ACTIVITY KITS - Step 1

Decide on what kind of activity your group wants to do.

With any event your group may chose to sponsor, it’s best to ask yourselves the following questions, which will help you begin to determine the details and costs of the event:

 What’s the purpose of the event?

Whatever the event may be, every N.A. event should have as its number one purpose to provide a safe activity where recovering addicts can socialize, have fun, and experience the atmosphere of recovery. 

A secondary purpose of having an event is to raise money for the area.  No events in the Greater Grand Rapids Area should be put on to raise money for itself or another group inside or outside the N.A. Fellowship. 

Choose an event that your group can follow through with 

Below are some examples of events with which our area has some experience in presenting:

Where will it be held?

Determining where to hold an event depends on a several factors:

1.      The type of event

      The type of event will determine what type of facility you’ll need.  For instance, if your group would like to put on a picnic, you’d want to look for a park. 

2.      Location

      Where a facility affects an event.  There have been events that have not been successful because the facility was difficult to find, was too remote, or public transportation didn’t get near it.  These issues can be resolved with some planning.  For instance, if a facility is difficult to find and/or remote, be sure to include a detailed map with your flyer.  If the facility is not on a public transportation line, consider developing a car-pool list for those who are interested in attending, but do not have their own transportation. 

3.      Cost of the facility

      Although N.A. events should have as its number one purpose to provide a safe activity where recovering addicts can socialize, have fun, and experience the atmosphere of recovery, we don’t want to spend ourselves into the debt either.  One way we can prevent this from happening is to find facilities for the events your group would like to sponsor that have a reasonable rental price.  Sometimes this price can be negotiated.  Just be sure to NEVER accept gifts from facilities—especially in the form of free rent.  We must always observe the spirit of N.A.’s 7^th Tradition which states “Every N.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.” 

4.      Make sure the facility has adequate parking for the event.

       Parking can definitely be an issue.  Forcing addicts to park too far from an event tends to make them less likely to attend another.  Most facilities have good parking, so this shouldn’t be too hard to overcome. 

5.      Accessibility

        More and more of our members require barrier-free accommodations to ensure that they can attend our events.  This allows people in wheelchairs, crutches, or those who may suffer from some kind of ailment or disability that hampers their ability to successfully negotiate barriers such as stairs and narrow passageways. 

6.    Availability of the things your group needs to put on the event successfully and the willingness of the facility’s owners to provide it.

        For example, let’s say your event involves the sale of food, but you must prepare the food at the facility prior to the event.  A group must have the permission of the facility owners to not only use their kitchen, but also be allowed to prepare and sell food there, too.  Some facilities, such as churches, have strict health codes that must be followed when preparing and serving food. 

When will it be held?

Check the calendar of events to ensure you’re not conflicting with another event in our own area.

Also check to see if it conflicts with a more established event in another area.  The best place to check for these events is to log onto  www.Michigan-NA.org, check the those areas that surround the Greater Grand Rapids Area, and see if there are any conflicts. 

Choose an Activity Kit for an event (if one is available)

CLICK HERE to return to the Activity Kit Page and choose a kit.  New kits are currently in development, so if one is not available for the event your group would like to sponsor, choose the standard activity template.  This will provide you with a host of tools to aid your group in planning, developing, executing, and properly reporting on the event of your choosing.

 

Possibly include a list of events we’ve done in the area and events others have done that we have “recipes” for.