City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County residents can buy a brick and help build upon emergency shelter and outreach services for area community members in need of housing.
A Place Called Home (APCH) has brought back its “Buy a Brick” fundraising campaign for the holiday season.
The organization provides a 19-bed emergency shelter (completed in 2022), outreach services, and around-the-clock supports to hundreds of men, women, families, seniors, and youth in the City of Kawartha Lakes (CKL) and Haliburton County.
The current demand for services is extremely high, said Jennifer Lopinski, APCH’s fund development coordinator.
“The need for housing and housing supports in both the CKL and Haliburton County are at a critical level,” Lopinski said.
“In September 2021, the CKL completed a combined Point in Time Count and Registry Week to capture a snapshot of homelessness in the community and connect those who we identified to the homelessness system — 184 households were identified as being homeless at that time.”
“Since 2021, skyrocketing rental rates and rising inflation have negatively impacted housing affordability in our community,” Lopinski noted. “Currently the waiting list for subsidized housing is over 10 years.”
The Buy a Brick campaign gives residents a chance to support “a truly special gift this holiday season,” APCH stated in a news release. “We are offering the unique opportunity to memorialize your donation forever on the wall of APCH’s new shelter.”
Bricks are available to buy now for $250 each and donors will receive a $200 tax receipt with their purchase. APCH said the bricks are expected to be installed in the late spring of 2024.
“Proceeds from this campaign will be used to support APCH’s increased operational costs since moving into our new larger purpose-built shelter,” the organization said. “Our shelter program provides a safe place to call home, three meals a day, and effective supports to help those experiencing homelessness to get back on their feet and back into the community,” APCH noted.
The outreach program assists people at risk of homelessness by providing them with hot meals and access to shower and laundry facilities.
“Our qualified staff work closely with those at risk of homelessness to overcome the barriers that are putting them at risk of losing their housing through effective referrals, advocacy, and compassion,” APCH said.
For more information about A Place Called Home, visit www.apch.ca. To purchase a brick, visit www.apchbricks.com which will take you to the CanadaHelps website.
