Throughout September 2025, Al-Anon’s message of Help and Hope reached millions through large jumbotron billboards positioned on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border—the busiest border crossing in the world. The 10-second graphics alternated between English and Spanish, and as a result, visits to our Al-Anon Information Service (AIS) website and calls to our helplines increased—including calls to the Spanish-language North County AIS line.
With an estimated 10 million people passing through the border each month, and frequent stop-and-go traffic, travelers had ample time to read our message and even scan the QR code. The billboard displayed the WSO poster featuring a mother and child inside a bottle, along with the message: “Not everyone trapped by alcohol is an alcoholic.”
This project was made possible by generous funding from the Spanish-language meeting "Descubriendo Nuevas Opciones Hijos Adultos GFA " and the AIS, totaling $2,000. Due to its success, additional funds were raised, and the billboard is running again throughout December—an especially important time when holiday drinking can heighten family stress and more people may be ready to reach out for help.
Looking ahead, we plan to expand our outreach to include the Alateen message. Now, WSO’s Alateen flyer will run on the border billboards in January 2026, funded by San Diego Districts 69, 72, and 75. And maybe even enough raised so that Al-Anon's message also continues into January.
If you would like to help discover and support future outreach opportunities, please join the AIS Outreach Group, which meets on Zoom at 7:00 PM on the third Tuesday of each month:
Al-Anon/Alateen Outreach Meeting – 3rd Tuesday of every month, 7pm-8pm, ON ZOOM
Next Meetings: December 16 January 20
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7526995666?pwd=V2xVeXJXUTZBQU41ZVpoMTYybDFmQT09&omn=86426925306
Meeting ID: 752 699 5666
Passcode: EJH6dK