alanostjoe

We help people suffering from addiction.  We believe every suffering person can be helped.

The Alano Club of St. Joseph is a fellowship of people, working together, building a community of recovery.  Great healing occurs in community.  Organized Recovery groups represent the core function and those principles come to life in the fellowship of a recovery community.  Love and tolerance of others is our code.  We have a common goal: A peaceful and serene recovery for all who enter our domain.

The Historic Alano Club of St. Joseph, Missouri, was founded in 1948 at 401 South 11thStreet in St. Joseph.  Alano sold the mansion in December of 2022 and purchased the property at 1519 South 10th that same month.  The new facility opened May 27th of 2023.  The original facility was a historic mansion located in the Museum Hill Historic Neighborhood in St. Joseph, Missouri.  The term “Club”, in this case, is a metaphor for healing community.  The “Club” social activities are designed to promote a healing community.

Our purpose is to improve the quality of life for our participants, as measured by abstinence from drugs and  alcohol, as well as by increased life satisfaction, improved family relationships, marital stability, job and career performance, and financial stability.

Alano hosts 17 recovery meetings each week.  There are around 600 individual visits to Alano each month.

Who Are We:

We are brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, friends and neighbors.  We are accountants, insurance agents, lawyers, bus drivers, pipe fitters, electricians, carpenters, factory workers, construction workers, office workers, business people, employers and employees.  We are White and Black and Hispanic and Asian and Native.  We are America.  We are Everyman.  We are dedicated to the proposition that every person suffering from addiction can be helped.

Myth:

A common myth is that AA runs Alano – that is just a myth – AA has never run any Alano Club.  The Alano Club of St. Joseph, Mo. Inc., is an independent, private, not-for-profit, 501-C3, self-governing public health organization with an elected Board and elected Officers.  We must note that Alano is not a Mental Health Facility – we do not diagnose or manage any mental health issues.

Contact us at:

ADDRESS:  1519 S 10th St.; St Joseph, MO., 645013

PHONE NUMBER:  (816) 364-9179

History:

The Alano Club of St. Joseph was founded in 1948 as Alano Mercy Hospital – it was chartered as a four-bed hospital for the purpose of helping alcoholics in detoxification and for providing two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings each week.  Times changed.  In 1950 Al-Anon was formed, then in 1953 Narcotics Anonymous was founded as the third 12 Step program.  In 1956 Gamblers Anonymous was founded as a 12 Step Program.  Also in 1956 the American Medical Association declared Alcoholism a disease.  That declaration meant alcoholics could be treated in hospital emergency rooms and that insurance companies would cover costs of treatment.

The consequences of these changes prompted the Board of Directors of the Alano Club of St. Joseph to update their charter.  The mission now reflects the support of all people in recovery from addiction.

About the Alano concept:

Alcoholics Anonymous, with roots to 1935, exploded in growth in the early 1940’s.  Many recovering alcoholics wanted to meet more often, and not be restricted to member’s homes or church basements.  Alcoholics Anonymous has a tradition of not owning property – so they consented to individual groups who wished to purchase property – allowing only that AA would rent space but not participate in the building operation, ‘…lest problems of money, property, and prestige interfere with our primary purpose.”  An arms-length relationship was formed.

The first AA group in St. Joseph was formed in 1943.  That group of progressive people chartered the Alano Club of St. Joseph, inc. on July 17, 1948.  Mrs. Hax, the widow of George Hax, bequeathed the building to the St. Joseph Art Association in 1947.  The newly chartered Alano Club of St. Joseph acquired the property in 1948, did some basic remodeling, and opened the Alano Club in 1949.  The doors have never closed since.

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