At Hospiholics Anonymous (Ho-Anon), we are dedicated to supporting the forgotten heroes of the hospitality industry: the partners who have mastered celebrating birthdays on Tuesdays, eating holiday dinners alone, and answering the question, “What time will you be home?” with the only honest response: “We’ll see.”

Through sarcasm, shared trauma, and an unhealthy dependence on takeout, we strive to remind our members that they are not alone. Somewhere, another hotel manager just got called in because someone quit mid-shift.

Ho-Anon is a fellowship of spouses, friends, families and pets of people who work too much in hospitality. We share our experience, strength, and hope — mostly the hope that tonight’s “I’ll be home by seven” is less of a lie than yesterday’s. We gather to solve our common problems: cold dinners, empty weekends, and the growing suspicion that the hotel is in a more committed relationship with our partner than we are.

We believe hospitality is a family illness — which is awkward, because it also pays the family’s bills. Changed attitudes can aid recovery; so can a microwave, a shared Netflix password, and an emotional-support pizza. Ho-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any cause — though we are quietly pro-dog, because somebody has to be excited to see you. There are no dues for membership: Ho-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions and the loose change left over from your patience.

Ho-Anon has but one mission: to help families of hospiholics survive the front desk, the phone that never stops ringing, and the phrase “blackout dates.” We do this by repeating our serenity prayer, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of hospitality workers, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the hospiholic — who, bless their heart, is definitely “just finishing up” and absolutely “walking out the door right now.”