Kiwanis Club raises funds for youth housing development Katherine's Place

Photo: Josh Dawson

L-R: Peter Mutrie, Tangie Genshorek, and Roger Parkes.

The Kiwanis Club of Kamloops has raised $1,150 in support of A Way Home Kamloops’ supportive housing development, which is currently under construction.

“We're very happy to support the A Way Home program,” said Peter Mutrie, Kiwanis president.

Mutrie said he hopes the donation will help raise awareness of the project that’s being constructed in partnership with BC Housing and a local developer.

“And hopefully, warm everybody's heart with the possibilities of what we can do to support each other in this community,” Mutrie said.

Katherine’s Place is named after Katherine McParland, founder of A Way Home Kamloops who passed away suddenly in 2020.

Katherine’s Place officially broke ground on the 500-block on Tranquille Road last August.

“Construction has actually begun. So we're looking at 15 to 18 to 24 months of construction,” said Tangie Genshorek, executive director for A Way Home Kamloops.

Katherine’s Place will house nearly 40 young adults from ages 19 to 26.

Residents will be offered meals, counselling, life skills training and peer support, according to the plans for the development.

“Supporters like Kiwanis Club will really make all of the programs really possible there,” Genshorek said.

She said the funds raised by Kiwanis will be put to a specific use at Katherine's Place.

“We want to develop something that's really specific to the Kiwanis Club, really think about what we can put the Kiwanis name on there,” said Genshorek.

“We're in discussions now, brainstorming really about what Kiwanis could contribute into the programming,” said Mutrie.

A Way Home Kamloops recently raised over $100,000 during its sixth annual campout fundraiser in December.