There are now plans in the works to provide a men’s and women’s shelter in Owen Sound.
Reverend Randy Kennedy of the Victorious Living Centre and his wife have taken out a mortgage to buy a building on 2nd Avenue East in downtown Owen Sound.
The Sanctuary is a First Step Shelter that will be able to provide housing for 10 men and six women.
Kennedy says while they’re looking to the community for help to raise money to renovate the upstairs apartments, he has no set monetary goal in mind.
He says their biggest hurdle right now is finding an architecht who can draw up floor plans, so that Owen Sound Council will grant a change of use permit for the site.
Kennedy plans to have seperate rooms – one with ten beds for men, another with six beds for women, two bathrooms, a common area, a kitchen and a staff office.
Kennedy says it’s more than just a shelter – they want to be able to assist those with mental and addiction problems through a 12 step counselling program, and they hope to break the transient lifestyle.
Kennedy hopes to operate a centre where transients can live and get the support they need to get their lives on track, before assisting them into independent living.
They’d also like to have enough money to pay about eight people to keep the house staffed 24/7.
However, Kennedy realizes this is a “perfect dream,” and right now he says he appreciates and recognizes all the hard work and time volunteers are giving.
The centre launched two fundraisers yesterday to help build and support services of The Sanctuary.
Residents can pick up buckets for the two fundraisers – “Blessings for Beds” or a “Cuss Can” by calling the Victorious Living Centre.
