Cool Aid Community Health Centre

Description

About Cool Aid
The Victoria Cool Aid Society has been building hope lives and community in the Capital Region for over 40 years since 1968 through a wide range of programs including supported housing community health and dental services emergency shelter mental health and employment services and the Downtown Community Centre Cool Aid focuses its services for adults who are homeless or in need of help

The Victoria Cool Aid Society traces its origins to the Cool Aid Hostel which was established over 40 years ago on June 10 1968 to provide shortterm emergency shelter to transient youth travelling the country Today Cool Aid operates a diverse range of social and health services for those in our community who are most vulnerable

Mission
We act to end homelessness by working in partnership with others to develop communitybased solutions We are committed to working in a nonjudgmental way with adults experiencing marginalization in Greater Victoria by advocating for and providing emergency shelter supportive housing integrated health care and other support services

Vision
The Victoria Cool Aid Society acts to end homelessness and improve our quality of life by working with others to build a community where

No one is forced to sleep on the street or go hungry

Everyone who needs supportive housing is getting it

Integrated health care service to treat illness and promote wellness is
provided

Integrated services are provided to those with mental health and addiction
issues

History

A Brief History of Cool Aid
The Victoria Cool Aid Society traces its origins to June 10th 1968 when quotCool Aidquot was officially founded to provide emergency shelter for transient youth travelling the country On August 18th 1970 the quotCool Aid Free Medical Clinic quot opened its doors On July 29th 1971 the quotCool Aid Youth Hostelquot opened On May 3rd 1972 the quotFernwood Dental Clinicquot began operation On October 28th 1976 Cool Aid was incorporated as the Victoria Cool Aid Society

Throughout the 1980s Cool Aid grew as one of British Columbias largest nonprofit organizations Today the society operates a diverse range of housing social and health services for those in our community who are most vulnerable The Victoria Cool Aid Society works to eliminate homelessness by advocating for and providing clients with supported housing emergency shelter and integrated health and life skill services and has been doing so since 1968 Cool Aids 40th Anniversary activities are described elsewhere on the web site

A Growing Commitment to Housing
There was a time when the homeless poor ill and addicted people returned again and again to emergency shelters in the city they simply had nowhere else to go Affordable housing in the 1980s was drying up and large mental institutions were shutting down leaving people with little support for getting off the street Shelter workers were frustrated to see the cycles of homelessness unbroken and the homeless themselves were trapped in an eviction cycle from whatever often substandard housing they could find

Cool Aids Housing Program is specifically designed for the hardtohouse homeless population in our community It demonstrates the success of how a supported independent living social housing notforprofit model can provide a very costeffective solution to the crisis of homelessness in Canada

The housing program began approximately 18 years ago with the opening of Swift House and now includes the Pandora Apartments Mike Gidora Place Johnson Manor FairWay Woods Desmond House Cedar Grove and Hillside Terrace In addition we are in the process of developing new housing initiatives and educating the community about issues related to homelessness All of our tenants have been either homeless or homelessatrisk and all manage issues related to mental health and addictions

Swift House was designed specifically for the hardtohouse and it was the first supported independentliving project of its kind in Canada It opened in 1991 and provides 26 subsidized apartments with resident support workers The project soon developed into a tenantinvolved community Residents set up a social space became involved in decisionmaking and took on caretaking duties of their building

The Pandora Project was our next development and it incorporated feedback from many of the Swift House tenants It is comprised of the Pandora Apartments the Downtown Community Activity Centre DCAC and the YMYWCA Youth Apartments The Pandora Apartments opened in 1997 and provides 32 supported independent living suites Resident support workers facilitate tenantrun newsletters inhouse choir groups community kitchens art therapy sessions regular shopping expeditions camping trips and work searches

The Acitivity Centre opened in 1997 and plays a key role in allowing residents of all our housing projects and other downtown community members a chance to build friendships have access to recreational facilities and an affordable voicemail service 3835144 The downtown Centre is available for rentals which offers a midsize gymnasium a noncommercial kitchen and an outdoor courtyard

In 1998 the YMYWCA opened eight units of transitional youth housing geared toward teaching life skills and good tenancy skills to youth aged 15 to 19 Each youth with the help of their counsellor developed a plan to enhance their independence selfesteem and quality of life within a communityoriented living environment

Mike Gidora Place was named in memory of Cool Aids former financial administrator Mike Gidora It opened in 2000 and provides 45 subsidized independent living apartments Mike Gidora is also the site for the REES Network and the Community Casual Labour Pool

Johnson Manor was built on the success of Swift House and the Pandora Apartments It is designed for tenants who have had the most difficulty in maintaining safe affordable housing It opened in 2001 and provides 24hour onsite support for 20 residents It has proven to be a costeffective model for dealing with individuals managing mental health and polysubstance use issues

FairWay Woods opened in 2003 and provides 32 units of supportive housing for seniors with special needs who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless in Langford It is close to bus service parks walkways and has easy accessibility to stores and restaurants Staff members provide 24hour onsite support for the residents Dinner is provided each day in the dining room and gives residents an opportunity to build friendships with one another

Hillside Terrace is our newest housing project It opened in 2005 and colocated with the Aberdeen Seniors Centre Hillside Terrace provides 45 subsidized wheelchair accessible onebedroom apartments to seniors who have difficulty fitting into regular housing situations and need a higher level of care The Vancouver Island Health Authority provides personal care and Cool Aid the housing infrastructure plus community development within the building