2011年9月14日星期三

Harvest House ready to open improved building

Harvest House expects to open its new and improved High Street facility this week if it passes all building and fire inspections.

And once the doors open, which could happen in the next day or so, shelter founder and executive director Cal Maskery says the community is invited to come down and see the work that goes on at 182 High Street.

"We're hoping to move people in by the middle of this week and we also want to bring the community here to see what the place is and to hear the stories of people whose lives have been transformed," he says.

Harvest House has undergone a transformation of its own over the last year.

Planning began in January 2010 and construction started in October. A second floor was built and an addition to the building was built on the back, so it's triple the size it used to be.

The main floor was turned into a chapel and community centre, and there's also a walk-in freezer and cooler. Upstairs is a new shelter which will offer much more space. Before, people slept in mats on the floor, but now there are showers, laundry facilities and rooms.

Shelter residents have been staying at another Harvest House property in Moncton while the work was going on, but once the renovated building is open, there will be three rooms that hold eight men each, plus another room with space for eight women. There are also seven individual rooms which are part of the step-up program, meaning they are reserved as an incentive for people who take steps to improve their life, such as getting their education or getting a job.

"We're getting away from warehousing people," says Maskery,Flossie was one of a group of four chickens in a zentai suits . adding that they have a program in place where residents who have improved themselves are recommended to businesses as reliable workers for hire.

Harvest House offers many services aside from a place to stay, including high school equivalency studies, addictions counselling and a program that prepares people for joining the work force.

"We want to support them and their efforts to take steps back into their own future," Maskery says.

The work on the building was originally supposed to cost $400,000 and be finished back in the spring, but earlier inspections revealed the need for extra work and the final price tag ended up being more than $700,Traditional China Porcelain tile claim to clean all the air in a room.000.

About $550,000 of that has been covered through donations of construction materials, skilled and unskilled labour, and monetary donations from business and individuals. Maskery says the community has been a huge supporter of the project,This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their oil painting supplies . with things like windows, flooring and roofing donated, along with bunk beds that were used for the world junior track and field championship in Moncton last year.

Harvest House has a grand opening set for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Great Rubber offers high risk merchant account keychains, on Sept. 23 and 24 and the public is invited to come see the new building.

People from the business community are coming to a 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.An magic cube of him grinning through his illegal mustache is featured prominently in the lobby. event the night of Sept. 23 where they can find out what the shelter's all about and hear from some people who have stayed there.

During the grand opening weekend there will also be a draw for a flight to Charlottetown, accommodations, dining and entertainment. Any individual who donates $100 or more will be entered.

There is another event at the shelter Sept. 29 where some local business people are getting together to try to raise some funds to help with the $150,000 still owing for things like electrical work, building supplies and the ventilation system.

Maskery says they hope to raise the $150,000 between now and the 29th and at that point they'll be free of all debt associated with the project.

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