The only recovery home for women in Burnaby is looking for a “forever home,” and they’re appealing to the public to vote for them to compete for $125,000 in funding towards this goal.
Burnaby’s Charlford House Foundation has been shortlisted among 10 mental health organizations in the running to receive a $125,000 donation from iA Financial Group.
Finalists are from across Canada and the winner of the big prize will be decided by public voting.
Charlford House provides women with a place to recover from drug and alcohol addiction, and, if successful in securing the donation, it will go toward buying a new home and increasing its bed capacity. The foundation is a fundraising arm of the Charlford House Society for Women.
iA Financial Group sent out a call earlier this year and received responses from dozens of organizations that help people living with mental health issues, then settling on a shortlist of 10.
The organization that receives the most votes will get the $125,000 donation. The ones with the second and third most votes will get $50,000 and the seven remaining organizations will receive $10,000 each. Winners will be announced on Dec. 11.
Charlford House was set up almost 50 years ago in North Burnaby to help women recovering from addictions, but they currently reside in a rented house that they’ve outgrown, explained the non-profit’s executive director Miranda Vecchio.
There are currently 15 beds in the home, partially funded by Fraser Health, and partially by the ministry of social development. But 30 per cent of Charlford House’s budget comes from fundraising and donations.
While there is much talk about the opioid crisis and deaths from tainted drugs, Vecchio said the hopeful part of the conversation sometimes gets lost.
“What is left out of the equation is there is hope, help is available and addicts do recover,” she said.
Vecchio pointed out, there are fewer spots for women in recovery than for men, and there is “no shortage of need.” The majority of the women coming to the house are between 19 and 26.
Members of the public can vote here for two organizations.
