I’m reaching out in response to two recent articles in the Peak on questions from some directors of qathet Regional District around debris clearing near the hospital and supportive housing operated by Lift Community Services [“Powell River Hospital District board recommends debris clearing,” September 8], and a request to have regular check-in reports with Lift on the Community Resource Centre (CRC) [“qathet board to consider asking Lift for updates on CRC,” September 13].
As the service provider in question, I wanted to clarify a few points on Lift’s behalf. We understand and agree with concerns raised around debris left by individuals in and around the woods on hospital grounds near supportive housing, and our staff have been working with district staff and RCMP over the past several months to address it. We know there continues to be dozens of unhoused people living without shelter in our community.
Results from this spring’s Point-in-Time Homeless Count will be released this fall, which will give us a more accurate estimation of the number of people in qathet region in need of immediate shelter. Shelter for unhoused people in our community must continue to be a priority for all policy makers and community service providers, and we’re glad that the directors are aware of the urgency of this need.
The (CRC) serves as a lifeline for individuals in our community, offering assistance with food, housing, legal aid, public health, job placement and other important resources. We acknowledge that there have been challenges in managing the increasing demand for our services over the past few years.
The CRC is currently funded to be open from 12 to 4 pm, Monday through Thursday. We are continuously seeking sustainable funding that would allow us to extend the centre’s hours and provide more staff support for our patrons, which would go a long way in addressing some of the voiced concerns. Importantly, our ability to address these issues is dependent on our relationships with the broader community and our government partners – we can’t do this work on our own.
Poverty, homelessness and mental health and substance use issues are complex matters requiring a multifaceted response. We are happy to set up regular check-ins with the regional district to clarify information about our programs, answer questions and address concerns, and are hopeful that this dialogue could also explore options for providing additional resources to our community.
It has recently come to our attention that there are questions about Lift’s financial status, and I want to be clear that our organization, a nonprofit society, exceeds all nonprofit financial standards, conducts independent annual audits and continuously strives to maximize the impact of every dollar donated or allocated to our services. Our audited financial statements are publicly available on our website, and we’re happy to answer any questions community members have about this or any other concerns.
Everyone is encouraged to provide feedback and ask questions through the feedback form on our website at liftcommunityservices.org/contact, or by emailing us at [email protected]. All feedback will be acknowledged by a Lift staff member within two business days.
Thank you for bringing attention to these important community issues. I look forward to continuing this community dialogue.
Stuart Clark, executive director
Lift Community Services
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