AA Meetings in Providence

Key takeaway

Find an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Providence today through Rhode Island Central Service at rhodeisland-aa.org or its 24/7 line, 401-438-8860. The office serves the whole state from East Providence, with a Southern Rhode Island office in Warwick. Our meeting finder at /meetings/ searches public AA feeds by day and format.

Last updated: Thu Oct 01 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Call 911 if someone is overdosing, seizing, not breathing, or cannot be woken. For a mental health or suicide crisis, call or text 988.

How to Find AA Meetings Across Providence

Rhode Island is small enough that a single central office serves the whole state, so Providence newcomers start with Rhode Island Central Service. The Central Service Committee's office is at 1005 Waterman Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914, and it provides help and information for anyone seeking help with a drinking problem — both during office hours and through a 24/7 answering service. The number is (401) 438-8860, and there is a toll line for callers outside the Providence calling area at (800) 439-8860. The office is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A second office covers the southern part of the state: Southern Rhode Island Intergroup at 2845 Post Road, Warwick, answers (401) 739-8777 and lists meetings at sriiaa.org. The statewide meeting directory itself is maintained at rhodeisland-aa.org and by the Area 61 service office at aainri.com, which lists meetings by city and district.

Spanish-language meetings have their own office: Oficina Intergrupal Hispana de A.A. de Rhode Island, P.O. Box 73042, Providence, RI 02907, at (401) 621-9698, with a website at alcoholicosanonimosrhodeisland.org. A.A.'s national site at aa.org is not a meeting finder; it points people to these local offices.

This site's meeting finder is another route: it searches public A.A. and N.A. feeds by day, time, fellowship, and format, including online. Confirm the day, time, and entrance with the group or the office before you go.

Providence Meeting Hubs & Communities

Providence and its neighbors make up one of the denser meeting corridors in New England, and the state directory organizes meetings by city and by district, so you can start with the neighborhood you are in. The city itself holds the largest cluster of groups, with more available in the surrounding towns.

Downtown and the East Side. Downtown Providence, College Hill, and the Brown University area sit on the East Side of the Providence River and hold a steady set of meetings within walking distance of each other.
Federal Hill and the West End. West of downtown, these neighborhoods are served by RIPTA buses and have their own recurring groups.
The surrounding cities. Cranston, Pawtucket, and North Providence are close enough to reach by bus, and East Providence — where the Central Service office is — is just across the river.
Southern Rhode Island. Warwick, where the Southern Intergroup office sits, plus East Greenwich and the South County towns, are covered by the same statewide directory.

Common Meeting Formats & What to Expect

A.A. divides meetings into open and closed. An open meeting is open to anyone interested in A.A.'s program, and nonalcoholics may attend as observers. A closed meeting is for A.A. members, or for people who have a drinking problem and want to stop drinking. When in doubt, start with an open meeting.

The Rhode Island directory labels meetings by format so you can choose before you go:

Newcomer or beginner meetings, aimed at people who are new to recovery.
Discussion: members share on a topic; the most common style.
Big Book and step study: reading A.A.'s basic text and working the Steps.
Speaker: one or two members tell their story.
Men's, women's, and wheelchair-accessible groups are listed the same way, and online meetings are marked.

Every meeting is free. A.A. says there are no dues or fees for membership and that you do not have to pay anything to attend; a basket may be passed for voluntary contributions and passing it on is fine. And you never have to speak — A.A.'s newcomer page says you can sit and listen. Anonymity means what you hear in the room stays there. The first-meeting guide walks through a typical hour.

Transportation & Virtual Meetings

RIPTA, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, runs the state's buses, and its downtown hub is the Kennedy Plaza Intermodal Transportation Center in Providence — the major transit center where many routes meet. The R-Line, the state's bus rapid transit service, connects Providence, Cranston, and Pawtucket with frequent service, which makes meetings across those three cities reachable without a car.

Meetings are not only in person. A.A. says meetings can be in person, online, or by phone, and the state directory lists online meetings alongside in-person groups. The Online Intergroup hosts additional free meetings, and our finder shows online and hybrid meetings from public feeds. The online A.A. meetings guide explains how they work, including that you can keep your camera off and stay silent if you prefer.

Peer Support vs. Medical Care

An A.A. meeting is peer support, not clinical treatment. NIDA explains that mutual-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous are peer-led and not led by healthcare professionals, so they are not the same as treatment — though NIDA notes they are free, not time-limited, and useful to many people on their own or alongside professional care.

Some situations call for a doctor, not a meeting. NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening when people who drink heavily over time stop suddenly, rather than cutting back gradually or stopping with medical support. Up to half of people with alcohol use disorder have some withdrawal symptoms, and a small proportion need a few days of medical detox to manage symptoms that can be dangerous. If you have been drinking heavily and want to stop, talk with a clinician first.

For help beyond a meeting:

Emergency: call 911 for an overdose, a seizure, trouble breathing, or someone who cannot be woken.
Crisis: call or text 988 for a mental health or suicide crisis.
Treatment: search FindTreatment.gov, SAMHSA's treatment locator, or call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) — a free, confidential line available 24/7 in English and Spanish.
Referral help: call or text (800) 653-9376 and we can help you sort out a level of care. SmarterRecovery is a referral helpline, not Rhode Island Central Service and not SMART Recovery; calling is free to you because treatment providers pay for the referral service.

Call or text (800) 653-9376 if you want help finding treatment. If what you need tonight is a meeting, start with the meeting finder or the state directory and confirm the listing. If this is an emergency or a suicide crisis, call 911 or 988 first.

Additional Resources

Sources cited on this page:

Common Questions

Where do I find an AA meeting in Providence today?

Start with Rhode Island Central Service at rhodeisland-aa.org, which keeps the state meeting list; its phone line at (401) 438-8860 is answered 24/7. The office is at 1005 Waterman Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914, open Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Southern Rhode Island office in Warwick answers (401) 739-8777. Confirm the meeting with the group before you go.

Why is the state office in East Providence?

Rhode Island is small enough that one central office serves the whole state, and the Central Service Committee's office sits in East Providence, across the Seekonk River from Providence. It provides help and information for anyone seeking help with a drinking problem, during office hours or through its 24/7 answering service. A second office, Southern Rhode Island Intergroup, covers the southern part of the state from Warwick.

Are there Spanish-language AA meetings in Providence?

Yes. The Spanish-speaking fellowship has its own office: Oficina Intergrupal Hispana de A.A. de Rhode Island, P.O. Box 73042, Providence, RI 02907, at (401) 621-9698, with a website at alcoholicosanonimosrhodeisland.org. Confirm the current schedule with the office, and ask Rhode Island Central Service if a meeting's language is unclear.

Is attendance free, and do I have to speak?

Attendance is free. A.A. says there are no dues or fees for membership and that you do not have to pay anything to attend. There is no registration and nobody takes your name; a basket may be passed for voluntary contributions and skipping it is fine. A.A.'s newcomer page says you can just sit and listen. Anonymity means what you hear in the room stays there.

When is a meeting not enough and I need medical care?

NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening when people who drink heavily over time stop suddenly rather than cutting back or stopping with medical support. A meeting cannot manage withdrawal. Talk with a clinician before you stop if you drink heavily every day. Call 911 for a seizure or trouble breathing, and call or text 988 for a mental health or suicide crisis.