program—family members, friends, or observers—while closed meetings restrict attendance to those who identify as having a desire to stop drinking.
| Meeting Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Open | Anyone interested in Alcoholics Anonymous, including relatives and guests, may attend these meetings. Discussions focus on recovery but are accessible to observers. |
| Closed | Only individuals who have a desire to stop drinking or are current AA members may attend, allowing for a more private, confidential environment. |
- Arrive early to introduce yourself as a new member.
- Share your personal experience, strength, and hope if comfortable.
- Receive a welcome keychain or sobriety tag symbolizing your commitment to the AA program.
Common sobriety tag milestones distributed at meetings in Minnesota and Minneapolis include:
- 24 hours: Celebrates the first full day of sobriety and the start of the journey.
- 30 days: Marks one full month of continuous sobriety.
- 60 days: Acknowledges two months of sustained recovery.
- 90 days: Celebrates three months sober, a significant milestone.
- 6 months: Marks half a year of sobriety, indicating growing strength.
- 9 months: Demonstrates continued commitment and progress.
- 1 year: A major milestone recognizing one year of sobriety and personal transformation.
