A resource centre that helps Kelowna, B.C.’s most vulnerable is closing its doors after three decades of serving the community.
This is the second resource centre in the Okanagan to announce a closure this week, leaving local advocates concerned about the future of not-for-profits.
Living Positive provides a long list of resources including drug testing and harm reduction, and also assists people living with hepatitis C, HIV and substance use. The centre announced it will be officially closing this month, which was an unexpected move to many people.
“I think it’s really sad for our community and people who are accessing those services the loss will certainly be felt,” said Carmen Rempel, the executive director at Kelowna’s Gospel Mission.
“I’ve been out here for almost two years, and for feeling safe, I think that was the best place for me to be on the Kelowna side.”
During his two years, former board member of the LPRC, Wilbur Turner, says there was never any indication that this could happen.
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“The organization seemed to be doing well. There were quite a few folks involved in the harm reduction part of it as well as a men’s health initiative.”
This organization is the second local charity in the Okanagan to close this month.
Hope Outreach, which serves Vernon and Kelowna, announced its closure earlier this week, citing funding issues as the cause. Living Positive, however, has yet to give a reason for its closure.
In a statement to Global News, Living Positive Resource Centre outlined its plan for its clients, saying, “We are working closely with local services to facilitate a smooth transition of care to other services for harm reduction and client support services.”
Similar organizations are now expressing concerns about the future of local charities.
“Anyone who works in the non-profit sector understands the stress that we’re under, the constant under-funding, the challenges, the general lack of resources when it comes to infrastructure or administration,” said Rempel.
According to Rempel, the under-funding has to do with previous COVID funding that has since depleted.
“We had lots of organizations, ourselves included, that grew exponentially over the last four years and now a lot of those funding sources tied to COVID programs have dried up,” said Rempel.
Living Positive’s last official day is June 28.
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