Skip to content
The Cocaine Anonymous Virtual Museum

The Cocaine Anonymous Virtual Museum

Protecting C.A.’s Future by Preserving C.A.’s Legacy

  • Home
  • C.A. History
  • Submit a C.A. Object
  • NewsGram Archive
  • Tools & Tutorials
  • Gallery Site Map
  • Documents Library

New York Area

Wednesday, November 16, 1983 – Inception date for New York C.A. It was recognized as a C.A. Area: February 8, 9, 1986, 1st World Services Conference, San Diego, California. It was one of 16 C.A. Areas represented at this first World Services Conference.

In January of 1981, I went into Roosevelt Hospital (Smithers) for treatment of cocaine addiction, even though at the time they did not believe that cocaine was addictive. When I came out I went to Pills Anonymous and AA. I tried NA but the meetings I went to had much lower bottoms than mine and I could not relate. Maybe I had “terminal uniqueness”. For 2 years I stayed sober never feeling like I “belonged”. My best friend Ami was still out there and making fun of me for being sober. Finally she almost died and ended up under an assumed name in Bellevue Hospital. She was there for 3 months and I visited her every day -12- stepping her. I told her there were lots of cute guys in AA and she should come to a meeting with me. I took her to 79 Street Workshop. Halfway into the meeting she said, “You lied, there are no good looking guys here!”

I didn’t want Ami to go back out so I told her we would find the “guys” we used to hand out with and sobriety would be fun. At the time, I was in school to become an alcoholic counselor and needed to do a thesis. Hospitals were desperately looking for ways to treat cocaine addicts, so I chose “Treating the Cocaine Addict” as my topic. I realized that cocaine addicts might feel like me, like they really didn’t belong anywhere. Cocaine Anonymous had been started in California the year before (11/18/82). I contacted them and started a CA meeting as part of my project.

The first meeting was just 4 of us; me, Ami H, Danielle W (the third member was a friend in sobriety), and we knew Andy W (the fourth member from other 12 step fellowships). When we approached Andy, he didn’t care about the traditions and started announcing our first meeting in other fellowships. That was the start! Go Andy! If I recall correctly, Ami and Andy went out for a drink after the first meeting. They didn’t tell me of course. Luckily for me and CANY they came back.

Our first meetings were held in Andy’s apartment in Kip’s Bay, an east side neighborhood in Manhattan. When people started coming, we found that some were dealing coke in his bathroom, so we decided we had to find a meeting hall. I went everywhere but no one wanted us! They said, “We have AA, NA, PA, we didn’t need another _A!” One guy at a treatment center thought it was so ridiculous to start another type of meeting that he said, “The next thing you will want to start will be Vodka Anonymous.”

Finally, right before Thanksgiving, Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church @ 73rd St and Madison Avenue accepted us.

I was thrilled! The first official meeting was on Wednesday night, 11/16/83. CA New York was born.

After I graduated, Smithers (now The Addiction Institute of NY) agreed to let us have a meeting on Thursday nights. One night in the Seventh Tradition basket there was a $100 bill. It was from a member who knew he would buy a gram if he had it when he left. Shortly after that we started the first CA meeting on Long Island at South Oaks Hospital. Meetings at St. Vincent’s and NY Hospital soon followed.

I remember feeling for the first time in sobriety that I was “home”, I cried because that’s how it felt to be a member of Cocaine Anonymous and to be in a CA meeting. It was a feeling of ahhhh, finally, I fit in! – Jennifer R (10/17/13)

Dates that Matter

November 16,1983 – First CANY Meeting
Winter 1984 -First Long Island Meeting (Sherman Oaks Hospital)
November 1987 – First Queens Meeting (Booth Hospital – “The Last Straw”)
May 1989 – CANY Hosts World Service Convention (“Steps To Liberty”)
July 1991 – CANY Office Opens
1992 – First New Jersey Meeting (Old Bridge – “New Freedom Group”)
February 1993 – Assorted Staten Island Meetings (“Real Deal”, “Living Sober”)
February 1993 – Assorted Brooklyn Meetings (“Growing Pains”, “Hanson Group”)
May 2001 – CANY Hosts World Service Convention (“A Grace Odyssey”)
August 2013 – CANY Office Closes
September 2013 – Displaced CA Meetings (Spread out over Manhattan)
November 16, 2013 – CANY 30- Anniversary

Cap – CAWS 2001

17th Annual World Convention: 2001: A Grace of Odyssey: May 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 2001, New York, NY

Categories 2001 World Convention, New York Area

T Shirt – CAWS 1989

5th Annual World Convention: Steps to Liberty: July 1,2,3, 1989, New York, NY Donated by Alan S. From the SOCA Archive Repository

Categories 1989 World Convention, New York Area Tags 1989, Alan Swartzberg, caws, convention, new york

Key Tag – CAWS 1989

5th Annual World Convention: Steps to Liberty: July 1,2,3, 1989, New York, NY

Categories 1989 World Convention, New York Area Tags 1989, convention, key tag, memorabilia, new york
Newer posts
← Previous Page1 Page2

Galleries

  • CA Areas
    • C.A. Online Service Area
    • Canada
      • Alberta (Northern) Area
      • Alberta (Southern) Area
      • Alberta Area (1992 – 2005)
      • Atlantic Canada Area
      • British Columbia (BC) Area
      • Manitoba Area
      • Quebec Area
      • Southern Ontario Area
    • China Area
    • Denmark Area
    • Germany – Deutschland Area
    • Holland Area
    • Hong Kong Area
    • Iran Area
    • New Zealand
    • Poland
    • Portugal Area
    • Russia Area
    • South Africa
    • Spain Area
    • Sweden Area
    • Switzerland Area
    • Thailand Area
    • UK – CAUK Area
      • UK – South Central District
    • UK – Central Area
    • UK – Ireland Area
    • UK – London Area
    • UK – Scotland Area
    • UK – Wales Area
    • UK-West County
    • United States
      • Alabama Area
      • Arizona Area
      • Arkansas Area
      • California – Antelope Valley
      • California – Central Area
      • California – Los Angeles Area
      • California – Northern Area
      • California – Orange County Area
      • California – San Diego
      • California – San Fernando Valley
      • California – San Gabriel Pomona Valley Area
      • California – Southern Area
      • California – West Inland Empire
      • Colorado Area
      • Connecticut
      • Florida Area
      • Georgia Area
      • Greater Las Vegas and Southern Nevada Area
      • Greater Missouri Area
      • Hawaii Area
      • Idaho Area
      • Illinois Area
      • Indiana Area
      • Kansas Area
      • Louisiana Area
      • Michigan Area
      • Nebraska Area
      • New Mexico Area
      • New York Area
      • North Carolina Area
      • Northern Nevada Area
      • Ohio Area
        • Akron District
      • Oklahoma Area
      • Oregon & SW Washington Area
      • Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Delaware Area
      • South Carolina Area
      • Tennessee Area
      • Texas – South Central Area
      • Texas Area (Gulf Coast)
      • Utah Area
      • Washington Area
      • Wisconsin Area
  • CA Mysteries
  • CA Virtual Flyers
  • CA World Services
    • C.A. Logo Mishaps, Infractions, & Brand Incongruities
  • Celebrate Around The World
  • Early CA Objects
  • Early CA Website 1996 & 1997
  • Great Canadian Convention
  • Regions
    • Atlantic North (North America)
    • Atlantic South (North & South America)
    • Europe
    • Mainland Europe
    • Midwest (North America)
    • Pacific North (North America)
    • Pacific South (North America)
    • Southwest (North America)
  • Videos
    • Conventions
    • PSAs
  • World Conferences
    • 2000 World Conference
    • 2007 World Conference
    • 2008 World Conference
    • 2009 World Conference
    • 2010 World Conference
    • 2012 World Conference
    • 2014 World Conference
    • 2015 World Conference
    • 2016 World Conference
    • 2017 World Conference
    • 2018 World Conference
    • 2019 World Conference
    • 2020 World Conference (Cancelled)
    • 2021 World Conference
    • 2022 World Conference
    • 2023 World Conference
    • 2024 World Conference
  • World Conventions
    • 1985 World Convention
    • 1986 World Convention
    • 1987 World Convention
    • 1988 World Convention
    • 1989 World Convention
    • 1990 World Convention
    • 1991 World Convention
    • 1992 World Convention
    • 1993 World Convention
    • 1994 World Convention
    • 1995 World Convention
    • 1996 World Convention
    • 1997 World Convention
    • 1998 World Convention
    • 1999 World Convention
    • 2000 World Convention
    • 2001 World Convention
    • 2002 World Convention
    • 2003 World Convention
    • 2004 World Convention
    • 2005 World Convention
    • 2006 World Convention
    • 2007 World Convention
    • 2008 World Convention
    • 2009 World Convention
    • 2010 World Convention
    • 2011 World Convention
    • 2012 World Convention
    • 2013 World Convention
    • 2014 World Convention
    • 2015 World Convention
    • 2016 World Convention
    • 2017 World Convention
    • 2018 World Convention
    • 2019 World Convention
    • 2020 World Convention (Cancelled)
    • 2021 World Convention (Cancelled)
    • 2022 World Convention
    • 2023 World Convention
    • 2024 World Convention
    • 2025 World Convention

About CAWS Archives

The purpose of the C.A. Virtual Museum” is not only to promote the value of the Cocaine Anonymous archives and highlight interesting C.A. objects from around the world and their representative C.A. Areas, but also to give C.A. members greater access to their collective history.

Disclaimer: Any opinions or interpretations visitors may hear on this site are solely those of the speaker or participant involved. All members are free to interpret the recovery program in their own terms, but none can speak for the local Group or C.A. as a whole. In the spirit of Tradition Six, C.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution.

This site is maintained by the CA World Services Archive Committee.

© 2024 The Cocaine Anonymous Virtual Museum. Disclaimer: In the spirit of Tradition Six, C.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution. The information presented on this website, such as online tools and tutorials are not an endorsement nor is Cocaine Anonymous affiliated with or any of the companies and/or services offered on the site. Any links to external websites or services are only provided as a convenience to our members. The online tools and videos are strictly informational and presented in the spirit of collaboration by fellow Archivists wishing to be helpful to other Archivists.