KAWARTHA LAKES-Long-term supporters of A Place Called Home, Glenda and Wayne Klein not only purchased a brick from the Buy a Brick fundraising campaign but took it upon themselves to start providing emergency support to our shelter residents when A Place Called Home was forced to operate out of the Knights Inn motel in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Glenda Klein shares “For many years, Wayne and I have had the opportunity to interact with some of the residents at APCH. But while the residents were displaced to a local hotel because of lack of sanitary facilities at APCH during Covid-19, we became more actively involved along with others from St. Mary’s Church by providing snacks or meals for the residents. As the deliveryman and often the cook, Wayne would take our offerings down in an orange shoebox. The next visit, one or more of the residents would come up and ask, ‘What’s in the box today?’ We were so pleased to be able to share what we have. Maybe it’s food, or a $10 donation or even a Tim Horton’s gift card, but most of us have something to share. It’s a win-win situation.”
A Place Called Home (APCH) launched its Buy a Brick Campaign in August 2021, in support of the agency’s much larger New Build Campaign to build a new shelter.
Jennifer Lopinski, Fund Development Coordinator recalls “It was truly a devastating time for both our clients and A Place Called Home when the COVID-19 pandemic forced our agency to move out of our existing shelter and into a motel on the far outskirts of town. With operating out of a motel, our agency no longer had a kitchen to cook in to provide hot and nutritious meals for our clients. Most of our clients do not own a vehicle and with no bus service reaching the far outskirts of town, our clients had no way of leaving the motel to pursue employment, church, family, and friends. Our agency’s resources were very limited, and we were having difficulty providing the level of service that we are committed to providing to the homeless in our community. Glenda and Wayne Klein recognized A Place Called Home’s urgent need for support and began to frequently bring in delicious individually packed meals and baked goods for our clients. The heartfelt support that the Klein family provided tremendously helped to reduce the traumatic impact that our clients were experiencing. Words cannot express A Place Called Home’s appreciation for the Klein family’s support”.
The Buy A Brick campaign was very successful and raised $27,000.00 towards A Place Called Home’s New Build campaign.
If you are interested in learning more about other A Place Called fundraising campaigns and how you can donate, please visit our website at: https://www.apch.ca . For further information, please contact Jen Lopinski, Fund Development Coordinator at: 705-878-6817 or [email protected]