Friendship Shelter celebrates 15 years

OUR LAGUNA

A group of Laguna Beach residents and members of St. Mary’s Episcopal

Church established the CARE program in 1985, providing temporary food

and shelter for the homeless at the church. The Rev. Colin Henderson

took over the project from the Rev. Robert Cornelison.

Almost immediately, the group decided a broader program was

needed, and in 1987, they created the nonprofit Friendship Shelter.

It didn’t have home until a year later.

“On a couple of occasions, the city made loans to Friendship

Shelter from the Housing-in-Lieu Fund,” Clerk Verna Rollinger said.

“They were no-interest, no-pay loans, to be forgiven if the shelter

was still going at the end of 10 years.”

The loans were used to buy a building on South Coast Highway.

A Dinners Across Laguna fund-raiser was first held in 1992. Hosts

invite friends to the dinners, which are catered by some of Laguna’s

best-known restaurants.

The event raises about $40,000 a year -- not chopped liver and

much appreciated -- but not enough to fund the operating costs and

programs for shelter residents, which amount to about $500,000 a

year.

Henderson and his wife, Ellin came up with the notion of the

Renaissance Club, to raise additional funds. Since 1999, the club has

raised more than $250,000.

Members commit to $1,000-a-year donation for five years.

The 2002 contributions included $12,500 matching grants from Keith

and Judy Swayne, former City Councilman Paul Freeman and C.J.

Segerstrom & Sons, met by the addition of 13 new members to the club.

This year, $18,000 was pledged in challenge grants. The Swaynes

and the Segerstrom company re-upped, joined by Maya and Tom Redwitz

of Lang Luxury Homes.

Each year, club members gather at a reception to learn about

developments at the shelter and to hear stories from successful

graduates of the program. Prospective members are invited.

A reception was held May 31 at Villa Rockledge, the home of Roger

Jones and Sherril Bottjer. Jones gave a signed copy of his book about

the villa to club members.

A second reception was held this month at Villa Villagio, the home

of Jim Palmer and John O’Neil. More than 80 people attended. Shelter

board Chair Jill Edward presented certificates to 2003 challenge

donors.

The club has 10 new members, bringing the total to 79 and putting

it more than half way to meeting the challenges.

“We still need eight new members,” Henderson said.

For more information, call (949) 497-2239.

KEEPERS

Laguna Beach residents Kelly and Duane Roberts have an inn with

the city of Riverside.

The Roberts are “keepers” of the historic Mission Inn. He was

honored with the Frank Miller Civic Achievement Award for helping to

save the inn and investing millions of dollars in its restoration.

“The Mission Inn is a big part of Riverside history,” Councilwoman

Cheryl Kinsman said.

She knows. Her great grandfather settled in Riverside as an

“Indian agent.” Her father, Ab Brown, was mayor.

“I have a picture of my father as a baby sitting on his

grandmother’s lap at the inn,” Kinsman said. “When my mother died two

years ago, we held the reception at the inn.

“Duane Roberts saved it. Everyone in Riverside is very grateful to

him.”

More than 500 people attended a banquet in his honor, held at the

Riverside County Courthouse.

“His love and passion for the Mission Inn -- the jewel in the

crown of the Inland Empire -- have helped transform that property

into an internationally recognized travel destination,” Riverside

Mayor Ronald Loveridge said.

LULLABABIES

Mary and Clark Fegraus have already made their Christmas plans.

The couple will travel to Australia to see their first grandchild.

Miles Eric Fegraus Jackson was born June 11. He weighed 11 pounds,

two ounces and measured 22 1/2 inches, “all translated from the

metric,” grandma said.

Master Miles is the son of the Fegraus’ daughter Lisa Jackson and

her husband, Michael. Lisa Fegraus graduated from Laguna Beach High

School in 1984 and from the University of Pennsylvania in 1988. She

and Jackson have lived in Australia for 10 years.

Brother Eric Fegraus did not fall so far from the tree. The 1994

Laguna Beach High School graduate, who majored in athletics and was a

star in every sport, recently received his master’s degree in

environmental sciences and management from UC Santa Barbara’s Bren

School of Environment, much to his mother’s delight.

She is the executive director of the Laguna Canyon Foundation and

serves on the board of Laguna Greenbelt Inc.

“Eric is living in Santa Barbara with Paul Chapman,” she said.

“They have been friends since childhood.”

Chapman, the son of former Laguna Beach residents Don and Marybeth

Chapman, is engaged to be married.

EVERYBODY NEEDS A FRIEND

The Laguna Beach Friends of the Library is stepping up to the

plate once again and helping to bridge the deep gap between

government funding and the costs of operating and supplying the

library.

“Our book and material budget has been cut to zero,” Friends’

President Martha Lydick said. “After the budget is set, I am sure we

will be fighting for hours [of operation] and staff.”

The Friends need new members.

“The more members, the more the ‘powers that be’ in Sacramento

will listen,” Lydick said.

The Friends operate a bookstore to raise funds that help keep the

library open, buy new books, fund children’s and young adult reading

programs, provide computers and computer programs and a scanner,

printer and digital camera for the Local History Section, Lydick

said. Book sales also pay for videos and compact discs; special

programs; speakers and tutors, she said.

Wild Oats Community Market will give the Friends a boost by

donating proceeds from a barbecue on July 25 and by donating books

from the Irvine store, which is set to close.

Membership is $10 a year or $100 for life. The general membership

meeting will be held Nov. 8 at Tivoli Terrace. Weatherman, author,

playwright and comedian Fritz Coleman will be the guest speaker.

For more information, call (949) 497-4637 or (949) 497-7053.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call 494-4321 or fax 494-8979.