With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1332052
C R E AT E D BY BCBusiness I N PA RT N E RS H I P W IT H THE SALVATION ARMY necessity drives us. And the help needed is no longer on what many see as the fringes of society—it is at our doorstep. 2. Why is the Nine Stories of Hope project so important to you personally and as a business owner? As a business owner in this community, I feel it is important that we do our part to help the community and especially where we work. The four buildings the Army operates out of are old, obsolete and past their life expectancy. The new building will be state of the art, using the latest technologies. This will be a once-in-a-generation project. It will allow the Army to help more people at a lower per person cost. There will be more space and privacy for clients, which means more dignity. There's also a 22-bed Women's Addiction Program, which I am excited about because there is a need here that will be addressed. This new building it is not a luxury; it's a necessity. 3. What do you hope to see happen in the community because of this project? I hope to see change. I hope to see progress. There are studies that demonstrate that a positive environment impacts a person's ability to be successful. This building will help people feel better about themselves and bring them dignity and hope. It will help them out of their circum- stances and into a new life. Also, the community is changing, and this building will be a significant part of the community renewal project currently underway on the Downtown Eastside. 4. What would you say to others who are thinking about getting involved in this project, especially in the business community? I think that as business leaders it is our duty to lead, not only in our companies, but in our communities. I'm excited to be a part of this journey and see it become a reality. And it is my sincere hope that others will join in the work to raise up not only a building, but a people and a community. Together we can let people know they matter, and together we can let them know that they, too, can have a better future. ■ P R O M O T E D C O N T E N T For more information on the project or to get involved, visit ninestoriesofhope.org Local business leader Paolo Aquilini is getting behind a project close to his heart