Little House nearing completion
Little House Society president Jim Stimson sits on the brand new stoop of the close to being re-built Little House facility on 12th Avenue and smiles.
It's a deep smile creasing his face, one derived from a sense of satisfaction and thankfulness for the community's efforts to restore the building that was torched in 2009.
Early next year the non-profit society hopes to open the house which is dedicated to advancing education on alcohol, drug use and addiction recovery. Tsawwassen's Stimson says the $250,000 project's pending completion has been made possible due to phenomenal support, much of it in-kind, that has left just $35,000 to raise.
And that's without any major corporate or government funding.
It's a fact Stimson said he's extremely proud of and speaks of the need for The Little House Society to operate and the community's willingness to take ownership of it and see it re-built.
"My perspective was that if we can't raise the $250,000 for this purpose in this community through its people, its businesses to address this issue, then this issue is not for us to address," he said.
With other large, community fundraising projects—Rotary WaterWorks water park in Tsawwassen and a new home for Reach Child Development—already set up and actively seeking support, Stimson said he was told the likelihood of the Little House project reaching its goal was doubtful.
"But the response was immediate, strong and full," he said. "There's no question, in the bottom of my heart, that there's a need in this community to be addressing this need of substance use and abuse, or abuse and addiction."
Ground was broken on the site June 10, and construction crews have been busy putting together the building. By mid-October it was about 80 per cent finished.
The sight it rising on the property adjacent to Brandrith Park has drawn a fair number of responses.
"I'm at the house every day and someone either stops by or honks their car horn as they drive by and tells me they are so glad this is happening," Stimson said.
For more information on The Little House Society, visit littlehousesociety.ca.
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