Letter from D. Greco, Chairperson, Anawim Companions Society

Anawim Companions Society 973 Caledonia Ave Victoria B.C V8T 1E7 www.anawimhouse.com

23 August 2017

Mayor and Council Town of View Royal 45 View Royal Avenue Victoria, BC V9B 1A6

Dear Mayor and Councillors:

Greater Victoria is experiencing its worst-ever housing and drug crises. Last year, almost 1500 people in the region were homeless, and more than 150 died of drug overdoses. Thousands more live in poverty, often while struggling with mental health and addiction problems.

I am writing to you on behalf of the Anawim Companions Society, a charity that serves the population at the centre of this crisis. Since 1991, we have been providing housing, meals, shower and laundry facilities, and a welcoming family home (Anawim House) for hundreds of our region's poorest and most marginalized members.

At Anawim House, we work to help people help themselves. We offer a substance-free, respectful, and caring environment in which people living in homelessness and poverty can regain a sense of dignity and community connection. In our unique family model, residents, drop-in visitors, volunteers, and staff come together as a family to care for each other and the house. Over our 26-year history, we have seen our model of empowerment change thousands of lives for the better.

We are currently striving to meet fundraising targets that will allow us to do even more of this important work, including an expanded counselling program and the long-term goal of opening a recovery residence for women.

To this end, we would like the opportunity to have a representative of Anawim House address the View Royal Town Council in person about our organization and how View Royal can support our ongoing operations.

Although Anawim House is located in downtown Victoria, the men and women who use our services come from every community in the Greater Victoria region and beyond. The crisis of homelessness is a regional issue. Together, we can address the problem and provide the quality of care that our community's most impoverished and neglected members need in order to improve their lives.

We eagerly await confirmation of a meeting with View Royal Council to talk in more specific terms about our ongoing need for funding from the municipalities of Greater Victoria.

Sincerely,

Dan Greco, Chairperson Anawim Companions Society