Cheryl’s Stone celebrated 10 years, June 4, honoring former executive director Cheryl Houk with a weekend celebration during which elected officials and community leaders attended a proclamation ceremony and a revealing of wall tiles in the Stepping Stone courtyard.

Calif. State Sen. Christine Kehoe, San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts, Sheriff William Gore and San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria attended, among other officials, speaking in support of Stepping Stone’s contribution to the GLBT community and honoring Houk for leading the way in the development of the organization’s new facility.

“Cheryl opened the first of the treatment centers to the LGBT community in 1990,” County Supervisor Roberts said. “She’s been an inspiration for thousands of San Diegans with her integrity, perseverance and her tireless efforts on behalf of the LGBT community….We have declared, to all 18 cities in the county [June 4] to be Cheryl Houk Day throughout San Diego County.”

With the help of Jean Zagrodnik and Scott Thomas, architects for the facility, Houk managed to transform the former facility, Stepping Stone, from a dilapidated, unsafe, cockroach-infested building to a state- of-the-art facility that offers alcohol and other drug treatment, HIV and other health interventions, recovery, education and prevention services focusing on the challenges of the San Diego GLBT community. “Cheryl was, very inspiring. She taught us a lot,” Zagrodnik said.

Zagrodnik and Thomas, who designed the stairs leading to the second landing in the courtyard to look like a “high heel,” with the archway leading to another courtyard, won the Project of the Year American Institute of Architects award in 2000 after completing the project. The design was “inspired by Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” Thomas said.

Sen. Christine Kehoe expressed enthusiasm about Cheryl’s Stone’s progress and the work Houk has done for the organization. “Cheryl has led the charge to build this fantastic facility that has helped so many,” she said.

“People doubted Cheryl’s ability to raise the funds needed for a brand new residential facility, from the sidewalks through the whole property. Cheryl proved the skeptics wrong and wound up, with your help, many of us here today, raising $2.6 million to build this facility, creating a state-of-the art facility that serves all in our community that are recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.”

“This is the house that Cheryl built, and it still looks fantastic,” Councilmember Gloria added. “This is a community asset... . There is no question that this is not a stone ... but really a jewel here in City Heights. As a resident of this community and as a person honored to represent this neighborhood down in City Hall, I want to thank Stepping Stone for being a wonderful part of this community, not just in the way that it serves those that are in need, but for being great neighbors, for making this a beautiful facility, for being a positive presence in this city.”

A surprised Houk spoke in appreciation, recounting how, as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 27 years, she had begun her recovery with Stepping Stone 20 years earlier. She credited her “friends of the stone,” with managing to facilitate growth and development in the facility, along with donors such as private contributors and nonprofit organizations.

“What it took to build this building, I can’t even go into the details. I began talking with Ron and Chris 15 years ago. We tried to find another site, because those buildings were terrible, and we all knew it. It perpetuated that we didn’t belong, that we had the worst conditioned program and facility in this county. That was totally unacceptable by myself and the board of directors. There are some board of directors here that are in my heart forever,” Houk said.

A thankful Houk went on to say, “To me, I know why this needs to exists... This is a nationally known program, and it deserves national support from our brothers and sisters in the LGBT community.... We are just fortunate enough to come from this wonderful city of San Diego, from these wonderful political people that are involved here and supporting us. The majority of support that came for this building here, came from this city and this county... .This place is going to rise and shine.”

The anniversary celebrations continued June 5 with an afternoon picnic in Balboa Park, where attendees participated in tennis and volleyball tournaments followed by an anniversary gala event at night. The conclusion was a June 6 with a pancake breakfast at the facility’s dining room.

Founded in 1976, Stepping Stone, now Cheryl’s Stone, is a nonprofit drug and alcohol recovery agency that incorporates the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous in its treatment programs. Cheryl’s Stone is located at 3767 Central Ave. in City Heights. For more information visit www.steppingstonesd.org or call (619) 584-4010.