Club Meeting August 19th - Guest Speaker - Lloyd McClellan
Lloyd McClellan is an Addictions Worker with Freedoms Door here in Kelowna. Freedoms Door helps Men with Alcohol/Drug/Gambling Addictions. It is a Non Profit - Faith Based Organization that has been in Kelowna for 13 years in September.
It began with 1 rental home & is now 5 homes that house up to 50 men, almost always at capacity & often a large wait list.
Freedoms Door provides men with a nurturing environment where they participate in a 90 day program of learning different aspects of their addiction, and also a segment including life skills. At the end of the 90 day program, men do not have to leave. They can then stay on in a safe environment where they can restart their lives - start back to school, look for work, etc.
Freedoms Door throughout the years has given service to over 1200 men, and they have seen men restored to their families, their mom/dads/kids & to their communities. They were honored by the City of Kelowna with the Award for "Volunteer Organization Of The Year" last year. Their men provided over 3000 community hours during 2013.
As a non profit ministry they do not receive designated government funding for their services & the majority of their clients are not able to cover the full cost of their stay with them so this results in a 25,000 dollar shortfall every month. They are dependent on the support of local service organizations, businesses & individuals to keep their doors open.
Some of their stats from Jan. 1, 2013 – Nov 30, 2013: 154 men admitted to the program, a total of 16,109 bed nights, provided 54,000 meals & 27 baptisms. Freedoms Door is Federally Government Registered so it can issue Charitable receipts.
A lots more info about them can be found at www.freedomsdoorkelowna.com or email at freedomsdoor@shaw.ca