In a town where businesses are constantly being asked for donations, it’s heartwarming to have a business reach out first.
The Nelson CARES’ Room to Live campaign was launched last November. Upon hearing about the campaign, Randy Horswill, owner of Nelson’s Home Hardware Building Centre, was quick to approach campaign coordinator Lisa McGeady to see how he could get involved.
Since the launch, Home Hardware Building Centre has donated a $500 gift card for a raffle and a flat bed truck for the stage at the Coldest Night of the Year Walk, but their generosity hasn’t ended there.
Nelson Home Hardware Building Centre is contributing the materials (e.g. cabinets, flooring, paint) required to refurbish four rooms at Ward Street Place and providing materials at a reduced cost for several additional rooms. This will equate to a contribution of $15,000. On top of that, they will also be giving the replacement windows for the whole building at cost.
“Randy and his team at Home Hardware are very community minded and from all accounts they have been a great corporate supporter to work with,” McGeady said. “The manager, Bob Marsh, has also been a great supporter. This donation has helped us expedite the refurbishment of the four rooms, as well as the windows throughout the building.”
Ward Street Place is a safe, affordable home for people who strive to create a stable life.
“These refurbishments will provide safe and healthy housing for some of our most vulnerable community members, as well as help preserve much needed affordable housing here in Nelson,” said Ron Little, chair of the Nelson CARES board.
“We have already raised 43 per cent of our remaining goal of $690,000. If this kind of generosity from our community continues, we may be able to reach our goal much sooner than we anticipated.”
Roomtolive.ca provides all the information for the campaign including how to make a donation or get involved, as well as tracking the amount of money raised so far.
Ward Street Place (567 Ward St.) is a 102-year-old building and one of the only low income housing blocks in the region. It is home to people living in poverty and those who have escaped homelessness. Nelson CARES receives no public funding to operate the building and serves the region’s most vulnerable citizens.