Women’s facility plans events for 30th anniversary

New Directions for Women, a Costa Mesa-based residential treatment facility, will celebrate its 30-year anniversary this month with a weekend of activities planned from Friday through Sunday.

The center provides rehabilitation services for women, pregnant women and women with children suffering from drug abuse, alcoholism, chemical dependency and other addictive disorders.

Events on Friday and Saturday will take place on the New Directions campus, 2607 Willo Lane, Costa Mesa.

The public is invited to join the celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, when the center will host a barbecue and small fair. Entertainment for the day will include a clown, face painting and designing T-shirts. Admission is free.

Events on Saturday and Sunday involve patients and alumnae only, beginning with a continental breakfast and 12-step meeting from 8 to 9 a.m. Saturday at the Wyndham Hotel, 3350 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa.

Equine therapy is on the agenda from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. All activities involve interacting with horses on the ground — there is no riding.

Guests will meet in the lobby of the hotel at 5:15 p.m. to be taken to a luau complete with bonfires and drum circles from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Big Corona beach in Corona del Mar.

The weekend will conclude Sunday with breakfast, meetings and lectures from 8 a.m. to noon.

For information, call Rae Ann Marquez at (949) 548-5546 or go to www.newdirectionsforwomen.org.

— Sue Thoensen