PHOENIX DETOX RISES WITH $1M

A local drug and alcohol recovery group has received a $1-million
donation from Vancity Credit Union toward the creation of a major drug
withdrawal management facility in Whalley.

On Wednesday, Phoenix Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Education Society
received the funding from Vancity, bringing the Phoenix Centre closer
to its target of $5.6 million.

The 34,000-sq.ft. centre will be one of the first projects to
integrate addiction services, transitional housing, employment and
education services under one roof for more than 100 recovering addicts
annually. It is expected to be open next fall.

Addictions experts have long said the region is critically short of
drug and alcohol recovery services, in particular, withdrawal
management, or detox.

The proponents of the Phoenix Centre, a group of volunteers from
social agencies and the business community, saw that need more than a
year ago and set the plans for the centre in place.

The withdrawal management component of the centre will give addicts a
way to wean off their addictive substance, and the counseling,
education, transitional housing and employment services will help
integrate the clients back into the community.

The most recent financial award was key to making it all happen.

"We're absolutely thrilled," said Michael Wilson, executive director
of Phoenix. "We were out here in five or six branches, and a big thank
you to the Vancity members in Surrey for getting behind this project
and helping make it a reality."

The $1-million Vancity Award, the largest corporate gift of its kind
in Canada, was established in 2001 by Vancity's board of directors to
support the social, environmental and economic well-being of the
community. The funds are available to non-profit groups in the Lower
Mainland, Fraser Valley and Victoria.

The Phoenix Centre was chosen from three finalists by Vancity members
who voted by ballot, online and over the phone for their choice of
project in September and October.

"This is the fourth year of the award that saw applications submitted
from 80 non-profit groups and the highest number of votes in the
award's history. The funds come from a percentage of Vancity profits
set aside each year for community initiatives.

The two other finalists included PLEA (Pacific Legal Education
Association) for its KidStart Mentoring Program to create a permanent
mentoring centre and expand services across the Lower Mainland and
Vancouver Island; and the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children to
build a one-stop centre for child, youth and family services in
Victoria's western area.

"These were all worthy initiatives. We would have been proud to fund
any of them, but the decision was up to our members," says Elain
Duvall, chair of Vancity's board of directors.

"The Vancity Award is about innovation and the Phoenix Centre, with
its integration of health, social and economic services, has really
shown that. We think that it will make a huge difference, not only in
the lives of recovering addicts, but on the health of the community
overall."