BALTIMORE — For those who are used to going to meetings to deal with their addictions, having to quarantine means they aren't able to attend those groups.
Karla Brown said her and a friend got a literal cry for help from someone who was missing their 12-Step Programs. She knew they had to do something, so they had a live video conversation with him.
"When we got offline at 7am that morning, we talked about what could we do to continue being a Beacon of Help within the community during the shutdown. You see, we both work in the Substance Abuse field. We decided that we would start going online every morning, and a few hours throughout the day," explained Brown.
These chats turned into "The Meeting Group", a Facebook group anyone can join. Everyday, they have online meetings that help all kinds of people. She says it is for anyone going through issues concerning addiction, recovering, or for those just needing a platform to go to that will help them get through their daily "Non-activities"
"For many people, sharing in front of 30 or more can make a person very nervous, in this platform, you don’t see the face nor their expressions. This platform provides freedom from the reactions we get from others looking at you," Brown said.
The group was started on March 18, and Brown says they already have over 2,500 people from across the country. "We have members logging in from Michigan, Florida, NJ, California, etc, all over," explained Brown.
She stresses this is not a NA or AA affiliated program, just something she started to help others.
"Hold on, change is coming soon. It may be difficult right now but please keep the faith in all that you do, and know that we are here all day long just waiting for people to come in and join the group in order that they receive some hope from those who are sharing.
