KIWANIS HOUSE GET FUNDING GUARANTEE

Kiwanis House Won't Have To Shut Its Doors After All.

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger said Friday he spoke with
Interior Health Authority officials and was given a guarantee that the
agency's funding for the accommodation user fee subsidy would continue
through the remainder of the fiscal year.

The fund, set at $80,000 a year, has already been depleted only 41/2
months into the fiscal year. It covers costs for clients who have no
source of money. Kiwanis House provides post-detox rehabilitation
programs for people who have drug and/or alcohol addictions.

"They've agreed to add money into this year's budget. They'll put in
as much as it takes," Krueger said of his conversation with IHA
representatives.

He said he was told the reason the fund is already empty is that there
have been a lot of people going into rehab programs. Those overseeing
the money weren't aware how low it was getting and some were away on
vacation as it became drained this month, he added.

"I'm assured it's all in place," he said. "There is an up and down to
this. Right now, we're all in a war over fighting these
addictions."

Kiwanis House executive director Joanna Macaulay said she was glad to
hear the fund is secured, because without it her agency was set to
close its doors within two weeks.

"I hope we do start to open up a dialogue about this kind of service
in the community," she said of the response she got to a Daily News
story Friday that forewarned her program would have to shut down if
the fund wasn't replenished.

About 30 per cent of Kiwanis House's clients draw upon the
accommodation fund and it needs to run at 100-per-cent capacity in
order to stay in the black.

Macaulay said she was relieved to hear Krueger telling the media he
had IHA's assurances that her agency wouldn't have to close its doors.
But a closer look at Kiwanis House's needs would reveal it requires a
financial boost, she said.

"While I'm pleased to hear Kevin was able to come in and rescue this
particular one, this just maintains our status quo, which is
inadequate."

She expected to meet with IHA officials next week to discuss funding
issues