Representatives of the Greater Vancouver Community Services Society have launched a campaign to raise $90,000 to purchase replacement vans for two North Vancouver group homes serving adults with physical and developmental disabilities.
The vans are viewed to play a critical role in residents' overall health and well-being, according to Laura Johnson, human resources and operations officer for the society.
The Greater Vancouver Community Services Society is focused on the delivery of services supporting the independence and health of community members with disabilities, seniors and those with illnesses. The non-profit operates Home Support and
Assisted Living Programs, as well as a Community Living Program, which offers around the clock care and supervision to adults with physical and developmental disabilities at six group homes in the Lower Mainland. The society's Community Living
Program is supported by Community Living British Columbia, which provides core operations funding.
Two of the society's group homes are located in North Vancouver. Its Lynn Valley Coleman Street location is home to four people, ranging in age from 21 to 51 years old, and the society's home on Mount Seymour Parkway likewise has four residents, ages 21-76.
"The vans we have now are reaching the end of their operational life and need replacing. Although we are very grateful for the funding we receive from Community
Living B.C., it is just for core funding and it doesn't extend to capital items such as the vans," says Johnson.
The Coleman Street group home currently doesn't have its own van and Mount Seymour Parkway's has reached the end of its life. The society is looking to raise $30,000 to buy a standard van for Coleman Street and $60,000 to buy a wheelchair-equipped van for the Mount Seymour Parkway home.
In addition to fundraising for the two passenger vans to serve the North Shore residences, the society is looking to raise funds to purchase two vans for group homes located in Vancouver. Overall, the campaign's fundraising goal for a total of four vans is $210,000.
The vans serve a number of purposes for the group home residents, many of whom require wheelchair accessible vans or specially modified vehicles due to their level of mobility.
"A lot of our clients require medical supervision or they need to see specialists and doctors quite frequently so we need the vans to be able to transport them to those appointments. Plus they also play a critical role in ensuring that our clients get the community involvement, which is the cornerstone of our program really," says Johnson.
A number of their residents came from the Woodlands residential facility following its closure. "The idea was to bring them out of the institution and into the community and being a part of the community on a day-today basis is a big part of that," she says. That means interacting and socializing with members of the general public, for instance at malls or community events; engaging in recreational activities, like swimming; or being part of faith communities and attending weekly worship services.
The vans also enable residents to travel to visit family members.
Johnson says for the campaign, the society is targeting individuals and families, as well as service clubs, organizations and foundations, hoping they'll show support for the cause and potentially host fundraisers or other initiatives to help them reach their goal.
"It's going to make a difference to these residents every day," she says. "It's the difference between being able to participate and enjoy day-to-day activities that we all do. We take for granted that we can get up and go somewhere that we want to go to. Having these vans means that our residents are able to do that as well."
The society's goal is to have purchased at least one van by March 2014.
To donate to the Community Living Van Replacement Campaign, visit gvcss.bc.ca, or contact Johnson at 604-714-3517 or [email protected].
