LINN — After nearly 30 years of sobriety, one longtime Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) member has a simple goal.

“I don’t want any credit,” said the man, who asked that his name not be used. “I just want the group to continue.”

That desire is behind the Linn AA group’s recent move to the Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team’s (OC-ADCAT) office in Linn, where meetings are held each Monday at 7 p.m.

The group had met at the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) for decades, and the move to the OC-ADCAT will complement that group’s efforts. Al-Anon recently began meeting in the OC-ADCAT office, also on Mondays at 7 p.m.

OC-ADCAT Executive Director Lorie Winslow said the goal is to provide a welcoming place where individuals seeking a path to sobriety can find support, understanding, and encouragement from others who have faced similar experiences.

“We have plenty of space, and community outreach is what OC-ADCAT is all about, so this was a perfect fit,” said Winslow.

The longtime member said Alcoholics Anonymous has been part of the community for decades and remains an important resource for people seeking recovery from alcoholism.

“We’re strictly on people staying sober,” he said. “Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.”

At meetings, discussion generally focuses on whatever folks want to talk about, but one constant has been the “3 Rs,” which refers to resentments, reservations, and relationships.

“These three things get alcoholics in trouble over and over again,” the member said. “It may be a romantic or a parental relationship, but their relationship gets them in trouble, and resentments that we have to avoid constantly, or reservations about drinking alcohol. In AA, we commit to not drinking, period.”

Founded in Akron, Ohio, in 1935 by stockbroker Bill Wilson and surgeon Dr. Robert Smith, Alcoholics Anonymous has grown into one of the most recognized recovery programs in the world. The organization’s principles have remained largely unchanged over the years.

“The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking,” the recovering alcoholic said. “There are no dues or fees for AA membership. We’re self-supporting through our own contributions.”

The group’s emphasis, he explained, is not on politics, controversy, or any particular denomination, but on recovery and mutual support.

“This is a spiritual program,” he said. “People have their own beliefs, but we focus on sobriety.”

His own sobriety date is Aug. 2, 1996.

Over the years, he has watched many people come through the doors seeking help. Some stay. Some do not. But he said even seeing one person embrace recovery makes the effort worthwhile. “Many people want sobriety, but they don’t want to do what it takes to get it,” he said. “But if one out of 10 stays sober, that’s a success.”

He said the rewards of recovery often become apparent not only to those struggling with alcohol but also to the people around them.

“When I first was in recovery, my son was little, and my daughter was about 10,” he recalled. “When it was time to go to a meeting, my daughter would volunteer to babysit because they liked the results. Dad went to the AA meetings, and he was a lot easier to live with.”

People around those in recovery often notice the changes before they do themselves, he added.

AA meetings generally include readings from literature approved by the national Alcoholics Anonymous organization, discussions about recovery, and an opportunity for members to share their experiences. Members encourage one another to address resentments, relationships, and other issues that often accompany alcoholism.

“We’re not saints,” the longtime member said. “The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.”

Alcoholics Anonymous provides support with belief in a higher power. “Whatever that looks like depends on the individual,” the member noted. “We acknowledge in the 12 steps that there is a higher power, but we don’t define it.”

He said many people first come to Alcoholics Anonymous because of family concerns, legal troubles (DWI, crashes, etc.), or other pressures, such as losing a job or being unable to keep one due to drinking.

His own turning point came when he feared losing his children. “I knew what I had was not what I wanted,” he said. “I thought, ‘Let’s try this and see if it gets results.’ Thirty years later, I’d say it did.”

Although he plans to leave the area later this year, his hope is that the Linn group will remain available to future generations. “What I want,” he said, “is to keep this group going.”

Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 7 p.m. on Mondays at the OC-ADCAT office in Linn. Those who believe they may have a problem with alcohol are welcome to attend.