LifeRing Service Center 

1440 Broadway Suite 312  

Oakland CA 94612-2023   

Tel: (510) 763-0779
Toll-Free: 1-800-811-4142

Fax: (510) 763-1513

service@lifering.org

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The LifeRing Service Center responds to inquiries about LifeRing Secular Recovery, provides LifeRing speakers, helps with starting new LifeRing meetings and growing existing ones, provides LifeRing convenors with literature and other materials, and performs organizational housekeeping functions.  Its mission is "Serve the Meetings." 

The core unit of LifeRing is the recovery meeting.  Meetings are autonomous except in matters affecting other meetings and the organization as a whole.  Click to see the current national meeting schedule and chat schedule.  For organizational details, see the Bylaws.  Meetings are led by peer volunteers called convenors.

The LifeRing Service Center in Oakland, CA performs worldwide information & referral and other services for the meetings.  LifeRing Press publishes books and brochures. 

LifeRing Inc., a California nonprofit corporation with 501(c)(3) charitable tax-exempt status, owns the LifeRing service marks and is responsible for finances.  See legal documents, below.  A nine-member Board of Directors, composed of alcoholics/addicts with a minimum of two years clean and sober, oversees the corporation and provides nationwide coordination where needed. 

LifeRing is a free-standing organization.  LifeRing is not affiliated with any other organization, and is independent financially, legally, organizationally and in every other way.   LifeRing is supported by meetings that forward proceeds from passing the basket, and by literature sales.  At this time (2008) no LifeRing officer or director receives compensation for their services.

Current members of the LifeRing Board of Directors are:

• Robert Bradley 163 Brewer Rd., Morgantown, WV 26508. Robert is a long-time member of the LSRmail list and is founder and convenor of a LifeRing meeting in Morgantown, WV.  Re-elected in '08, term ends in '11. 
• Chet Gardiner, Tucson AZ.  Chet is a LifeRing convenor in Arizona, a regular participant in LSRMail, a frequent presenter, and a sought-after guitar and bass player. Re-elected in '06, term ends in '09.
• Kathleen Gargan, Denver CO.  Kathleen is the founding convenor of LifeRing in Colorado and was chief local organizer of the 2007 LifeRing Congress.  Elected '07, term ends '10. 
• Mona Hirson, Rye NY. Mona is an active participant in one of the LifeRing on-line groups. She started the first face-to-face LifeRing meeting in Connecticut in August of 2007.  Re-elected in '08, term ends in '11.
• Marty Nicolaus, 1440 Broadway #312, Oakland CA 94612.  Marty N. is a LifeRing convenor in the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the earliest members of the LSRmail email list, founder of several face and online meetings, a frequent presenter, author and/or editor of several LifeRing Press publications, and webmaster of www.unhooked.com.  Re-elected in '07, term ends in '10. 
• Owen Poole, Walnut Creek CA.  Owen is a long-time LifeRing participant who has started a new LifeRing meeting in Concord, CA.  Elected in '06, term ends in '09.
• Andy Ross, Wichita KS.  Andy is active in online LifeRing venues and hosts a regular chat meeting under the nickname "SuperChicken."  Elected '07, term ends '10.
• Michael Walsh, Victoria BC Canada.  Michael is the founding convenor of LifeRing in the Victoria area.  Elected '08, term ends in '11.
• Carola Ziermann, Walnut Creek CA.  Carola is an active convenor, speaker, and fundraiser; she heads the LifeRing Development Committee.   Elected '08, term ends in '09.

Current officers of LifeRing Inc. are:

• Marty Nicolaus, CEO
• Jim Ringland, Secretary
• Robert Stump, Treasurer

The LifeRing Bylaws require a minimum of two years clean and sober to serve on the Board of Directors and a minimum of one year clean and sober to serve as an officer.  Directors and officers must be people in recovery from a substance addiction.

The board meets face-to-face at the annual LifeRing Congress and it meets between Congresses in an online chat room.  Except during discussion of personnel matters, LifeRing board meetings are open to all LifeRing members.  Notices of upcoming online board meetings are posted on the lsrcon and the liferingconvenors and the lsronlineconvenors mailing lists. 

LifeRing meetings are started and led by peer volunteers called "convenors."  Convenors are ordinary people in recovery who take turns performing the tasks necessary to keep the LifeRing meeting network going and growing.  There are convenor workshops where convenors meet, exchange experiences, and help new convenors learn the ropes, but no formal training or certificate is required to be a convenor. To learn more, enter the Convenor Page and/or inspect the Meeting Starter Kit page.

If you have substantial time clean and sober and would like to make the LifeRing approach available as a choice to other people in recovery, starting a meeting may be a helpful element in your personal recovery plan.  First check out the Meeting Schedule and the Chat Schedule to see if there is already a meeting in the place and/or time that interests you.  Then check out the Meeting Starter Kit Page for the range of available resources for LifeRing convenors.

LifeRing began as a publishing house, LifeRing Press, founded in April 1997.  On May 23, 1999, a group of meeting representatives convened in Albany CA and voted to adopt the name LifeRing Secular Recovery. LifeRing became a national organization at its constitutional Congress in Brooksville FL in February 2001.  More details.

• Bylaws of LifeRing Inc.
• LifeRing meeting charter
• LifeRing's 501(c)(3) determination letter and renewal letter
• The corporate charter of LifeRing Inc.

LifeRing Press, LifeRing Recovery, LifeRing Secular Recovery and the lifering graphic design are registered trademarks/servicemarks of LifeRing Inc.