Alcoholics Anonymous began in 1935 when Bill W. and Dr. Bob met in Akron, Ohio. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, the message that alcoholism could be understood as an illness from which people can recover had reached Santa Barbara through A.A. members, local service work, and the broader alcoholism movement led in part by Marty Mann.

On March 31, 1949, Marty Mann, founder of the National Council on Alcoholism, met with recovering alcoholics in Santa Barbara. Later that year, local pioneers incorporated as the Santa Barbara Committee on Alcoholism. Early members included Henry Jackson, James Lamb Free Sr., John B. Morse, Mildred “Millie” Pinheiro, and Elmo Little. Their work helped change the local response to alcoholism from punishment and isolation toward recovery, mutual aid, sober housing, and practical help.

Today, Santa Barbara A.A. Central Office serves the local fellowship from 14 W. Anapamu Street and maintains a 24-hour A.A. helpline at (805) 962-3332. The local meeting directory includes in-person, online, open, closed, women’s, men’s, Spanish-language, literature, discussion, and wheelchair-accessible meetings across Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito, Carpinteria, and nearby South Coast communities.

A.A. does not affiliate with or endorse outside organizations, treatment centers, or recovery homes. Still, many people find that A.A. meetings, sponsorship, service, sober housing, treatment, family support, and community resources can all play a role in getting and staying sober.

Santa Barbara’s A.A. groups are part of General Service District 23, Area 93. District 23 serves Goleta, Montecito, Santa Barbara, Summerland, Carpinteria, and Isla Vista. A General Service Representative, or GSR, links a home group to A.A. as a whole by carrying the group conscience into the broader service structure and bringing service information back to the group.

District 23 service work includes Accessibilities, Archives, Special Events, Cooperation with the Professional Community, Public Information, Grapevine, Literature, and Technology. This service work helps carry the A.A. message, preserve local history, make literature available, cooperate with professionals, and reduce barriers for alcoholics who may have difficulty accessing meetings or recovery information.

Santa Barbara A.A. Central Office provides local meeting information and a 24-hour helpline. For meeting information or help finding A.A. locally, call (805) 962-3332 or visit the Santa Barbara A.A. meeting directory.

The Alano Club of Santa Barbara has supported people seeking freedom from alcohol and other drug problems since the early 1960s. It provides a safe, clean, sober meeting place and hosts many recovery meetings, including A.A. meetings, H&I meetings, young people’s meetings, GSR meetings, and other recovery-related gatherings.

The Alano Club is located at 235 E. Cota Street in Santa Barbara. It serves as a sober gathering place for meetings, sponsor/sponsee conversations, sober social events, holiday meals, and sobriety milestones. Like A.A. itself, the Alano Club has been part of the practical local network that helps people stay connected after treatment, sober living, detox, or a first A.A. meeting.

The organizations below are listed as local recovery options and community resources. Inclusion here does not mean A.A. affiliation, endorsement, or approval. A.A.’s primary purpose is to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

Need help now?

If you think you may have a problem with alcohol, you do not have to figure it out alone. A.A. is open to anyone with a desire to stop drinking. You can attend an open meeting to listen, call the local helpline, or ask another sober alcoholic how they got started.

Santa Barbara A.A. 24-hour helpline: (805) 962-3332