FRIAR TUCKS IN He’s only six years old, but Matthew Friar looks like a pro when he straps on the wakeboard and hits the lake. Matthew was among the many competitors who took to Shumway Lake on the weekend in the Water Ski and Wakeboard British Columbia Wakeboard Reunion Provincial Championships. Go online to kamloopsthisweek.com and click on the “Sports” link to see more photos. Allen Douglas/KTW
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KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK
Tuesday, August 13, 2013 X Volume 26 No. 64 www.kamloopsthisweek.com X 30 cents at Newsstands
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2013
HOUSE OF RUTH SET TO CLOSE ITS DOORS By Dale Bass STAFF REPORTER dale@kamloopsthisweek.com
The lone women’s-only, longterm substance-abuse centre in the city is closing. The doors to the House of Ruth on the North Shore will be locked for the final time by the New Life Mission on Oct. 1 at the latest, according to agency executive director Stan Dueck. The shelter has almost always run in a deficit financial situation, Dueck said. In recent weeks, Dueck said, it became apparent the health of the rest of the programs run by the mission would remain in jeopardy with such a significant financial drain. On average, monthly expenses have run about $27,000, Dueck said, with revenue usually approximately $15,000 to house, feed and provide programs to women recovering from substance abuse.
Dueck said once the last few women staying at the house have been relocated and all the transitional tasks have been completed to shut it down, the property will be put up for sale. The hope is proceeds from a sale will help solidify the overall mission balance sheet, which has also been precarious for years. Making the decision was difficult, Dueck said, because everyone connected with the mission has always done what was needed to keep the house running. However, sometimes that meant staff was not paid on time and that’s not something Dueck wants to see continue. Senior managers met to talk about the situation and, after two hours of discussion, Dueck said, he looked at each of them and said: “For two hours, we have talked about faith and the great things we do, but not one word has been said about the dollars and cents — and we have a dollars and cents problem.
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“So, what are we going to do about it? “Once the call was made in the managers’ meeting, you could see a sense of peace come over everyone,” Dueck said. The management team provided the mission board with several options, but knew the decision would be a tough one. It’s one that’s been made before, but not to this extent. The program was shut down three times in the past 15 years due to money issues, once with the thenexecutive director recommending the property be turned back to the landlord, the Roman Catholic Diocese. At that time, the mission leased the property; it bought it later. Dueck believes the right decision was made to ensure the mission continues with its thrift store, outreach program, dayroom and meals program and long-term recovery programming for men. He said the goal is to offer
programming for women through the West Victoria Street building, although it won’t be long-term residential care. At least, not yet. There’s a long-term goal to move many of the substance-abuse programs off-site completely into a rural area with space, potential for teaching trades and boosting sustainability and the opportunity to take people fighting addictions away from many of the temptations they face every day on the streets of Kamloops. Dueck has a spot in mind — his office computer screen-saver sports a photograph of the location he’s hoping to obtain — and he has begun preliminary talks to try to find a way to make the dream a reality. At one time, the House of Ruth was well over its legal occupancy level. In recent times, the number of clients has dropped. Three remain, with one ready to move out on her own, with supports, and two others who
will hopefully be placed in other programs. “We’re not giving up, though,” Dueck said. “The new life starts in recovery. “You know, I have people say to me, ‘What are you doing about your people?’ “They’re not our people. They are your people. They are citizens of Kamloops. We’re just trying to help them.” Dueck said other measures have already been put in place, from not taking in more women to cutting hours, eliminating overtime, using managers more in fill-in situations and trying to boost fundraising. That has been a problem, he said, because, while people will give to the mission, “nobody wants to give to recovery.” “We’re calling this a shrink to find a solid foundation and then grow,” Dueck said. “But, the truth is, you have to be able to pay your bills.”
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