With tenants settled into Katherine’s Place, A Way Home’s Camp Out fundraiser eyes transportation needs

Eight months since its grand opening, residents of Katherine’s Place have settled in, including Tish Taptunna-Cuthbert, who moved there after living in the former Safe Suites.

“I was actually attending youth nights over at Boys and Girls Club just over by the John Tod Centre just down the way. I was struggling a little bit here in Kamloops, so with their help, they were able to connect me with housing, which was A Way Home Kamloops,” she explains.

The building is designed to make housing available to young people between 19 and 27 who need a stable place to live.

“I am a former foster kid, so my passion has always been with youth and I know the struggles of the system,” says Trey Rhiness, who is the Harm Reduction Coordinator with A Way Home Kamloops. “Being able to support them and get them to a place where things are okay for them has always been something that’s close to my heart and I get to do there here.”

The facility also connects tenants with tools to navigate life, hold down a job or pursue education. Rhiness says it opens up opportunities for young people to focus on their well being.

“I aged out at 19 while living in a youth shelter. I didn’t know how to cook, I didn’t know how to do any of the basics most people at age 19 should know how to do. That’s the case for a lot of people coming out of care,” he explains. “There’s very few supports in place to help support those kids succeed.”

McParland passed away five years ago. Since then, the organization has grown her housing and public education goals around preventing youth homelessness.

“Definitely educate everybody around you. Your kids, your family members, even if you had a dog, talk to them about it,” reiterates Taptunna-Cuthbert. “I feel like having as many people and as many voices as we can talking about this helps a lot.”

The Camp Out fundraiser launched in 2017 with the aim of giving the community a sliver of the experience of sleeping on the streets.

“The goal is not to say that… this is what it’s like to be homeless. It’s just a small glimpse,” notes A Way Home Kamloops executive director Tangie Genshorek. “Start some conversations, talk about what it means and get together and talk about the issues.”

It took several years before enough money was raised for the Safe Suites program and, eventually, 39 units at Katherine’s Place. This year, A Way Home hopes to purchase a van to get around in and out of the city. “A big one would be trips to do camping and nature hikes,” adds Genshorek. “We could get a lot of the Indigenous and Metis folks out to the land.”

People who want to help out can camp out on December 5 at McDonald Park, camp out as a team or on their own, or make their donation online to sponsor a camping team.

by Dylana Kneeshaw

With tenants settled into Katherine’s Place, A Way Home’s Camp Out fundraiser eyes transportation needs

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