New to A.A.
Straight answers, before you walk into a room
You do not have to have it figured out. A.A. meetings are free, there is nothing to sign up for, and the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking — which you get to decide for yourself. Nobody will ask you to speak, to call yourself anything, or to explain why you came.
There are 26 meetings a week across Cambria and Somerset counties, 20 of them open to anyone including family and friends, and every day of the week has at least one. If you would rather talk to a person first, call (814) 283-4772 — a member of A.A. answers it, not a machine and not a call centre.
Meeting information updated August 1, 2026 from Alcoholics Anonymous Western Pennsylvania Area 60.
If you want to go today
Today's meetings have finished, but there is one every day of the week — the next is tomorrow. You can just turn up: no call ahead, no registration, nothing to bring.
Answers to the things people ask first
Your First Meeting
What actually happens, and what nobody will ask you to do
Read →Stopping Safely
When quitting on your own needs a doctor first
Read →Open & Closed Meetings
Which ones you can bring someone to
Read →Is A.A. Religious?
A straight answer, including for atheists
Read →Court Cards
Getting proof of attendance signed
Read →For Family & Friends
When it is someone else who is drinking
Read →Finding a Sponsor
What a sponsor is, and how to ask
Read →Outside Our Area
Altoona, Indiana, Bedford, Pittsburgh and beyond
Read →
If you are not sure you belong here
Most people arrive unsure. You do not have to have hit anything, lost anything, or be able to describe what is wrong. "I think I might be drinking too much and I do not know what to do about it" is a completely ordinary reason to read this page, and a completely ordinary reason to sit at the back of a meeting for an hour.
A.A.'s own twelve questions — Is A.A. For You? — are worth five minutes, and you answer them only to yourself. A Newcomer Asks is the other one people find useful. Both are free to read or print, and neither asks who you are.
One thing before you stop drinking
If you drink heavily every day — particularly if you get shaky or sick a few hours after your last drink — stopping abruptly on your own can be medically dangerous. Read this first. It is short, and it matters more than anything else on this page.
Common questions
How do I know if I have a drinking problem?
Only you can decide that, and A.A. will not decide it for you. Many members say they knew when drinking stopped being fun and started being something they could not reliably control — when they meant to have two and had ten, or kept promising themselves they would stop and did not. There is no test to pass and nobody will ask you to prove anything.
What do I have to do to join A.A.?
Nothing. There is no membership to apply for, no forms, no fees and no register. The only requirement is a desire to stop drinking. You become a member by saying you are one, and you can stop being one the same way.
Is A.A. free?
Yes. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. A basket is passed at meetings for voluntary contributions toward rent and coffee, and newcomers are usually told to keep their money.
Will anyone find out I went to A.A.?
Anonymity is the foundation of the whole thing. No attendance is recorded, nothing is reported to anyone, and who you see and what is said in the room stays there. Most members use first names only.
Do I have to stop drinking before my first meeting?
No. Many people come to their first meeting having had a drink that day. But if you drink heavily every day, stopping abruptly on your own can be medically dangerous — read our page on stopping safely and speak to a doctor first.
What if I go and decide it is not for me?
Then you do not go back, and nothing happens. Nobody chases you, nobody has your details, and there is nothing to cancel. It is also worth knowing that groups differ a lot — people often find the third or fourth meeting is the one that fits, having disliked the first.