“It takes only a few hours to learn how to work a 12 Step Program and the rest of your life to practice it.” — Cameron F.
This Group originally started off on May 27, 2007 as an All Addictions Anonymous Group, entitled, “Working With Others.” It was originally held at 427 Bloor St. West, at Trinity St. Paul’s Church, but complaints from the Winner’s Circle of C.A. forced managment to ask the Group to leave, whereby it found its new home at the Alano Club, located at 740 Broadview Ave., Toronto, ON.
Initially, Cameron F. had been thrown out of the St. Joe’s Detox for cussing at the clients (April 2007), and he had already been asked to leave St. Michael’s Detox and Ossington Detox for his blunt message to untreated addicts. Having no place to pick up newcomers to work with, Cameron F. the original member and creator of the 12 Steps in 4 Hours Workshop, started this meeting to attract newcomers and introduce them to the 12 Step program.
Later it became a Cocaine Anonymous Group on September 28, 2008, and was called its current name, “How It Works Group” and it conducted is meetings/workshops at the Alano Club on Broadview Ave.
The How It Works Group is an open meeting. We meet the last Sunday of every month from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm to teach others how to teach others to work the 12 Steps. There is no workshop meeting in the month of December.
We outline the program of action (our recipe), explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to them. It is important for them to realize that your attempt to pass this on to them plays a vital part in your recovery. Actually, they may be helping you more than you are helping them. Make it plain they are under no obligation to you, that you hope only that they will try to help other alcoholics (addicts) when they escape their own difficulties. Suggest how important it is that they place the welfare of other people ahead of their own. (AA p. 94)
To show other alcoholics (addicts) precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of our Twelve Step Workbook Guide. For them, we hope these 30 pages will prove so convincing that no further authentication will be necessary.
The Twelve Step Workbook Guide (https://bigbooksponsorship.org/downloads/4-hour-12-steps.pdf) substitutes terms and phrases related to alcoholism to include ANY acting-out or obsessive-compulsive addiction patterns such as, drugs and all mind altering substances, sugar/food/overeating, nicotine, gambling, sex / love / fantasy /pornography, over /working / tasking, electronic media (i.e. smart phones, video games, “internet click-bait”) social media, self-harm / mutilation, anorexia, bulimia, over-spending / debting, under-earning, cluttering / hoarding, emotions, codependency—and anyone can certainly increase this list and all are welcome. Our format quotes from the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, our basic recovery text. Our notes, commentary, and gender-inclusive changes are formatted in italics. For further study, it is suggested that you get a copy of the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous. (2001. 4th ed. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc. New York.)
Cameron F. has been the main facilitator of this workshop, however, Ken S. (Oshawa) and Michael H. (Newmarket), Michael F. (Brampton) Jeremi P. have assisted from time to time.
Attendance varied from 10 – 40 people who come from many of the different Twelve Step fellowships such as, Cocaine Anonymous (C.A.), Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.), Sex Anonymous (S.A.), Sex Addicts Anonymous (S.A.A.), Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (S.L.A.A.), Alanon, Codependents Anonymous (CODA), Adult Children of Alcoholics (A.C.A.), Debtors Anonymous (D.A.), Gamblers Anonymous (G.A.), Marijauna Anonymous (M.A.), Food Addicts (F.A.), All Addictions Anonymous (A.A.A.), Over-eaters Anonymous (O.A.)
The How It Works Group: By 2020, the 12 Steps in 4 Hours celebrated 13 years of service with 11 workshops per year averaging 20 people per workshop—during which time the Twelve Step message of Cocaine Anonymous to approximately 1700 addicts.
With the advent of COVID-19, the last “bricks and mortar” 12 Steps in 4 Hours workshop conducted at the Carrot Common February 23, 2020. There was no workshop in March of 2020.
Commencing on April 26, 2020, the How It Works Group held its first virtual ZOOM meeting with 58 participants.
The “12 Steps in 4 Hours” Group of C.A. Toronto has, since May 27, 2007, taken more than 5000 people through the 12 Steps in 4 hours—some 2300 addicts since April of 2020 to May of 2021. This is due mainly to COVID-19 and the Zoom platform! Our attendance for the past several months have been 150 or more with peaks at 308 in January 2021 and 255 in February 2021. Furthermore the 12 Steps in 4 hours workbook has been downloaded more than 630,000 times and has been translated into following languages: French, Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, Dutch, Arabic, Swedish, Yiddish and Punjabi. There is also a Hindi and an Icelandic version in the works.
We’ve had addicts attend the workshop online from all over the world, including Canada (from every province) and the United States (all 50 States, including Hawaii), Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Madagascar, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain, Scotland, Siberia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, and the Ukraine.
In March of 2021, the How It Works Group of CA left the Southern Ontario Area of C.A. (part of the North Atlantic Region of C.A.) and joined the Online Service Area (OSA) of C.A. which is part of the Pacific South Region of Cocaine Anonymous.
On April 27, 2021, the How It Works Group of CA changed its name to the 12 Steps in 4 Hours Group of C.A. with a new web domain, https://12steps4hours.org.
Since May 27, 2007, the “12 Steps in 4 Hours” Group of C.A. has now taken, as of January 2025, more than 13,000 people through the 12 Steps in 4 hours.
Thanks to the Virtual ZOOM platform we, the 12 Steps in 4 Hours C.A. Group, have become a global recovery fellowship! Our attendance for the past several months have been 150 to 300 or more addicts from around the world looking for a Big Book solution focused meeting.
Our Step Facilitators or sometimes referred to as our “Step Angels”: Nikki M. (Toronto, ON), Kimia (Toronto, ON ), Ian S. (Los Angeles, CA), Anthony B. (UK), Bianca (Pennsylvania, USA), Tom S. (Toronto, ON), Sophya I. (Orange County, CA), Chris D. (UK), Marla (Toronto ON), Purdy (UK) and Ela (Mexico).
We’ve had addicts attend the workshop online from all over the world (81 Countries as of January 2025), including Canada (from every province) and the United States (all 50 States, including Hawaii), Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Belgium, Bermuda, Benin (West Africa) Brazil, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Dubai/United Arab Emirates, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, Indonesia, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Scotland, Siberia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The 12 Steps in 4 hours workbook has been downloaded more than 50,000 times and has been translated into following languages: French (a newer more up-to-date version is in the works), Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, Dutch, Arabic, Swedish, Yiddish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Slovenian. There is also a Hindi, Farsi, Chinese and an Icelandic version in the works.
It only takes a day to learn ‘how it works’ and the rest of our lives to practice it.