The Rotary Club of Kelowna Sunrise is stepping up to help young people who are battling addiction in the Okanagan.
On June 23, 2020, Sunrise Rotary announced it will be donating $50,000 in support of the Bridge Youth and Family Services for the construction of the “Okanagan Youth Recovery House” project for young people under the age of 19 who are experiencing addiction.
According to the Bridge Youth and Family Services, British Columbia has less than 50 publicly funded youth treatment beds, but within the Okanagan, there are no facility-based treatment options for youth under the age of 17.
Sunrise Rotary committed funds from its Interior Savings Sunrise Rotary 2019 RibFest funds and planned to support the Bridge in 2020; however, it has had to cancel the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In Phase 1 of the Youth Recovery House project, the Bridge will use funds from Sunrise Rotary to retrofit and renovate a building already owned by the organization. These renovations will allow the Bridge to provide six youth treatment beds once it has met its goal of fundraising the $1 million in operational expenses required to run the facility.
Donations can be made through the Youth Recovery House website at youthrecoveryhouse.ca.
“The Bridge has now found a contractor and we are so excited to see construction almost ready to take place. We hope to be part of a hands-on project at the site over the summer or early fall,” Susan McIntyre, president of the Rotary Club of Kelowna Sunrise.
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