A Place Called Home (APCH) in Kawartha Lakes recently opened its doors to a mother with young children after a family breakdown left them with nowhere to turn.
After a month, with the support of shelter staff and resources, the woman and her three kids — all under the age of six — moved into a new home.
Located in Lindsay, APCH’s emergency shelter is the only one in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County. APCH provides both emergency shelter and outreach services to those who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
Helping people in difficult situations who need a place to land is possible for APCH as a result of the support it has from the communities it serves, the organization said.
That proved to be true on August 24, when more than 150 riders took part in the 21st Annual Kawartha Lakes Classic Cycling Tour. Cyclists from all over the province came out to show their support and helped raise a total of $40,000 for APCH. It’s the shelter’s largest fundraiser of the year.
“Thanks to fundraisers such as this, staff are always able to offer nutritional meals and snacks,” shelter manager Nicole Bryant told kawarthaNOW, reflecting on the mother’s recent stay.
“This includes our school and work lunches that we prepare each morning for those heading out for the day,” Bryant added, noting two of the woman’s children were of school age.
“Mom and kids were only here for four weeks and were quickly able to obtain housing after working hard with staff to find something within her means. While it’s always nice to see the smiling faces of kids around the shelter, nothing beats the feeling of seeing them move into their own space.”
This year’s Kawartha Lakes Classic offered three new road routes (50-kilometre, 100-kilometre, and 160-kilometre treks) and two new trail routes of 20 kilometres and 40 kilometres, all designed by members of the Kawartha Cycling Club.
“The fundraised dollars will support some increasing operational costs such as food, unexpected expenses, and services that are needed for daily operations of APCH,” said Angela Ricciuti, APCH’s executive director.
“Donations and fundraisers like the Kawartha Lakes Classic help APCH to reach more unique individuals and provide them with support that can make the difference they need to reach or maintain housing security,” she explained.
“Dollars also allow APCH to start creative initiatives that can not only help more individuals, but render new learnings about different ways to support those experiencing homelessness which will ultimately direct our advocacy efforts.”
“Fundraised dollars also support some key staff positions that provide tremendous support to APCH,” Ricciuti said of the $40,000 the event generated for APCH.
In a media release, APCH gave a shout-out to is sponsors including Boston Pizza Lindsay, Kawartha Business Equipment, Russell West Optometry, Weedman, Mosquito Hero, Economy Wheels Lindsay, Staples & Swain Professional Corp., and Maxama Protection Services.
APCH also thanked the members of its planning committee, a dedicated team of more than 50 volunteers, the cyclists who came out to ride, and those who supported the event by making donations.
“Without your tremendous support, the Kawartha Lakes Classic Cycling Tour would not be possible,” APCH noted. “Thank you for your commitment to supporting those experiencing homelessness and the most vulnerable in our community.”
For more information about APCH, visit www.apch.ca. Those who need shelter, or know of someone who’s in need of shelter, can reach out to shelter staff at 705-328-0905 ext. 223.
Moving into the fall, APCH will be executing some goals that stemmed from a recent strategic planning exercise, with a focus on access to housing, increased awareness, and expanded client services, the executive director noted.
