MISSION CLOSES RECOVERY PROGRAMS

Drowning in too much debt and too much space, the New Life Mission has
closed its drug and alcohol recovery programs.

The House of Ruth, a 90-day residential addiction treatment program for
women, closed Sept. 1 and the men's recovery program will down shut Oct. 1.

Nine full- and part-time jobs have been cut, including counsellors, support
workers and kitchen staff.

"We've been bleeding to death for a long time. (The New Life Mission) is
basically too big for what we're doing," explained executive director Tim
Larose.

"We've struggled financially since we got here."

Just six staff will remain at the end of October, down from 27 one year ago.

Expenses at the mission's West Victoria Street location have gone through
the roof since the agency moved away from its Lorne Street location in
1999, where staff served free lunches and provided drop-in space.

Currently, it costs almost $30,000 a month to operate the programs and pay
expenses, including a $3,500 mortgage payment and $3,000 in utilities.
Closing the two short-term programs is expected to cut those costs in half.

Larose said one problem is the lack of government funding for the programs.

There is no operating grant ? just a $40 per client per day stipend but
that's not enough to keep the residential treatment programs open.

The House of Ruth is a six-space recovery program while the men's program
has 25 spaces. But in July, for instance, only six men were registered ? a
loss of nearly $9,000.

"The summer is always slow because many chose to sleep on park benches
rather than check in here for recovery," Larose added.

What's really needed in the community is a long-term residential recovery
centre ? something Larose hopes to do in the spring in both the House of
Ruth and the mission building. He suggested a "needs assessment" should
have been completed prior to the building opening in 1999.

"The 30 beds on a short-term basis isn't the reality. We have no problem
getting people clean for 90 days but there's no followup. The relapse rate
is so high with our clients we need to move into more of a long-term
recovery centre," he said.

The mission will continue to operate its lunch program, its daily drop-in,
clothing closet, bread line and dental clinic. Addictions counselling will
also continue to be available.

Larose said he's hoping for community support at the Nov. 2 fall
fund-raising banquet, a key money-maker for the mission.