AAVenture - Online Recovery Meetings Platform

A comprehensive online platform for AA, NA, and recovery support meetings with court-ordered proof of attendance certificates. Built to replicate and enhance the 12step-online.com business model.

🤝 Help Build This

We are actively looking for contributors and early collaborators.

• Start here: CONTRIBUTING.md
• Roadmap: docs/OPEN_SOURCE_ROADMAP.md
• Open issues labeled help wanted and good first issue are ideal entry points.
• Community expectations: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
• Security reporting: SECURITY.md

🌟 Features

Core Features

• 24/7 Chat Rooms: Real-time text-based recovery support rooms (AA, NA, Christian, Open)
• Scheduled Video Meetings: Zoom-integrated scheduled meetings
• User Authentication: Secure registration and login system
• Anonymous Chat Names: Users can choose anonymous names for privacy

Premium Features (Subscription Required)

• Court-Ordered Proof of Attendance: Generate official attendance certificates

• Instant PDF Download: Immediate certificate generation after meetings

• Attendance Tracking: Complete history of all attended meetings

• Verification System: Unique verification codes for each certificate

• 30-Minute Minimum: Automatic duration tracking for valid certificates

• Premium UI/UX: Modern glassmorphism design with smooth animations, mesh gradients, and frosted glass aesthetics

• WordPress Integration: Headless CMS capability for Blog and "Just for Today" (JFT) daily reflections

• Donation System: "Pass the Can" floating CTA for community support

• Resources Library: Comprehensive guides for 12 Steps, Traditions, and literature

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v20.19 or higher)
• MongoDB (v4.4 or higher)
• Stripe account (for payments)

Installation

1. Clone and Install

cd aaventure
npm install

2. Start MongoDB

# On macOS with Homebrew:
brew services start mongodb-community

# Or manually:
mongod --dbpath /path/to/your/data/directory

3. Configure Environment

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your configuration

4. Seed Database

npm run seed

5. Start Server

npm run dev

6. Access Application Open your browser to: http://localhost:3000

📋 Configuration

Environment Variables

Edit .env file with your settings:

# Server
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/aaventure

# Security (CHANGE THESE IN PRODUCTION!)
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key
SESSION_SECRET=your-super-secret-session-key

# Stripe (Get from https://dashboard.stripe.com)
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_...

# URLs
BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000
CLIENT_URL=http://localhost:3000

Stripe Setup

1. Create account at https://stripe.com
2. Get API keys from Dashboard > Developers > API keys
3. Set up webhook endpoint: /api/subscription/webhook
4. Add webhook secret to .env

💳 Subscription Plans

Matching 12step-online.com pricing:

• 1 Month: $20.00
• 2 Months: $35.00 (Save $5)
• 3 Months: $45.00 (Save $15)

All plans include:

• Court-Ordered Proof of Attendance
• Immediate PDF Certificates
• Attendance Tracking
• Verification Support
• Access to All Meetings

🏗️ Architecture

Backend

• Framework: Express.js
• Real-time: Socket.io
• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose
• Authentication: JWT + Express Sessions
• Payments: Stripe
• PDF Generation: PDFKit

Frontend

• HTML5: Semantic markup
• CSS3: Custom design with gradients and animations
• JavaScript: Vanilla JS with Socket.io client
• No Framework: Pure web technologies for maximum performance

Database Models

• User: Authentication, subscription, attendance records
• Meeting: Room configuration and scheduling
• Message: Chat history
• Attendance: Certificate records with verification

📁 Project Structure

aaventure/
├── server/
│   ├── models/          # Database models
│   │   ├── User.js
│   │   ├── Meeting.js
│   │   ├── Message.js
│   │   └── Attendance.js
│   ├── routes/          # API routes
│   │   ├── auth.js
│   │   ├── meetings.js
│   │   ├── attendance.js
│   │   └── subscription.js
│   ├── middleware/      # Auth middleware
│   │   └── auth.js
│   ├── utils/           # Utilities
│   │   └── certificateGenerator.js
│   ├── index.js         # Main server file
│   └── seed.js          # Database seeding
├── public/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── style.css    # Premium styling
│   ├── js/
│   │   └── app.js       # Client application
│   ├── certificates/    # Generated PDFs
│   └── index.html       # Main HTML
├── .env                 # Environment config
├── .env.example         # Config template
├── package.json
└── README.md

🔐 Security Features

• Password hashing with bcrypt
• JWT token authentication
• Session management with MongoDB store
• CORS protection
• Input validation
• SQL injection prevention (NoSQL)
• XSS protection

📱 Usage Guide

For Users

1. Register: Create account with username, email, and chat name
2. Join Meetings: Enter any 24/7 chat room or scheduled meeting
3. Chat: Participate in recovery discussions
4. Subscribe: Purchase subscription for certificates
5. Get Certificates: After 30+ minutes, generate proof of attendance
6. Download: Instant PDF download with verification code

For Administrators

• Add meetings via API or database
• Monitor user activity
• Manage subscriptions
• Verify certificates

🎨 Design Philosophy

• Premium Aesthetics: Vibrant gradients, glassmorphism, smooth animations
• User-Centric: Intuitive navigation and clear call-to-actions
• Accessibility: High contrast, readable fonts, semantic HTML
• Responsive: Mobile-first design approach
• Performance: Optimized assets and efficient code

🔧 API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - Register new user
• POST /api/auth/login - Login
• POST /api/auth/logout - Logout
• GET /api/auth/me - Get current user

Meetings

• GET /api/meetings - List all meetings
• GET /api/meetings/room/:roomId - Get meeting by room
• POST /api/meetings/:id/join - Join meeting
• POST /api/meetings/:id/leave - Leave meeting

Attendance

• GET /api/attendance/my-records - Get user's records
• POST /api/attendance/generate-certificate - Generate certificate
• GET /api/attendance/verify/:certificateId - Verify certificate
• GET /api/attendance/download/:certificateId - Download PDF

Subscription

• GET /api/subscription/plans - Get pricing plans
• POST /api/subscription/create-checkout - Create Stripe checkout
• POST /api/subscription/webhook - Stripe webhook
• GET /api/subscription/status - Check subscription status

🧪 Testing

# Test health endpoint
curl http://localhost:3000/api/health

# Test registration
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/auth/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"username":"testuser","email":"test@example.com","chatName":"Test User","password":"password123"}'

🚀 Deployment

Production Checklist

1. ✅ Change JWT_SECRET and SESSION_SECRET
2. ✅ Set up production MongoDB (MongoDB Atlas)
3. ✅ Configure Stripe production keys
4. ✅ Set NODE_ENV=production
5. ✅ Enable HTTPS
6. ✅ Set up domain and SSL certificate
7. ✅ Configure CORS for production domain
8. ✅ Set up monitoring and logging
9. ✅ Configure backup strategy
10. ✅ Set up email notifications

Deployment Platforms

• Heroku: Easy deployment with MongoDB Atlas
• DigitalOcean: VPS with full control
• AWS: Scalable cloud infrastructure
• Vercel/Netlify: Frontend + serverless functions

📊 Business Model

Replicates 12step-online.com:

1. Free Tier: Access to all chat rooms and meetings
2. Premium Tier: Court-ordered proof of attendance
3. Revenue Streams:
   • Subscription fees ($20-45/month)
   • Potential affiliate partnerships
   • Donation system ("Pass the Can")

🤝 Contributing

This is a private project, but suggestions are welcome!

📄 License

ISC License - Copyright (c) 2026 Seth Kontny

🆘 Support

For issues or questions:

• Check the documentation
• Review API endpoints
• Check MongoDB connection
• Verify environment variables
• Check browser console for errors

🎯 Roadmap

• Video chat integration (WebRTC)
• Mobile apps (React Native)
• Email notifications
• Admin dashboard
• Analytics and reporting
• Multi-language support
• SMS reminders
• Integration with court systems

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Inspired by 12step-online.com
• Built with modern web technologies
• Designed to help people in recovery

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Built with ❤️ for the recovery community