CORRESSPONDENT

A woman-owned bookstore in Ballard is doing its part to help Northwest women recover from alcoholism and drug abuse.

On Aug. 25, Epilogue Books will donate 10 percent of its day's sales to Residence XII, a women's drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in Kirkland.

The organization is the first beneficiary of the bookstore's Ten Percent for Change Program, which owners Sharon Lloyd and daughter Rebecca Hildebrandt announced earlier this month.

The fundraiser will feature a 7 p.m. reading by Norah O'Neill, a Residence XII alumna who's first book, "Flying Tigress," came out in April.

The program is the bookstore's way of showing its dedication to good causes, Hildebrandt said.

"Our focus has been to generate interest and let people know we're very community oriented," Hildebrandt added.

Residence XII is one of only eight nonprofit organizations in the nation specializing in women's substance-abuse treatment. The agency treats women on an inpatient or outpatient basis depending on their needs. It also provides courses in relapse prevention.

"It's a great organization," Lloyd said. "It's exactly what we were looking for."

According to the nonprofit, their goal is not only to help women conquer their addictions, but also to help them fight people's negative perceptions of former addicts.

"Our larger mission is to help the community realize that recovery and addiction should not be stigmatized," said Kimberly Waters, the agency's director of development.

Waters said the organization hopes to use the money from Epilogue to hire a domestic-violence counselor.

"Because so many women with chemical-dependency issues are victims of domestic violence, we really want to have a specialist on site to dig deeper and help women create more structured exit plans," Waters said.

Residence XII has done very little fund raising since it was founded in 1981, Waters said. Most of its budget comes from donations and patient fees.

"We're just starting to do what you would consider a standard fund-raising program," Waters said.

Hildebrandt and Lloyd plan to make the Ten Percent for Change Program a monthly event that continues to benefit new organizations.

"We're trying to focus mostly on local programs, but that can be from Ballard to anywhere else in Seattle," Hildebrandt said.

The fact that Residence XII had an author prepared to read at the event was one reason the partnership made sense, Lloyd said. Combining the fundraiser with an author reading is a good way to grab people's attention.

"This way, people who maybe don't know anything about Residence XII can be attracted to the event who might not otherwise," Lloyd said.

Hildebrandt said having a reading helps make the fundraiser a fun event and encourages community members to become involved with the organization and the store.

"After this function I think it will become a regular thing people start looking for," Hildebrandt said. "Even if there isn't a speaker every time, it would still be a good night to have wine and hors d'oeuvres and make it kind of festive."

Children are welcome at the 7 p.m. reading, Hildebrandt said. While O'Neill talks about her book and signs copies, a Residence XII staff member will be reading children's books aloud in a different part of the store.

The owners described O'Neill as the ideal person to kick off the Ten Percent for Change Program. "Flying Tigress" recounts O'Neill's experience as the first female pilot in the Flying Tigers, the all-male cargo airline started by veteran World War II pilots.

"It's a very exciting book, and I think she's going to be an exciting speaker," Lloyd said. "She's very charismatic."

O'Neill's story reinforces Residence XII's message that women can overcome addiction and "become full partners in their community," Waters said

"There are so many victories, and not just victims," Waters said. "She's the perfect example of what both Epilogue and Residence XII are about."

Epilogue Books is located at 2005 N.W. Market St. and can be reached by phone at (206) 297-2665. To learn more about Residence XII, visit www.residencexii.org or call (425) 823-8844. More information about Norah O'Neill and her book "Flying Tigress" can be found at www.norahoneill.com.