| Laing Luxury recently donated $25,000 to the Friendship Shelter, an organization committed to rehabilitating homeless men and women in Orange County. The contribution will be used to fund the remodeling of the kitchen and dining area, according to Janet Larkly, Executive Director of the Friendship Shelter. The project will include new cabinets, countertops, flooring, and major kitchen appliances. New furniture for the dining area will also be purchased. Remodeling is scheduled to begin July 2005. Started in 1985 by a group of Laguna Beach residents, the organization was then known as the Care Program. In 1988, the Care Program led to the opening of the Friendship Shelter. The mission of Friendship Shelter is to assist homeless people in regaining their self-sufficiency and self-esteem. The shelter provides housing, a variety of supportive services, and three meals a day to 29 homeless men and women, for up to 60 days, at no charge. They provide many on-site services such as counseling, life skills training, recovery meetings, self-esteem workshops, and employment development. The Friendship Shelter relies on its caring volunteers to provide a majority of the shelter's daily services. "'Do the right thing' is the central value we preach to our people," says John Laing Homes CEO Larry Webb. |
