At Princess and Alexander, there is a building that has been deteriorating over the past year and a half. The tenants of the building have been living in constant fear as drug dealers have pretty much taken over the building. The building itself has leaked and become moldy, and it was recently decided that it would be condemned. New homes are being arranged for the existing tenants, some of which are in a housing complex just East of Chinatown (MacLean Park). Triage Emergency Services is providing support workers for the new tenants in partnership with BC Housing, who manages the building operations. It is a much more hospitable home than the building that these people are moving out of, but one thing that is proving very difficult is the fact that most of the tenants have been asked to get rid of almost all of their belongings due to the infestation of bed bugs in their old apartments. Clothing can easily be washed as heat kills bedbugs, but certain things, especially electronics, simply cannot be treated effectively. There are 11 tenants who have already moved in, and another three scheduled for this week, and perhaps 4 later in the month.
On behalf of my close friend Jeremy Goodwin who manages one of the Triage housing units, I would like to ask for donations of small appliances (TV, stereo, microwave, coffee maker, toaster/toaster oven, etc.) Any contribution will be most helpful, so please go through your cupboards, closets and cobwebbed attics to lend a hand in the spirit of compassion. I know it is a chaotic time of year, but let's be grateful for all that we are blessed with by remembering that we can each make a small effort to help these folks out :)
You can reach me at (604) 779-5399 or
[email protected] and I would be most happy to drop by chez vous for pick-up. Please provide me with your address and a good time to drop by. Also, I'd appreciate it if you could forward this to any friends that you think may be able to help out.
Thanks and happy holidays!
Erica
Dec 16, 07
