Celebrating Six Years of OA Foot Steps – A Message from our Chair

birthdays & milestones

Hi everyone! I’m Renee, and I have the absolute joy and honor of serving as the Chair of OA Foot Steps. Today, I’m thrilled to celebrate our 6th Birthday with you all!

It’s hard to believe that OA Foot Steps began on April 14, 2019, with just a handful of fellows gathering on Zoom for our very first meeting. We started with just one meeting—and now, six years later, we offer 182 meetings, including online, telephone, and non-real-time formats. No matter the time of day, there’s almost always a meeting happening—something I deeply love about our community. That kind of availability strengthens not only individual recovery but OA as a whole.

What makes OA Foot Steps so special to me—and to so many—is the spirit of collaboration and unity that fuels everything we do. We come together with a singleness of purpose: recovery. And we do it with heart. I love the people here, the way we support each other, and the way we grow together.

Foot Steps is thriving. Our committees are vibrant and active, providing step studies, workshops, and fun events throughout the year. These offerings help us strengthen our recovery while connecting with fellows from all walks of life. Whether you’re seeking deep spiritual work or meaningful connection in recovery, there’s a place for you here. 

We have a strong, dedicated board that works in harmony. There’s genuine respect, support, and collaboration among us, and that leadership trickles down to the entire fellowship. It’s a beautiful thing to witness and be part of.

One of the most exciting parts of our growth has been our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Today, we offer meetings in Spanish, Arabic, French, and German. We’ve welcomed seven Spanish-speaking meetings, seven telephone meetings, and we continually seek to broaden our reach. We recently hosted a “Unity with Diversity” workshop to celebrate and deepen this vital work. We’re proud to support Service Boards like Rainbow and Anorexia/Bulimia, expanding our message to reach all who suffer.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was shutting down and meetings were scrambling to go virtual, we were already here. That moment of global crisis became a time of exponential growth for us. We showed up for each other then, just as we continue to do now.

OA Foot Steps is more than an Intergroup—it’s a home, a lifeline, and a powerful piece of the bigger OA picture. I am beyond grateful for these six incredible years, and even more excited for what’s to come.

With love and in service,
Renee
Chair, OA Foot Steps

©2024 Experience Strength & Hope Newsletter,
All rights reserved. Proudly sponsored by OA Foot Steps VIG #09670.


Did you enjoy this article? We would encourage our members to use this post, and others like it, at their meetings, or for private reflection. We also encourage you to share this post to other fellows to help the compulsive eater who still suffers. Please let us know if you have an idea for an article or an upcoming theme, or have any questions or suggestions. Email our editorial staff at [email protected]

The experience, strength, and hope expressed in this article, reflect the individual OA members and does not represent OA as a whole. Other OA groups and service bodies are welcome to reprint articles from Experience, Strength & Hope Newsletter without permission. When reprinting from other OA newsletters, be sure to credit the source.