NERINE SHATNER FRIENDLY HOUSE

We dedicate this page to the memory of Nerine Shatner, a brave woman who wanted to help, but her disease won the struggle. We have been overwhelmed with the tide of condolences and wish to acknowledge the many wonderful emails expressing your support.

In a meeting with Peggy Albrecht, Friendly House Executive Director, William Shatner described the anguish of her passing and gave voice to his hope that as we work through the pain of loss, Nerine's death will serve as a warning and signal of hope for other women seeking recovery.

Since January of 2001 Friendly House moved into their new location on the Westside of Los Angeles and the residents have continued on their road to recovery in a house filled with light and faith. As some of you know, this new house has been granted through the graceful generosity of The Shatner Family Foundation and allows us to realize one of our dreams that, until this year was beyond our reach without William Shatner and the foundation's support.

Our new location welcomes women in transition and provides beds for up to eleven women at a time while we are still accommodating up to sixteen at the Normandie house. The neighborhood is a more conducive environment for women who want to achieve a lasting sobriety and go on to build meaningful, productive lives.

Friendly House, a non profit organization is one of the nation's first residential homes for women recovering from alcohol and substance abuse. Founded in 1951, Friendly House has given tens of thousands of women the resources to lead productive and meaningful lives by providing personalized care in a supportive environment. As a social model living facility, Friendly House offers full time supervision and has garnered an exceptionally high recovery rate of over 72%.

Friendly House is chartered by the State of California and listed by the Federal Government as a tax-exempt foundation. It is entirely self-supported by private donations and the fund-raising efforts of over 100 volunteers, as well as the Friendly House Board of Directors.

Executive Director Peggy Albrecht leads a small staff including an assistant director and business manager, as well as evening and weekend personnel who provide full time supervision. In January 2001 The Shatner Family Foundation dedicated a second West Los Angeles home in memory of Nerine Shatner, while the original facility is still in operation in the mid-Wilshire area.

Goals

The Friendly House Mission is to provide services to any alcoholic/drug-addicted woman who is ready to make a commitment to recovery. No woman in crisis is turned away due to inability to pay residence fees. Its primary goals are to achieve a stabilized recovery from the cycle of addiction, renew family relationships and achieve productive community reintegration.

Friendly House is a social model home for women. It is a compassionate alternative to women who would otherwise return to destructive, demeaning environments, homelessness, or incarceration. Friendly House offers the skills needed to establish long-term sobriety. The average stay is between three and six months although each woman's needs are different. The minimum stay is 30 days and some may remain as long as a year.

Friendly House ensures accomplished progress toward its goals by:

• Fostering a structured and supportive environment
• Addressing individual deficiencies that significantly interfere with sobriety as well as physical and mental health, parenting, job maintenance, and family/legal issues through established community resources
• Identifying sober, socially acceptable skills to facilitate successful community reintegration. Residents are active in community programs, attend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, AA Big Book Studies as well as group therapy and meditation sessions

Contact Friendly House

Executive Director: Peggy Albrecht, 213 389 9964 or EMAIL - all inquiries are confidential. All donations are tax deductable.