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WHAT IS THE OASV INTERGROUP?
Within OA, individual members gather together to form OA Groups. Below is a diagram – referred to as the “inverted triangle” – that illustrates how OA, as an organization, is structured.
OA groups comprise the top level of the triangle. All experience, strength, and hope (ESH), as well as essential feedback regarding OA as a whole, originates within the OA groups. Everything of group importance flows from the top down to the various parts of the OA organization with the World Service Office (WSO) providing requested support and services to the OA Fellowship, and the World Service Business Conference (WSBC) serving as the annual business meeting and collective conscience of the fellowship.
Typically, OA Groups meet for an hour or more, on a weekly basis (beginning and ending at a specific time, on the same day each week), to work a program of recovery from compulsive eating based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous. Each OA Group is autonomous (refer to Tradition Four) and self-supporting through its own contributions (refer to Tradition Seven), providing support for its individual OA members. Our program of recovery is referred to as a “WE” program. We say this because we have experienced that together we get better – we do NOT have to do it alone.
OA Groups that make a decision to come together, do so to form a Service Body. Service Bodies provide affiliated groups with support. One such Service Body within OA is referred to as an Intergroup. Overeaters Anonymous Silicon Valley Intergroup (OASV IG) is the service organization that exists to maintain this website, provide meeting lists and contact information, organizes Silicon Valley recovery events, as well as other necessary service functions. All OA meeting groups are encouraged to elect and send their Intergroup Representative to the monthly OASV Intergroup meeting that occurs on the first Tuesday of each month from 7:15 to 8:15pm Pacific time (you may refer to the meeting schedule for the online meeting link and passcode). Any OA member may attend the monthly OASV Intergroup meeting to learn more about OA, to bring important matters of group concern to Intergroup’s attention, or to share ideas.
OASV IG helps people who want to recover from compulsive eating – i.e. overeating, bulimia, anorexia, etc. – by supporting OA meetings in the Silicon Valley area. OA Silicon Valley covers all of Santa Clara County, and includes the following cities:
- Campbell
- Cupertino
- Gilroy
- Los Altos
- Los Altos Hills
- Los Gatos
- Milpitas
- Monte Sereno
- Morgan Hill
- Mountain View
- Palo Alto
- San José
- Santa Clara
- Saratoga
- Sunnyvale
Our Purpose
The purpose of the Overeaters Anonymous Silicon Valley Intergroup shall be the administration and coordination of OA activities common to the various groups (meetings) comprising its membership. Specifically excluded from the objectives of the OASV Intergroup is the operation of any club or clubhouse as outlined in Tradition Six.
OASV Intergroup promotes unity among the local meetings and our members by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas; serving the needs of its OA groups; and carrying the message of Overeaters Anonymous to the compulsive overeater who still suffers. Although we are autonomous, we work collaboratively and cooperatively with other OA meeting groups, intergroups, regions (regions provide support for national service boards, intergroups, and unaffiliated groups), and the World Service Office located in New Mexico. We are part of Region 2 and enjoy a warm and wonderful relationship with our region and with all other OA meeting groups, intergroups, and all 11 regions (10 physical regions and 1 virtual) around the globe.
To stay informed about World Service Office news, make certain to check out: A Step Ahead news blog.
We host special events, do outreach to the public and healthcare professionals, maintain the phone lines, website, email newsletter, blog, and private groups on social media, as well as discuss any issues or concerns that may arise within OA applying the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts to our group conscience and decision-making efforts. We are but trusted servants, we do not govern (refer to Tradition Two).
OASV IG concerns itself with:
- Furthering the OA program in accordance with the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts of OA.
- Serving as an open center for communication between Intergroup and group meetings within Santa Clara County.
- Providing a basis for selection of Board Officers and WSO/Region 2 representatives.
- Affording unity of groups and organization of groups within the Intergroup.
- Hosting various recovery events aimed at honoring and fostering the 36 principles of the OA program for OASV IG and its members.
- Continuing to carry the message of hope to the still suffering compulsive eater.
Additional Information for OASV Meeting Groups
To Meeting Treasurers:
You may send your 7th Tradition group meeting contribution directly to Intergroup via PayPal by using the following email address: oasvintergroup@gmail.com, or by simply clicking here.
When you send a contribution to Intergroup via check, please include the day, time, and location of the meeting. Please also make sure to include your telephone number on the check. Additionally, if you want Intergroup to send 30% of your contribution to OA World Service Office (WSO) and 10% to OA Region 2 (R2), please put 60/30/10 on the check in the memo section.
Please send any checks (made out to OASV Intergroup) to the following mailing address:
OASV Intergroup
P.O. Box 5603
San Jose, CA 95150.
To Meeting Treasures or Literature Persons:
Since OA World Service Office does not charge California State sales tax on literature purchases, we are responsible for paying that sales tax to California ourselves. The minimum combined 2021 sales tax rate for Santa Clara County, California is 9%. This is the total of state and county sales tax rates. To make it easier, you can send an additional check to the intergroup for 9% of the cost of whatever literature you order from WSO. The Intergroup will then collect the money and send the appropriate amount to the State of California once a year.
Got Questions?
Should you have any questions about OASV intergroup or questions you would like to put before the intergroup, please click here to complete our online form. Allow up to 48 hours for a return reply.