The Kitimat Valley Housing Society (KVHS) is offering their heartfelt thanks to Dennis and Brenda Horwood for their donation to the Kitimat Valley Housing Society’s dementia home project.
The Horwoods have left Kitimat to begin the next chapter in their retirement journey. As part of their packing process, Dennis and Brenda held a garage sale and donated the proceeds to the KVHS dementia home. Their efforts netted the Kitimat Valley Housing Society a total of $1,360.
Their contribution will be put toward general capital expenses of the dementia house. The project has now raised more than $5.6 million.
“Donations are so important to this project as the COVID-19 pandemic has all but stopped fundraising,” KVHS president Doug Thomson said.
Despite the challenging conditions, Thomson said the project is moving forward as fast and efficiently as possible.
Thomson told the Northern Sentinel that architects have completed all engineering and design work to the 90 per cent completion stage and details have been submitted to Northern Health and BC Housing Corporation for their approval.
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Starting as a subcommittee at the Kitimat General hospital, the KVHS dementia home is one of two pilot projects directed by Northern Health.
“We worry about care that emphasizes quality of life over risk aversion. […] It’s a model that is built on the facility being like your own home,” Thomson said.
Initial drawings have been submitted to the District of Kitimat for a building permit. Surveys for subdivision of the land for the project are complete and the actual subdivision should be completed shortly.
“An application for a development permit is complete and all we can do at this point is wait,” said Thomson. “Waiting is never easy but we have learned that it is pretty much a compulsory skill with such projects,” […] but we hope the community hasn’t forgotten us.”
As the KVHS office at the hospital is not regularly staffed during the pandemic, please address any donations to The Kitimat Valley Housing Society, 18 Whittlesey St., Kitimat, BC, V8C 1J8 or donate through their website at kvhs.ca.
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