April 21, 2011
Central City Concern
Laura’s Place Remarks
Watch video of the remarks.
See photos from the fundraiser.
I am Brad Mersereau, and I am a grateful brother. Laura struggled for a quarter-century
with her addiction to alcohol and died 4 months and 6 days after her 46th birthday,
on June 13, 1999. I am proud that she attended AA meetings in her final six months and
acknowledged her disease. Sadly her health complications could not be reversed.
Since her death, my macro-mission has been to make Laura’s memory matter.
To quote Ashley Judd, I am inexorably an advocate when I allow my empathy to be engaged.
I am grateful for alliances with the Oregon Partnership, Union Gospel Mission, YWCA,
Southeast Uplift, Portland Rescue Mission, William Temple House and Central City Concern.
Laura’s Place is a dream come true. I am supremely thankful that women and their
children have the opportunity to transition with transparency, and live the professionally
guided one-day-at-a time life that offers promise and infinite possibility.
Congruent with mission, our website affirms addiction recovery and prevention. We offer
an anonymous Sobriety Anniversary page on which over 350 participants collectively
celebrate 4985 sober years. 117 youngsters have offered to honor their minds, bodies,
and spirits without drugs or alcohol on our Sobriety Pledge page. Joseph A. Califano Jr.,
through his Columbia University CASA research, documents that children who don’t drink
or drug before 21 have little probability for future addiction. I believe that a diversified
proactive approach is the best way to honor my little sister, and I thank all Laura’s Place
family graduates, residents, and staff for embracing serenity through sobriety and effective
teamwork. What better way to make Laura’s memory matter!
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