COALITION HELPS WOMEN RECOVERING FROM ADDICTION

ROYAL PALM BEACH -- They are a well-known family in local Democratic
political circles, mother Gail Skolnick a longtime party organizer
and son Grant one of the party's promising young faces.

But these days they are looking past political turf battles to focus
on a different cause: the homeless.

The Skolnicks have formed the nonprofit Palm Beach Recovery
Coalition, a transitional home operation for women who are homeless
and addicted to drugs. At two homes, the Skolnicks give women
leaving drug rehabilitation a place to stay, food, clothes and
transportation, and the skills and self-confidence to get a job and
start over. Everything is free.

As the Skolnicks see it, they're putting their politics into
practice. Gail's husband, Andy, works at a drug rehabilitation
center and helps the women with their recovery.

"We don't do a handout. We do a hand up," said Gail Skolnick, who
stepped away from her role as vice chairwoman of the Palm Beach
County Democratic Party to oversee the recovery coalition's
day-to-day operations.

Bankrolled from their family savings, the recovery coalition now
includes the Wendy Home in Royal Palm Beach and the Gretchen Home in
West Palm Beach, named after the Skolnick family dogs.

The Wendy Home is a low-slung, wood-frame house on a quiet
middle-class street. Six women share the three-bedroom home. The
Skolnicks give them bus passes, help with resumes and job hunts and
groceries from Saturday runs to Wal-Mart. A friend donated exercise
equipment. Gail Skolnick helps the women get health insurance.

The six women staying at the house keep it tidy, decorate a
Christmas tree and bake cookies.

The Skolnicks' Palm Beach Recovery Coalition got its start this year
under the federal Access to Recovery initiative, started by
President Bush in 2003 as a voucher program for people trying to get
past substance abuse and addiction.

Now, the family is applying for more federal and state grants, and
hoping to expand beyond two houses. This Christmas, Regent Bank
selected it as the charity of the year, giving the Skolnicks gifts
for the women and money for turkey dinners.

Grant Skolnick, a lawyer and president of the Mid-County Democrats
in Wellington, said he thinks a lot of people want to help curb
homeless, but they're overwhelmed by the scope of the problem.

"It's not an untenable problem," the 31-year-old said. "There is
something we can do about it."

So far, about 40 women have "graduated" from the Skolnick homes,
meaning they stayed for at least 30 days, remained sober and got
jobs. Sylvia Pace, 36, is one of them. After a two-month stay, she
left the Gretchen House just before Thanksgiving. Now she lives in
a condo, has a job as a waitress and is engaged. She calls Gail
Skolnick "Mama G."

"I was really depressed, and I felt like I couldn't go on with
life," Pace said. "I was getting high. I was using marijuana and
cocaine. I didn't have any family to go to and talk about my
problems and what I was going through, emotionally and physically."

Now, she said, everything is different.

"Life has just completely turned around for me," she said.

"I have my bad days, but I have a support group."

Grant Skolnick said paying the monthly bills for the homes is a
juggling act and they have a bottom line that would "make Donald
Trump cringe." But, he added, the women's success stories are more
meaningful than any political victory.

"This is why we got involved in politics," he said. "Not for the
sense of ego, but to help people."