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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1273655
A beacon of hope, a light in the dark—Vancouver Harbour Light has anchored The Salvation Army's community outreach efforts in Vancou- ver's Downtown Eastside (DTES) for more than 60 years. Its respected and proven service offering draws individuals seeking help and hope from across BC, but its physical location—a collection of four adjacent buildings that date back to the 1920s—has reached the end of its operational life. As a result, the organization decided to make its largest capital investment in Canada and will begin construction on a new home for Vancouver Habour Light in the spring of 2021. It will offer the best and latest in wrap-around care and become a transforming influence in the community. The total project cost is nearly $100 million. The Army has support from all three levels of government and is making its own financial commitment. The remaining $23 million depends on a private sector capital campaign called Nine Stories of Hope, a play on words representing stories of client successes associated with each storey of the building. "We have been contributing to the well-being of the community for over six decades and this building will allow us to do that for another six," says Mike Leland, campaign director. "With a surging opioid crisis and a record number of homeless in our province, this project is a must." The campaign is spearheaded by senior leaders on The Salvation Army's board of directors—five influential and accomplished business- people who bring expertise from sectors ranging from property develop- ment to finance. The campaign cabinet consists of Robert McFarlane, corporate director; Tom Skidmore, president and CEO of Skidmore Development Group; George Hungerford, partner at Hungerford Properties; Kelly Heed, vice-chairman of Colliers; and Kathy McGarrigle, former COO at Coast Capital Savings. "Our board has been instrumental in our commitment to changing the lives of people in this province for decades," Leland says. "It is only natural to look to them to lead us into the future." Located at 130 E. Cordova St., the nine-storey, 144,000-square-foot Nine Stories of Hope is Salvation Army's capital campaign aimed at raising $23 million for a new Vancouver Harbour Light building in the city's Downtown Eastside A NEW LIGHT Thomas Skidmore Robert McFarlane Kathy McGarrigle Kelly Heed George Hungerford