A block-party atmosphere prevailed Friday evening on Kings Road, where a no-charge “radical renovation” of the shabby offices of two non-profit mental-health agencies got underway.
Pipers played while flag-bearing youths, nearly 100 volunteers and many community members paraded down the road to kick off the project, characterized by the HeroWork Program Society as a modern-day barn raising in support of community well-being.
“Teamwork is the essence of what we do,” said HeroWork founder Paul Latour, adding that effort, vision and volunteer co-operation make it happen.
Over the next three weekends, the group will complete a $200,000 upgrade to the offices of the Citizens Counselling Centre of Greater Victoria and the B.C. Schizophrenia Society’s Victoria branch in Quadra Village.
Housed in a building that is more than 50 years old, the agencies’ quarters are long overdue for renovations, held off due to funding cutbacks. The counselling centre, which owns the building, is contributing $20,000 to the effort.
“We’re gobsmacked,” an elated executive director Hazel Meredith of the schizophrenia society told about 200 people who attended the event. “This is fantastic. I cannot believe how many people are here.”
The renovations will make the place much more welcoming for clients as well as provide a kitchen and new bathroom and show the vulnerable clientele that they’re valued by the community, centre officials said.
Many of the clients could not otherwise afford therapy, which is offered on a sliding scale. Last year, 115 volunteers provided 9,000 hours of counselling.
HeroWork began in 2008 with a backyard garden makeover for a Fernwood woman with multiple sclerosis. Latour said he was inspired by the reality show Extreme Home Makeover.
“Money, resources, and people are leveraged to achieve exceptional transformations of charity buildings at a small fraction of traditional costs and time,” the organization says.
Previous HeroWork renovations include last year’s $350,000 overhaul of a Davie Street apartment building donated through Threshold Housing to help homeless youth, and a $300,000 makeover of the Mustard Seed food bank and community centre in 2013.
Chris Lamrock of Esquimalt was laid off from his construction job a few months back and decided to put his time and skills to work for a good cause for the three weekends, doing whatever he is asked to do.
Joy Farrell of Central Saanich was busy warning cyclists that the sidewalk was closed and keeping people out of the largely empty building.
Helping out with HeroWork is “so inspiring,” she said. “There is no way they could do this on their own.”
