Media Category: Professional Outreach

• Purpose of the Professional Outreach Committee
• Preparing and developing a Professional Outreach Committee
• Making contact with professionals
• Follow-through
• Why OA attends professional conferences

Purpose

The purpose of the Professional Outreach Committee is to coordinate the efforts of OA groups interested in carrying the message of recovery to hospitals, treatment centers, correctional facilities, religious organizations, schools, libraries, corporations, and civilian and military professional communities.

Remember to adhere to the principles in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions:

• Be mindful of the difference between attraction and promotion.
• OA has no opinion on the methodologies or policies of the institutions—these are outside issues.
• Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of the Fellowship. Emphasize the importance of respecting it both within your committee and in dealing with staff and OA members at hospitals and institutions.

Preparing and developing a Professional Outreach Committee

1. Create Professional Outreach Committees at the service body and region levels. In smaller service bodies, it may be necessary to combine with an existing Public Information or Twelfth Step Within Committee. Establish liaisons between your service body and region to build effective communication.
2. Enlist committed volunteers to serve on the committee.
3. Hold meetings to determine goals and develop strategies specifically for your community. Periodically reexamine the committee goals and prioritize them.
4. Have available a copy of the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual, which may be purchased from the World Service Office (WSO).
5. Compile a list of professional resources, including individual physicians, treatment centers, local professional conferences, community health fairs, hospitals, schools, libraries, correctional facilities, religious organizations, corporations, and military bases. Libraries, telephone directories, professional associations, and convention bureaus can provide information to assist you in compiling this list.
6. Compile a list of volunteers who would be available for one or more of the following: (a) panel presentations; (b) health fairs; (c) professional trade shows; and (d) temporary sponsors or mail sponsors. OA is best represented by members who are in recovery and have a working knowledge of the Steps, Traditions, OA service structure, and OA literature.

Making contact with professionals

1. When possible, make initial contact by phone, or write a letter and make a follow-up phone call. Always inquire whether the professional is familiar with OA.
2. Ask for an appointment to explain OA’s program of recovery to the interested professional; share only from your personal experience, and remember that OA is nonprofessional.
3. Encourage the professional to attend an OA meeting, or offer to take them to an open OA meeting.
4. Provide OA literature. Usually a service body purchases Professional Presentation Folders from the WSO (available at bookstore.oa.org) and provides them for individual members to take to their appointments with their family doctor or other professionals. These folders include a cover letter to the professional, the Courier newsletter (and the pamphlets When Should I Refer Someone to Overeaters Anonymous?, Membership Survey Report), and In OA, Recovery Is Possible. Additional pamphlets can be added to customize the folder for specific audiences, and it’s advisable to include a current meeting list.

Below is a non-comprehensive list of literature, available through the World Service Office (WSO), that you can use to customize professional folders:

• About OA
• To the Young Person
• To the Family of the Compulsive Eater
• Many Symptoms, One Solution
• When Should I Refer Someone to Overeaters Anonymous?
• OA literature catalog

Or you may want to donate an OA book:

• The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition
• Overeaters Anonymous, Third Edition
• Abstinence, Second Edition

Or give back issues of Lifeline, OA’s international magazine of recovery.

Follow-through

1. Always follow any visit or lengthy phone conversation with a letter of appreciation for the professional’s time and attention.
2. Maintain current address records of all professionals, and note when they were last contacted.
3. Make as many of your resources as possible available to hospitals and institutions (e.g. audio recordings, DVDs, literature).
4. Continue to invite professionals to attend open OA meetings and/or special events sponsored by the Professional Outreach or Public Information Committees.
5. Stress OA’s willingness to serve as a community resource to help the still-suffering compulsive eater.
6. If appropriate, offer to put up a display about OA.
7. Use intergroup or region display booths for professional conference trade shows, if available.
8. Keep going back!

Why OA attends professional conferences

A professional conference brings together professionals who are either employed in the same field or who have common interests. Most conferences have an exhibition area which consists of booths occupied by companies, treatment centers and Twelve Step programs. By exhibiting at professional conferences, Overeaters Anonymous has the opportunity to educate a large number of professionals at one time and to speak to them directly when they visit the OA booth. Remember, we do not present ourselves as professionals, nor do we affiliate ourselves with the sponsors of the conference or other exhibits.

OA Responsibility Pledge

Always to extend the hand and heart of OA
to all who share my compulsion;
for this I am responsible

---

OA Board-Approved
©1997. . .2011, 2019 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. All Rights reserved. Rev. 5/2023
#570

Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. World Service Office
Location: 6075 Zenith Court NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144, USA
Mailing address: PO Box 44727, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4727, USA
Telephone: +1 505-891-2664

Purpose

Public information events are excellent ways of informing the public about the Overeaters Anonymous (OA) program of recovery.

Types of public information events

Newcomer nights

These are usually open OA meetings whose formats may vary to meet the needs of a particular audience. They commonly feature speakers and a question and-answer period. OA literature is provided as handouts if possible. The focus is on people new to or interested in Overeaters Anonymous, whether potential members or not.

Young adult events

Colleges and universities are the usual settings for these events, whether as an intimate classroom talk or in an assembly. They commonly feature two or more speakers and follow a format similar to that of a newcomer night, above. Another way to reach young adults is to participate in a school health fair. Many intergroups/service boards have display booths that can be used for this purpose. For information about participating in a health fair, see the Guidelines for Health Fair Participation on oa.org.

Presentations to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) staff

EAPs are counseling centers that some large companies employ to help workers deal with personal problems in a confidential setting. Staff members and/or counselors are often quite receptive to learning how OA can help their clients.

Other types of Public Information (PI) events

There are many other settings for public information outreach. For more information about the above or other types of public information and professional outreach events, refer to the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual.

When to hold public information events

Anytime is a good time!

Strategic times:

• Before holidays
• After New Year’s
• Early spring

We also recommend holding events on OA related days:

• OA’s birthday (third full weekend—Friday included—of January)
• Unity Day (last Saturday of February in even years and last Sunday of February in odd years)
• Sponsorship Day (third full weekend—Friday included—of August)
• International Day Experiencing Abstinence (IDEA) (third full weekend—Friday included—of November)
• Twelfth Step Within Day (December 12)

Preparation and planning

(about three to four months prior)

• Form a committee and choose a chairperson.
• Encourage participation within your intergroup by enumerating specific tasks and the time commitment needed to accomplish them.
• Determine your budget. Keep in mind that the purpose of Public Information (PI) events is to get information out to the community, not to make money. Things such as suggested donations or raffles should be saved for retreats and conventions. If your intergroup does not have the funds to put on an event on its own, contact your region. Some regions will provide funding for PI events.
• Select a site. If your event will be in a school or institution, make sure the arrangements are made with the proper authorities. The site should be easily accessible, with well-lit parking. Besides schools and hospitals, libraries and churches are usually good locations.
• Decide on format. The format will determine your needs. You will need to consider:
  • How many will attend?
  • Will you have one or more speakers? A panel? (Microphones, a podium, table)
  • Will there be a question-and-answer session? (Paper, pencils)
  • What special interests does the audience have? (Specific literature, topics)
• Inspect the site and ask questions. Tell the facility’s manager what you’ll need and find out what’s available. Questions to ask:
  • Are there any fees?
  • What about parking?
  • What is the maximum legal occupancy of the room?
  • Will someone from the facility be there the day or night of the event? If so, is there an additional fee, such as for janitorial staff to close the facility?

Materials

(about two to three months prior)

• Order the literature and other materials (videos, etc.) you may need: We suggest that only OA Conference- and Board-approved literature be used. Be sure to bring along local meeting directories that clearly list phone numbers of meeting contacts, the oa.org website, and your intergroup’s website if you have one. Remember: The internet is one of our most important public information resources. Newcomers who do not approach you at the event may wish to find out more about OA after the event. You may wish to bring along wallet cards with your local intergroup’s number and website address.
• Suggested literature for newcomer nights:
  About OA
  In OA, Recovery Is Possible
  Fifteen Questions
  Many Symptoms, One Solution
  Where Do I Start?
  OA Members Come in All Sizes
  To the Family of the Compulsive Overeater
• Suggested literature for young adult events:
  Many Symptoms, One Solution
  OA Members Come in All Sizes
  To the Family of the Compulsive Eater
  To Parents and Concerned Adults (for parents and teachers)
  Focus on Anorexic and Bulimic Packet
• In addition, you might include:
  Back issues of Lifeline (available from the WSO)
  The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition
  Taste of Lifeline
  Overeaters Anonymous, Third Edition (the Brown Book)
  OA catalog
  Other specialized pamphlets, depending on your audience
• Suggested literature for professionals:
  When Should I Refer Someone to Overeaters Anonymous?
  Courier newsletter
  Back issues of Lifeline

Speakers

(about two to three months prior)

Speakers should be chosen carefully; they’ll be representing the OA program and should demonstrate recovery on all three levels: emotional, spiritual, and physical. You may wish to have abstinence requirements. It is highly recommended that speakers have at least one year of current abstinence and are maintaining a healthy body weight. Look for members who have suffered from different symptoms of the disease.

Speaking to young adults

Two speakers are preferred, since two stories provide more diversity. Two people can also answer questions more effectively. Each should share for fifteen minutes. Speakers should be the same age or just slightly older than those in the audience. They should focus on their younger years, and share personal problems and health risks of compulsive eating.

Speaking to Employee Assistance Program professionals

In the spirit of cooperation, not affiliation, tell them how helpful OA can be for their clients who struggle with eating disorders to stress that we are not in competition with them, but an outside source of help.

To find more detailed information on doing presentations to schools, professionals or other special groups, see the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual.

Publicity

(about two months prior)

Prepare 8 1/2-by-11-inch or A4 flyers

Make these in time to be distributed four to six weeks prior to the event. They should contain the event title; the sponsoring intergroup’s name; event location, date, and time; and the contact phone number (no names). Flyers should make it clear that it’s an event for the general public and not just for OA members. Suggested distribution sites: public health clinics, student health centers, exercise clubs, Twelve-Step bookstores, doctor and professional offices (obtain permission first), and OA meetings. Provide plenty of extra flyers for OA meetings, and urge members to take a few and post them on bulletin boards at their grocery store, laundromat, church, school, etc.

Get the word out to the community

Contact radio and TV stations and ask them to run public service announcements. Tell them OA is a nonprofit organization. Make sure the Public Service Announcements (PSAs) include a local contact phone number. Also, local, regional, senior, school and free newspapers often have calendars of community events; send them announcements. (For sample PSA scripts and press releases, see the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual; to arrange to use WSO PSAs, contact the World Service Office.) Consider free advertising on online local classified ad sites. These sites often have community events/meeting announcements sections. Even if they don’t, you can still create an ad inviting people to a public information meeting or to just make contact for more information about OA.

Inform the Fellowship

Announce the event at all OA meetings, telling members of the planned content. Ask them to attend and bring a non-OA guest. List tasks for which volunteers are needed and provide a contact name and number to call if interested in helping.

Final preparations

(about one month prior)

Get firm commitments from volunteers and assign duties.

Areas of service include:

• Registration table
• Literature
• Cleanup
• Door greeting
• Making and distributing ID badges
• Writing flyers
• Distributing flyers
• Decorating, if necessary
• Making signs to direct participants to the right room

Call all volunteers and remind them of their commitments.

Checklist for one week prior to event

• Call all volunteers again to verify their participation.
• Make sure the facility is ready for you.
• Give a flyer to the person answering the phone at the facility.

On the day

Arrive at least an hour before the event starts.

You will need to:

• Set up the meeting room
• Coordinate volunteers
• Check the literature
• Check the registration table
• Check the refreshment tables

Follow-up

• Have a post-event meeting: Evaluate what happened and make recommendations for the future.
• Send thank-you notes to those outside OA who helped, such as radio, TV, and facility personnel.
• Retrieve recorded Public Service Announcements (PSAs), if any, from TV and radio stations.

For more information on putting together public information or newcomers nights, consult the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual (#765 in the OA bookstore at bookstore.oa.org).

OA Responsibility Pledge

Always to extend the hand and heart of OA
to all who share my compulsion;
for this I am responsible.

---

OA Board-Approved
©1993 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. All Rights reserved. Rev. 2/2025.
#570

Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. World Service Office
Location: 6075 Zenith Court NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144, USA
Mailing address: PO Box 44727, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4727, USA
Telephone: +1 505-891-2664

Purpose of participating

An OA display at a local health fair is an excellent way of doing Twelfth Step outreach work.

Funding

In addition to funding through your service body, funding may be available through your region, or in cooperation with other local service bodies. The Reduced Cost Literature program can assist groups and service bodies purchasing bulk literature for public information and outreach projects. For an application, go to oa.org/document-library and search under  “Public Information” category.

How to locate health fairs in your area

Your group’s or service body’s public information committee may already have a list of contacts, which can be a great starting point in finding local health fairs. Other great resources are the internet, newspapers, and local community news, television, or radio programs. Search for online community calendars or health-related resources. If you find out about an event too late to participate, ask to be added to the notification list for next year’s event.

Preparation and planning

(about three to four months prior)

Form a committee and choose a chair

Encourage participation within your service body at meetings or through the service body’s newsletter. Describe specific tasks and the time commitment needed to accomplish them.

Questions to ask the fair organizers

• What are the days and times of setup, operation, and breakdown?
• Are there any fees? Ask about not-for-profit rates. If participation is cost prohibitive, ask the organizers if your group or service body can place OA information, such as business cards or flyers with contact information and meeting times, on a table at the event.
• What is the event’s projected attendance?
• Who else will be exhibiting?
• Will other Twelve Step programs be participating?
• Can your group or service body be located near them? Will there be a speaker on compulsive eating?
• Can you hold an open OA meeting at the site?
• Are there size limits or special requirements for the display?
• Will rental tables or chairs be available?
• Will an electrical outlet, if needed, be accessible near the booth?
• Will a copy machine be available if needed?

Materials

(about two to three months prior)

Prepare the display

Your service body might own a professional exhibit booth. If not, use a table and chairs. Create a display using the Public Information Posters (available for free download at oa.org/document-library; “PI Posters”) and a selection of OA-approved literature (see below). Consider a professionally made banner, which can be used again. To use the Overeaters Anonymous logo, request permission from the World Service Office using the OA Logo Permission Request Form found on oa.org. (Go to oa.org/document-library; “Copyright.”) One way to appear professional is to avoid a cluttered look.

Stocking the booth

To prepare, use this list of supplies you may need.

• extension cord
• tape
• markers
• scissors
• glue
• rubber bands
• stapler and staples
• paper clips
• volunteer badges
• correction fluid/tape
• pens and/or pencils
• camera or mobile device to take photos of your booth and/or the event for your website or newsletter. (Remember not to photograph faces or distinguishing features in order to protect members’ and visitors’ anonymity.)
• clipboards and notepaper

Literature

Only OA Conference- or board-approved literature should be offered. (See the OA-Approved Literature List. Bring enough so that people may take some. To avoid clutter, store extra literature under the table. The literature suggested below is high in newcomer interest and low in cost. It’s available from the OA bookstore at bookstore.oa.org.

• In OA, Recovery Is Possible (#135)
• Fifteen Questions (#755)
• Many Symptoms, One Solution (#106)
• New Prospect Card (#450)
• The Tools of Recovery (#160)
• Fifteen Questions for the Young Person (#756)
• Is Food a Problem for You? (#750)
• OA Members Come in All Sizes (#110)
• To the Family of the Compulsive Eater (#240)
• Where Do I Start? (#705)
• About OA (#751)

For health fairs held in work environments, at/or near military bases, or at health care facilities, these pamphlets are also suggested.

• When Should I Refer Someone to Overeaters Anonymous? (#770)
• Courier, a newsletter for the professional community (To download, go to oa.org/document-library; “Public Information.”)

Bring a supply of local meeting lists. (Obtain permission from meeting contacts to include their information.) Include a handout that has the oa.org website and your service body’s website and/or contact information. Back issues of Lifeline magazine are available from the OA bookstore at bookstore.oa.org. Bring along a sign-up sheet for people who want to receive more information or your service body’s newsletter via email. For display only, consider including Overeaters Anonymous, Third Edition, book and CDs; The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition book; For Today; Taste of Lifeline; Abstinence, Second Edition; Voices of Recovery; and specialized OA pamphlets, such as To the Man Who Wants to Stop Compulsive Overeating, Welcome.

Volunteers

(about one to two months prior)

Get firm commitments from volunteers

Booth volunteers should be chosen carefully. They will be representing the OA program and should demonstrate recovery on all three levels: emotional, spiritual, and physical. You may wish to have abstinence requirements. It is highly recommended that booth volunteers have at least one year of current abstinence and are maintaining a healthy body weight. Look for members who have suffered from different symptoms of the disease.

Make sure volunteers know their areas of responsibility

Responsibilities include setup, breakdown, general staffing, backup, etc. Arrange the schedule so that two volunteers are working the booth at all times in case one has to leave temporarily. Shifts no longer than three hours, with two hours being optimum, are suggested. Make sure all volunteers are comfortable with the fact that they’ll be seen by the general public, who may ask them about their OA membership or may assume it. Call volunteers again one month before the fair and again one week before the fair to confirm their participation. Give copies of Guidelines for Health Fair Participation to all volunteers.

Day of fair

Setting up

Do this as early as possible. It’s easiest to have those who put up the display and lay out the literature to take the first shift.

Demeanor while working the table or booth

Be friendly, but don’t push information or literature. Sit back from the table—this allows people to feel free to take material without feeling intimidated. Look alert and interested, letting people know you’re ready to speak with them if they wish. Be careful about socializing with others staffing the booth; if you appear too “busy,” attendees may be hesitant to approach. When speaking with them, make eye contact. Remember that this is a program of attraction, not promotion (Tradition Eleven). There should be no eating, drinking, or smoking at the booth. Dress neatly and appropriately. Record the number of visitors to your table.

Answering questions

Telling people that OA is “a Twelve Step program patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous” will answer a great many questions. Keep in mind that you’re not expected to be an expert on compulsive overeating. You may, however, share your experience, strength, and hope; you might wish to bring your “before” pictures. If you give an opinion, make it clear that it is your opinion and not representative of OA as a whole.

Give people literature and meeting lists. Be sure to mention that if they have any questions, they are welcome to call the contact numbers on the meeting list or visit oa.org.

Follow-up

Send thank-you notes to the fair organizers

Ask them to put your group or service body on the mailing list for next year. Have a post-fair evaluation meeting with the volunteers to discuss how it went and collect suggestions for next time.

For more information

For more information about doing health fairs or other public information work, consult the Public Information and Professional Outreach Service Manual (#765), available from the OA bookstore at bookstore.oa.org.

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OA Board-approved
©1993, 1998, 2008, 2016, 2019 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. All Rights reserved. Rev 2/2025.

Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. World Service Office
Location: 6075 Zenith Court NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144, USA
Mailing address: PO Box 44727, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4727, USA
Telephone: +1 505-891-2664