Our Story.
North Alano Club of Kent County 1020 College Grand Rapids MI 49503
616-456-5709 The Grand Rapids Alano Club of Kent County was founded in 1960 by five men
seeking permanent meeting space for Alcoholic’s Anonymous groups. Originally
housed at 330 Bond Street, the Alano Club moved to its current location when a
local doctor donated his home for the organization in 1962.
The original purpose of founding the Alano Club of Kent County was to provide a
permanent and reliable meeting space for Alcoholics Anonymous groups and
eventually for Al/Anon, Alateen, and Alatot groups. Meetings held in churches
and other semi-public spaces are reliant on other for opening and closing the
buildings. A meeting that is not held because the person opening the building is
sick or away can be devastating to someone who desperately needs the support
community of his or her Alcoholics Anonymous group that day.
The Alano Club of Kent County provides reliable, certain and permanent meeting
space for Alcoholic Anonymous members. However, the Alano Club is much more than
building housing meetings. The Alano Club is a fellowship center for those
learning to live life without alcohol. Most who have entered recovery have known
only friends and activities surrounding alcohol. Removing alcohol leaves the
recovering alcoholic alone and isolated, needing to fill many empty hours. The
Alano Club of Kent County helps fill these hours by creating a safe place for
the recovering community to learn to build new friendships and bonds in an
alcohol-free environment.
The Alano Club of Kent County helps build self-esteem. Participation in
activities at the fellowship center allows the recovering community a natural
space to have conversation and share a meal. At the holidays, the cafeteria in
the fellowship center provides a family-like haven providing festive meals and
helping the recovering community learn to celebrate sober. The cafeteria is open
from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, allowing ample time for social
activities and providing a safe haven for those struggling throughout the day.
And, its close proximity to downtown area and easy access from the highway,
allows working participants to have lunch and join a group meeting in just and
hour and a half.
Today, the Alano Club of Kent County serves a large recovering community through
meetings held in its building and programs it provides.
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