Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a community of people who support each other in order to recover from compulsive eating and food behaviors. We welcome everyone who feels they have a problem with food. In OA, you’ll find members who are morbidly obese, extremely or moderately overweight, average weight or underweight; still maintaining periodic control over their eating behavior; or totally unable to control their compulsive eating. The only requirement for membership in OA is a desire to stop eating compulsively (source oa.org/media-press-kit/). Rozanne S. held the first OA meeting in Hollywood on January 16, 1960. You can learn more about OA at oa.org/ and listen to recordings of Rozanne here.
There are approximately 10 different OA groups that meet in the Pierce County area. Our different groups are able to give and receive support from each other by forming an intergroup. The Pierce County Intergroup (PCI) does not govern these groups but is actually accountable to them. Our mission statement is “Inspire and Foster Recovery.” To support this mission, PCI primarily organizes cross-group activities such as marathons, retreats, and public outreach initiatives.
Each group may send a representative to the monthly PCI business meeting to vote on all matters, including the election of PCI officers. PCI also elects and sends a delegate to represent our groups at the Pacific Northwest Region One Assembly and the World Service Business Conference.
OA has identified a number of tools that help us achieve and maintain abstinence and recovery from our disease when used on a regular basis. Service is one of these nine tools and PCI offers a number of opportunities to serve the members and groups in our area. Opportunities include representing a group at the monthly PCI business meeting, serving as a PCI officer, volunteering to assist in planning an event, providing feedback on PCI initiatives, serving as the PCI delegate, or sharing specific skills such as preparing a flyer or writing content for our newsletter. You can read about opportunities here. Please reach out to our PCI Chair (chair@piercecountyoa.org) to find out how you can contribute.
The PCI business meeting is held the second Saturday of each month from noon to 1:00 PM . See the Events page for how to attend virtually. Any member who attends a Pierce County OA meeting is welcome; however, only group representatives may vote.