HOUSE PROVIDES HOPE, BUT TO MALE METH ADDICTS ONLY

Three brightly-coloured stress balls sat in a basket on top of the TV at
the Beacon of Hope House, the Salvation Army's new six-bed residential
addiction treatment facility.

Organizers worked 18-hour days to finish all the details for the grand
opening Friday, but the stress is far from over.

Rhiannon Porcellato, taking over as manager of the house, said there's
"definitely" pressure to make the facility a success.

The Beacon of Hope House, the Salvation Army's first foray into youth
addiction treatment, will treat males 13-18 for three to six months, with a
focus on those recovering from an addiction to crystal methamphetamine.

The Salvation Army initially hoped to use the house in Esquimalt as a
women's shelter, but was convinced to change the focus by funding
opportunities presented by the Vancouver Island Housing Authority.

VIHA is contributing $140,000 in annual operating funding for three years,
at which point, future funding will be evaluated.

But members of the Crystal Meth Victoria Society said there's an even
greater need for a young women's facility.

"It had originally been our hope to have a house for girls," said the
society's Ruth McLaughlin. "Our feeling was that the girls are much more
vulnerable on the street... there's two things they're going to run into --
crime and drugs. And with the girls there's the risk of unwanted
pregnancies, disease, predators and pimps."

Twenty-year-old Morgana Glass, a former meth addict, celebrated the Beacon
of Hope opening, saying, "it's a start, anyway."

When the former Claremont student started using meth four years ago, more
girls than boys were addicted to it, she said.

Despite the need, the Salvation Army decided to hedge its bets and start
with young males, who have had higher success rates at similar facilities
in Vancouver. The organization is providing $200,000 in annual operating
funding.

The province paid $87,000 to convert the 1911 house into a six-bedroom
treatment facility.

VIHA hinted that talks are underway to start a similar facility for young
women, but remained tight-lipped about when the facility would come into
existence.

With the addition of Beacon of Hope House, the Capital Region has a total
of 10 youth treatment beds.

VIHA has promised to open 17 new treatment beds by the end of March
throughout Vancouver Island.