ONE WAY TO ESCAPE ADDICTION

Ed Andal found a way out of the cycle of drug and alcohol abuse in Maple Ridge.

Thanks to the One Way Club Society, a non-profit organization that
acts as a resource for people looking to overcome drug and alcohol
dependencies, he was able to get his life on track.

"What I am today is direct result of the One Way Club," said Andal,
the club's president.

The One Way Club, 22270 North Avenue in Maple Ridge, is a safe place,
a place to meet people and a place to eat (the club offers meals at
reasonable prices), said Andal. The membership helped him get through
some tough times, he said.

The society, which provides an alcohol-and-drug-free environment,
also serves as a referral centre - it's a place to go if people
attempting to recover want contact information for local rehab or
detox centres.

Andal moved to Maple Ridge a few years ago and had never set foot
inside a place like the One Way Club until he got to Maple Ridge.

Andal, whose job as the manager of an apartment complex near the
organization allows him to pop by often, is usually at the society
several times a day. The One Way Club is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
daily except for Sundays, when the doors close at 9 p.m.

People learn to socialize here, he said, and Reenie Oakey, who is on
the board of directors, added that it's important for the people who
come to the club to laugh.

On an average day, 40 to 70 people come through the club's doors, and
there's a core of perhaps 20-25 volunteers. A board of directors runs
the organization, which employs several staff in its kitchen.

The club is not just a drop-in, as the One Way Club also helps people
socialize by hosting numerous social functions each year, including a
Christmas party.

A number of 12-step groups rent space at the club for its meeting,
too. The club has no affiliation with those groups.

For more information about the One Way Club, phone the club at 463-6617.