DRAFT FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE GROUP CONSCIENCE
“Every Kindr group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”
Tradition Seven is about dignity. It teaches us that recovery is not something we beg for or borrow—it’s something we build together. When we support our own meetings—financially, practically, and spiritually—we affirm our independence and our commitment to one another.
We pass the basket not because we “owe,” but because we belong. Each contribution, no matter how small, is an act of ownership and care. In Kindr, we are not customers or clients. We are members. We give what we can, not to earn our place, but to sustain the space where recovery happens—for ourselves and for those yet to come.
Being self-supporting goes beyond money. We clean the space, make the tea, print the readings, keep the lights on, and welcome the newcomer. We take responsibility for the life of the Group, knowing that no one else will do it for us. The government won’t do it. A clinic won’t do it. Our family won’t do it. Only we can do it—because only we understand what this place really means.
Declining outside contributions protects Kindr from outside control. When money comes with strings, even invisible ones, we risk losing our voice, our focus, and our freedom. Outside funding might seem helpful, especially when rent is due or supplies are short—but this Tradition reminds us: if we cannot afford to run our own meetings, we are at risk of losing more than just a room. We are at risk of losing our integrity.
This Tradition also guards us against the spiritual poverty of dependence. Many of us arrived in Kindr having taken far more than we gave—in our families, friendships, and communities. Here, we begin to give back. Not because we must, but because we can. Supporting the group becomes part of our healing.
We give within our means and without pressure. No one is turned away for lack of funds. But each of us is invited to step into responsibility. This is where service begins—not in grand gestures, but in simple acts of support.
Key Spiritual Principles in Tradition Seven:
Responsibility – We take shared ownership of our recovery space, knowing it belongs to all of us.
Independence – We are free because we rely on no outside funding or control.
Integrity – We choose to sustain our fellowship through honest, voluntary support.
Generosity – We give freely and humbly, contributing to the group that gave so much to us.
Sufficiency – We trust that what we have is enough when we share it wisely and with care.
DRAFT FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE GROUP CONSCIENCE