2025 LifeRing Meeting Reports - Delegates Assembly

Sue Betts • Meeting Convenor • Tuesdays at 1:00pm Pacific Time • In-Person

LifeRing in San Francisco Kaiser AMRS | Meeting ID: 502 | HWYW meeting open to all
We're proud to be represented by SF Delegate Justin! Justin has been participating in the LifeRing Kaiser meeting since April 2024 and brings his impeccable style and generous heart to every meeting. 

LifeRing opened this HWYW meeting on February 13, 2024 at the invitation of the San Francisco Kaiser Permanente AMRS. It's held in Room 8 in the Fillmore Street Kaiser AMRS building every Tuesday at 1:00pm.

A bit of history:  The very first and only in-person meetings I attended were in this exact room prior to the pandemic. The convenor, Jim V. was amazing and made it all look so easy. Jim remains a role model for me and I am grateful for all the positivity and empathy he brought to those LifeRing meetings.

Attendance in Room 8 is made up of an average of 13 people primarily from the Kaiser AMRS Program who are just starting out on their recovery journey. Participants rotate based on enrollment in the Day Program and the IRT, so community is trickier to build, but there are a number of folk who come back even after treatment. This is particularly impactful as those returning represent folk who have been through the Kaiser program and continue to maintain their sobriety. This is very encouraging for participants in the very early stages of recovery and the dynamic provides a nice balance of crosstalk. This is, by far, the most "serious" meeting I convene, but there are times when levity helps lighten the tone. The courage of these people is incredible.

The Kaiser meeting is easily accessible by MUNI:  22 Fillmore, 3 Balboa, 5 Fulton and either of the 38 Geary busses. Metered and free street parking is available around the Kaiser building.

Empower Your Sober Self in LifeRing face-to-face meetings with others in recovery here in the City by the Bay!   

Sue
San Francisco

Sue Betts • Meeting Convenor • Tuesdays at 5:30pm Pacific Time • Online

Celebrate Life, Y'all! | Meeting ID: 2173007 | Zoom Meeting ID: 653 432 584, Passcode: lifering | HWYW meeting open to all

Celebrate Life, Y'all! is a newish meeting spinning off from the original Celebrate Life meeting passed down from convenor to convenor since September 2022. 

This is an early evening How Was Your Week check in meeting that serves as a safe space to wind down after work or before bed depending on your time zone! Core members in this meeting are friendly and welcoming. They're not shy about sharing their own stories and providing positive crosstalk with others. This is a warm and inviting growing meeting community where you can explore and develop your personal recovery plan.

Sue
San Francisco

Sue Betts • Meeting Convenor • Wednesdays at 5:30pm Pacific Time • Online

The Liver Spot | Meeting ID: 31801 | Zoom Meeting ID: 856 0614 8917, Passcode: lifering | Focus meeting open to all

The Liver Spot is a LifeRing Focus Meeting for people in recovery who are also managing SUD-related medical conditions. This meeting embraces the LifeRing's 3-S philosophy of "sobriety, secularity, and self-direction" and offers a platform for patient-to-patient knowledge exchange.

The Liver Spot is an active and engaged community of folk who join to support their own recovery and the recovery of others. LifeRing's peer-to-peer support model has proven an incredibly powerful tool for core and newcomers. Crosstalk is huge and the camaraderie is unparalleled. It's peer-to-peer support and candid crosstalk that makes The Liver Spot such a unique resource for people in recovery and as a supporting resource for healthcare providers.

History

The Liver Spot was introduced on December 23, 2020. It originated from a Convenor Group email saying something like:

Will someone please start a liver transplant meeting? I can't understand a word they're talking about.

In the beginning, this meeting ran form 6:00pm to 7:00pm Pacific. We started out with approximately 18 participants - a number that steadily rose as the meeting gained traction. When we reached a consistent group of 30, we voted to extend the meeting for a half-hour to better accommodate group shares and our intensity of crosstalk.

Current

This meeting now supports an average of 55 people per week with a core group of about 40. We've made it through 6 losses, 3 lapses, and 15 transplants, 20 UNOS listings, and countless paracenteses. The Liver Spot is made up of an interesting mix of very strong personalities from a variety of backgrounds. Attendance from hospital beds is a regular occurrence. We're all very grateful to have the flexibility Zoom meetings provide.

Surviving the wait to be listed and the aftershocks of a liver transplant is tough. Being able to talk with others who are at various stages of their own recovery journeys is cathartic and can build confidence and strength. People in recovery and patients undergo treatment gain a better understanding of the road ahead and the supportive power of a home group cheering for their success.

It's not unusual for this meeting to run over three hours long. We close the meeting around 7:00pm and slip into what we affectionately call "Romper Room." It's a space where we can decompress after the intensity of this immersive, emotional meeting.

There's a lot of graphic medical treatment talk, so The Liver Spot is not for everyone, but it is open to everyone. If nothing else, it offers a glimpse into SUD-related medical challenges for people who have never considered the long-term effects of drinking.

People find The Liver Spot through hospital recommendations, from friends, and from other recovery support groups, We are especially grateful to all the LifeRing convenors who suggest The Liver Spot to their meeting members.

One of the best things about The Liver Spot? They speak my language! Even if you can't quite get the pronunciation right, everyone knows you mean paracentesis.

Everyone needs a meeting where people understand what you're talking about.

Sue
San Francisco

Charmaine, John, Kirk, Benji , Pat, and Anna
you are missed

Sue Betts • Meeting Convenor • Fridays at 12:00pm Pacific Time • In-Person

LifeRing in San Francisco City Hall | Meeting ID: 480 |  HWYW meeting open to all
We are honored to be represented by City Hall Delegate Geoffrey! Geoffrey has been a strong participant in our City Hall meeting for over 2 years. He brings his strong commitment and sense of humor to each meeting he attends. 

LifeRing opened its HYWY meeting in San Francisco City Hall on February 3rd, 2023. This is the first in-person meeting to run in San Francisco since the pandemic shut down our SF onsite locations. This is a weekly "How Was Your Week" check-in meetings for people seeking support with substance use challenges.

We offer a recovery-forward meeting held on Fridays at 12:00pm noon in Room 278 in San Francisco City Hall. All people who want to be free from alcohol and drugs and stay free from alcohol and drugs are welcome.

We average 8 people per meeting with a core group of five very smart and very likable people who make recovery a focus in their lives.

Empower Your Sober Self in LifeRing face-to-face meetings with like-minded people in recovery here in the City by the Bay!   

Sue
San Francisco

go warriors!