The first graduating class of Journey Home91裸聊视频檚 PEOPLE program is nearing graduation and eager to start working for the City of Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 operation department.
91裸聊视频淲e are looking forward to working with PEOPLE this summer in a pilot project designed to enhance cleanliness and assist in beautifying our downtown,91裸聊视频� infrastructure operations department manager Ian Wilson said.
91裸聊视频淲e are impressed by PEOPLE91裸聊视频檚 commitment to contribute to the community in a positive way.91裸聊视频�
Individuals with lived experiences with homelessness or opioid use and addiction were offered the opportunity to train with the PEOPLE program 91裸聊视频� a peer-support model that assists in setting individuals up with employment contracts.
READ MORE: At the helm of the Journey Home Society
Contracts have been drawn up this past week, (COJHS) executive director Gaelene Askeland said, and the program was wildly successful with all 32 trainees completing the program.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 almost unheard of,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淭his tells me the training is good and the people were highly motivated to get to work.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淎ll of those folks are ready to get to work and are really excited about the opportunity,91裸聊视频� she said.
Askeland said seeing members of the community contributing to beach cleanups and efforts to beautify the downtown core could help shift the public91裸聊视频檚 perspective of homelessness.
91裸聊视频淪howing people they91裸聊视频檙e human beings like the rest of us and they can contribute breaks down some of that stigma,91裸聊视频� she said.
91裸聊视频淭hey worked hard to get through the training and get ready for their work placements,91裸聊视频� Askeland said. 91裸聊视频淎nd every opportunity we can get to have people with lived experience work is a good opportunity.91裸聊视频�
READ MORE: Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 Journey Home board marks success
The Paid Employment Opportunities for People with Lived Experiences (PEOPLE) is only one of many actions the COJHS has implemented from its five-year strategy to end homelessness, and its only four months in.
to assess the needs of affected individuals in the community, 91裸聊视频渁s expressed by those with lived experience of Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 shelter system,91裸聊视频� she said.
91裸聊视频淓ven as we work towards ending homelessness, there will always be a need for short-term shelter accommodation for those in our community who find themselves without homes,91裸聊视频� Askeland said.
The design lab will take community perspectives to better understand how shelters function in Kelowna and identify what is needed now and in the future.
91裸聊视频淲e will look at the variety of shelter models to determine the best fit to address the needs in our community over the short-term and long-term,91裸聊视频� Askeland said.
READ MORE: Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 formerly homeless shows support for Journey Home project
Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan also joined up to create a Homelessness Research Collaborative to identify key areas to focus on to support the Journey Home Strategy.
Establishing an integrated court in Kelowna is another project COJHS continues to pursue. It is working to establish a court model that offers more engagement between the courts, police, the person charged with a crime and those who provide services to those charged.
91裸聊视频淚ntegrated court aims to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable people and the broader community through a more restorative approach to justice,91裸聊视频� John Howard Society executive director Dawn Himer said.
91裸聊视频淏y helping people lead healthier, more stable lives, the development of the integrated court represents another step to introduce measures to prevent homelessness in the first place.91裸聊视频�
Caitlin.clow@kelownacapnews.com
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