With several snips of a ribbon, a new facility to help women come off the streets,recover from mental health and addiction problems and create a better life for themselves has opened in Kelowna.
The new KARIS Support Society facility on the Central Green site in Kelowna opened on Thursday.
The $8 million, 36-bed building, which will provide accommodation and services for its female clients, is one of only two such facilities in B.C.
It was privately funded by the the family foundation of Dave and Donarva Krysko, along with contributions from other individuals.
Dave Krysko, president of Davara Holdings, which is leasing the building to KARIS, said the facility was a dream of his wife and he was proud to help make it happen.
Choking up during a brief speech at the opening on Thursday, Krysko said the facility will help women from across B.C. and will fit in with other services already here aimed at helping them.
“We saw a need and responded to that,” said Krysko when asked why his family’s foundation decided to not seek public funding for the facility.
While most of the spots at the residential building have already been filled — the building replaces 12 houses throughout the community that KARIS has operated up to now — it will not start seeing residents move in until next month.
