The operational costs for the Clearinghouse are covered partially by subscriptions to the SOS International Newsletter , but mostly by the groups themselves donating a portion of the contributions they receive by passing the hat at local meetings, and by individual contributions to the Clearinghouse. The SOS movement began with an article in the Summer 1985 issue of Free Inquiry magazine, the leading humanist journal in the country. James Christopher, the son of an alcoholic and a sober alcoholic himself, wrote Sobriety without Superstition, an account of the path he took to sobriety. Christopher felt that there must be others who wanted to achieve and maintain sobriety through personal responsibility and self-reliance. As a result of the tremendous response to the article from addicted individuals who wanted to maintain sobriety as a separate issue from all else, Jim Christopher founded the Secular Organizations for Sobriety Save Our Selves.
Today there are SOS groups meeting nationally, as well as in other countries.
SOS has gained recognition from rehabilitation professionals and the nation s court systems. In November of 1987, the California courts recognized SOS as an alternative to AA in sentencing offenders to mandatory participation in a rehabilitation program. Also, the Veterans Administration has adopted a policy which prohibits mandatory participation in programs of a religious nature. The SOS National Clearinghouse publishes a quarterly newsletter that is filled with items of interest to all recovering persons, to professionals, and to the families and friends of addicted persons. The SOS International Newsletter serves as an information source for group conveners and as a forum for SOS members.