The First Nations Friendship Centre (FNFC) is celebrating the $25,000 grant it has received from The Home Depot Canada Foundation for their Kekuli Centre Apartments improvement project.
The grant is part of The Orange Door Project Grant Program, which supports repairs, renovations or modifications to housing accommodations or other support facilities for homeless youth. The grant allowed a number of necessary repairs and maintenance needs to be addressed at the Kekuli Centre building that houses young adults in 20 units.
Kekuli is owned and operated by the Vernon FNFC for young adults facing barriers to acquiring safe and affordable housing. It is set up for young adults who are at risk of being homeless.
“This project wouldn’t have been possible without the funding generously provided by The Home Depot Canada Foundation,” said Val Chiba, president of the FNFC. “We were most thrilled to be able to involve a few of the tenants in the project, who as a result, learned basic carpentry and painting skills.”
The Orange Door Project Grant Program is part of The Orange Door Project initiative, the foundation’s three-year, $10-million pledge to support renovation and repair projects and programs that provide vulnerable and homeless youth with access to safe, stable housing and support services. By the end of 2015, The Home Depot Canada Foundation had distributed $3,175,000 in grants to 123 charitable organizations across Canada through this program which began in 2009.
“As part of our effort to help put an end to youth homelessness in Canada, we are proud to support Vernon First Nations Friendship Centre with their repair and maintenance projects,” said Pam O’Rourke, vice-chair, board of directors, The Home Depot Canada Foundation and vice-president, merchandising, The Home Depot Canada. “Supporting physical improvements to this space is one part of our overall efforts to help bring housing and hope to homeless youth.”
For further information about the FNFC, visit www.vernonfirstnationsfriendshipcentre.com
