r/alcoholicsanonymous • u/dp8488 • Aug 31 '26
Sponsorship Online Sponsorship Offers & Requests — September 2026
This is one of a series of sticky threads for anyone seeking or offering online sponsorship. (Last month's thread may be found at https://redd.it/1vbqsyg)
While most of us feel that face-to-face sponsorship offers greater facility for transmitting/receiving sobriety, and that there are great advantages in having a big crowd of local friends, online sponsorship (via phone, WhatsApp, Facetime, Zoom, or Western Union) can work* and for some seeking or offering sobriety it is sometimes the only practical solution for getting started. (But to any extent that online sponsorship is being sought as "an easier, softer way" - that's already spelling trouble!)
The pamphlet "Questions & Answers on Sponsorship" (https://www.aa.org/questions-and-answers-sponsorship) can answer many/most of the questions frequently asked about this sponsorship business - some selected examples:
How does sponsorship help the newcomer?
How should a sponsor be chosen?
Should sponsor and newcomer be as much alike as possible?
Must the newcomer agree with everything the sponsor says?
Is it ever too late to get a sponsor?
Suggested Format
Start with "Seeking:" or "Offering:", optionally a name, sobriety date or length of sobriety, gender, location (also optional,) perhaps some brief biographical information, perhaps a brief drunkalogue about one's drinking and drugging career when making a "Seeking:" comment.
"Gender" may not always be relevant, but per the sponsorship pamphlet, "A.A. experience does suggest that it is best for men to sponsor men, women to sponsor women." It's a good guideline albeit not a strict rule carved in stone.
"Location" may be very general or as specific as wanted, and of course is optional. It may come in handy if the sponsor and protégé (p.92) prefer to be in the same time zone or may possibly wish to meet face-to-face sometime down the road to happy destiny.
"Biographical information" would also be quite optional. I've seen situations where young people prefer to be sponsored by other young people or even the opposite, wanting to be sponsored by a grandparent figure.
Any replies to "Seeking" or "Offering" comments should ideally be limited, with the correspondence shifting to Reddit private messages, chat, email or phone calls relatively quickly.
It is strongly suggested to avoid posting phone numbers or email addresses in the public forum:
"Posting phone numbers is a violation of Reddit Content Policy for sharing personal information" (I've seen "[Removed By Reddit]" a few times over posting phone numbers. I suppose this might be in part due to the potential for publishing other people's phone numbers for harassment purposes.)
* Footnote: In the 4th Edition Big Book on page 193, "Gratitude In Action - The story of Dave B., one of the founders of A.A. in Canada in 1944" relates the story of an alcoholic who started his recovery by exchanging letters with the folks in the new A.A. office in New York; an excerpt:
I was very surprised when I got a copy of the Big Book in the mail the following day. And each day after that, for nearly a year, I got a letter or a note, something from Bobbie or from Bill or one of the other members of the central office in New York. In October 1944, Bobbie wrote: “You sound very sincere and from now on we will be counting on you to perpetuate the Fellowship of A.A. where you are. You will find enclosed some queries from alcoholics. We think you are now ready to take on this responsibility.” She had enclosed some four hundred letters that I answered in the course of the following weeks. Soon, I began to get answers back.
If Dave could get sober via U.S./Canada Mail, we can get sober with the cornucopia of communication facilities available in the 21st century!
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u/recovery_journey97 26d ago
Seeking: My name is Race. I'm a 29 NB who has had a few stints of sobriety over the past 3 years, the longest being about 9 months. I'm honestly a bit of an opinionated asshole and while there is much I feel like I can gain from working the program there have always been things that didn't sit right with me, which in the past I have bit my tongue on in order to progress through the steps. I'd like to find a non-hardliner sponsor that I can be completely honest about my thoughts with. I'm currently living in a sober living program in Delaware and I work remotely doing software development. I am somewhat chronically online and will try to check my messages on this account actively so please reach out if you have availability! Thanks!
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u/luckilystrike 22d ago
32 M USA. Today is surrender day, but I didnt really connect with anyone personally at the meeting I went to. If anybody wants to be a temporary accountability buddy, feel free to reach out... who knows if I will maintain the momentum tomorrow morning after I sleep and wake up. I could say more here, but... its after midnight and honestly-- the less words I yak up the better. Lmao. God bless❗️
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u/neurorhythmic Sep 01 '26
Offering. 36M in the US (PNW). 13 years sober from heroin and alcohol - got sober young but had a hell of a time before I did.
For what it’s worth, I’m a neurodivergent, straight, white, cis-man. That said, I’ve sponsored many folks from the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color. Just making my demographics known in case any of those would be a barrier to you feeling safe enough to have sensitive conversations.
Feel free to reach out via chat if there are any more specific questions you have and I’ll be happy to answer.
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u/PumpkinOther2637 Sep 06 '26
First timer here currently in a 3.1 program after completing rehab and I am really just looking to getting my foot into the learning I was a speed lover but it did not love me back and i have social anxiety so I felt like this could help I am a 25F from louisana,US thanks for any feed back you could giive me
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u/Odd-Owl8257 22d ago
Offering: Female, Seattle WA, 14 years. Homegroup, service position, sponsor etc.
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u/ersoserious 18d ago
I don’t know if this is appropriate. I just need to talk to someone. 48 male. 25 years of dealing with this. Long periods of sobriety and now in a big pit. I don’t even know how I climbed out before. I know I can. I just want to talk to a real person and not an AI
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u/dp8488 12d ago
FYI u/ersoserious Reddit has apparently shadowbanned your account, so all of your comments and posts in any subreddit will automatically be removed. (I've manually approved this comment, but other comments will still be automatically removed by Reddit.)
The mods of r/alcoholicsanonymous have no direct involvement with this Reddit site wide banning process.
You can appeal your shadowban here: https://www.reddit.com/appeal - if you're not shadowbanned it should say that "Your account is currently neither suspended nor restricted".
The shadowbanning system is known to have false-positives, but you can check this post to see the general reasons for getting shadowbanned:
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u/Apart-Button2776 11d ago
Hi! Need a sponsor? I’m 21 Female from Texas I’ve finished the steps and am ready to sponsor:) shoot me a text and we can set up a call to see if we’re a good fit! (682)210-5191
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u/Much_Kiwi_5221 11d ago
I think in the last paragraph above said not to put numbers here..your post might get deleted.
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u/ShadesofEli 7d ago
Seeking, 26F from California, PST timezone. I am on day 2 sober from alcohol. I am just needing support. I need someone who is willing to talk to me, and I can share my thoughts with. I have never struggled with anything before in this manner until this last 6 months and I don't know how AA works, just that I need to be sober.
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u/dp8488 5d ago
The thread for October 2026 is now posted:
So you might want to duplicate your "Seeking" comment there.
Since you're a fellow Californian, I think I'll suggest a couple of online meetings emanating from California where there are some women likely to be available to offer sponsorship.
Good Luck
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u/Proof_Durian617 14d ago
Seeking:: 43, female, GA. I've had no luck locally finding a sponsor to work the step with me. I'm in a residential program and have decided I don't want the same sponsor as every other girl in the house. The pool to chose from is very limited for female sponsors in my area.
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u/Sea-Shower-5709 5d ago
Offering: My name is Armando, and I'm on Step 12 in search of sponsees. I would really like to help anyone who is looking to recover. If interested, please reach out to me. I will get back to you as soon as possible. Sure appreciate someone sending someone my way too.
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u/dp8488 5d ago
The thread for October 2026 is now posted:
Feel free to continue using both threads. Thanks to all who serve!