Rosie O’Donnell will host the Friendly House “Stronger Together” Annual Awards Luncheon on Oct. 28, which will honor John Paul DeJoria, Yoshiki and Eloise Gene-Black.
DeJoria, a philanthropist, will receive the Person of the Year award, while international musician Yoshiki will be given the Humanitarian Award. Gene-Black will receive the Excellence in Service Award. There will also be a special memoriam tribute to Friendly House alumna Carrie White, a celebrity hairstylist and author.
More than 600 guests will gather at the Beverly Hilton to support Friendly House, the first residential substance abuse recovery program created by women for women. Pierce Brosnan will present at the 33rd annual gala, and “The Masked Singer” winner Bishop Briggs will perform. In addition to lunch, there will also be a live and silent auction at the event, which is chaired by Rika Broccoli and co-chaired by Brandy Ledford.
Friendly House has been on the frontlines of assisting women through their recovery journey for 72 years with its 12-step based program. The program is structured to assist women in “reclaiming their dignity and acquiring the necessary skills, support and resources to maintain a purposeful life,” says the organization’s mission statement. Among the host of services, Friendly House’s therapists and counselors offer a variety of treatments, such as motivational enhancement therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and varied somatic therapies.
Friendly House continues to pursue the empowerment and recovery of women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds and gender experiences, with an emphasis on those from historically excluded communities. One of the organization’s goals is to address racial inequities and mental health disparities in BIPOC and LGBTQ+ populations by offering value based, culturally competent substance abuse treatment regardless of resources, Friendly House says.
