Alano Club of San Jose

The Alano Club of San Jose is a Recovery Meeting destination spot based in San Jose, California, just off the 101 Freeway and McLaughlin, on Fair Ave. Its purpose since 1948 has been to provide a base of operations for sober living activities and sober individuals, and to support sobriety through fellowship and community. They provide a safe, supportive space where 12 Step Recovery can occur. It’s also a venue for events supporting recovery related activities. In addition, the club is a conduit for court ordered offenders to perform community service.

With its principles firmly rooted in AA, meetings at the club are conveniently available in person or remotely via Zoom. They also have hybrid options for those able to attend in person on occasion but who also want to take advantage of online attendance. In addition to AA meetings, the following meeting types are available: NA – Narcotics Anonymous, OA – Overeaters Anonymous, CoDa – Co-dependents Anonymous, Al-Anon – Al-Anon Family Groups, LifeRing – a Secular Recovery group, and SMART – SMART 4-Point Recovery.

There is a diner onsite, catering to club members and visitors. Serving food and fellowship, they’re open from the mornings to evenings. There is also a gift shop, which offers sobriety focused gifts for in person purchase, 12 Steps literature and other sobriety reading is available in both English and Spanish, as well as LGBTQI+ community focused materials, AA Chips, Medallions, and other gifts. A monthly newsletter keeps you up to speed with club news.

I find the efficacy of The Alano Club to be clear through its stated missions to help others in need. The support the club offers through the bond of fellowship is what it takes to build and maintain sobriety. To paraphrase an old African proverb about community formation can take a village, the Alano Club clearly seems to provide a welcoming village.