CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – Community members experience is highlighting the impacts of Qwalayu House in Campbell River.
The home provides a home away from home for people from the North Island accessing health care services in Campbell River.
The home is owned and operated by the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island, who have houses in other areas of the Island.
Local photographer Ricky Miller says the foundation’s homes have supported her family in difficult times when finding a place to stay would have been difficult.
“I had my daughter nine years ago now, but it was really scary going into a totally different community and having a baby as a first-time parent and your child’s not leaving the hospital with you,” she said.
“We had a support worker that took my husband over to a place called ‘Jeneece Place’. He went in there and he just immediately started bawling because he knew we had a place that was safe, where we could lay our heads down, where we could decompress from the day of all the information we’d been gathering on our child.”
She added her family is very thankful for all that foundation has done for them and Qwalayu House will be a “blessing” for all the families on the North Island.
The second Radiothon fundraiser provides support to Qwalayu House. The home is funded completely by donations and requires around $450,000 every year to operate.
Capital Campaigns manager Maris Martins says the fundraisers are very important to bring in funds for the home.
She adds it provides a larger service for people of the North Island.
“Anyone who would need services in Campbell River, if they don’t have health services in their community they have to travel,” said Martins. “So, when we think of North of Campbell River, across the water to surrounding islands and even west.”
The Radiothon in support of Qwalayu House runs on June 23 at the Strathcona Gardens Recreation Complex from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Donations can be made online through Children’s Hospital Foundation of Vancouver Island.
