As a long-time non-profit society in the community reached out to local service-based organizations, the Rotary Club of Prince George answered the call.
Ketso Yoh ('a house where men come together' is the intended translation), a branch of services ultimately provided by the Prince George Native Friendship Centre, offers support and temporary housing to those local men in need.
To continue to support community projects focused on men's health, the Rotary Club of Prince George is hosting the fifth annual Big Blue Ball Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Coast Inn of the North.
The annual event has already raised more than $200,000 with $10,000 of that is designated to support the men's emergency shelter wing of Ketso Yoh for each of the next three years, totaling $30,000 in support.
"Our contribution to Ketso Yoh is part of our ongoing commitment to the community," said club president Ross Birchall. "We feel this is a benefit to the social fabric of Prince George and it falls in our area of service."
It's not just about the brick and mortar of Ketso Yoh but the programs offered inside the building that impact the community and the Rotary club is proud to be part of it, added Birchall.
Ketso Yoh has been in the community for more than 26 years and until recently was located at 160 Quebec St.
After the Native Friendship Centre took a chance and got a mortgage to provide more facilities under the Ketso Yoh roof, the facility was moved next door into a brand new building at 140 Quebec St.
The 24 hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week staffed facility offers 24 emergency-shelter beds with room for up to 10 more during cold, wet weather, 16 alcohol and drug supported recovery beds, and 18 supported living beds.
"We use a harm-reduction model so when men access the shelter we accept them as they are when they come through the doors," said Barbara Ward-Burkitt, executive director of the Native Friendship Centre. "There's expectations because everybody needs to be safe and treated respectfully so our practices and our engagement with the men are around that and that's critical because when they are in those behaviours that's when we feel they need us the most."
The facility may be used as a transition to a better way of life for the men entering the shelter.
"So men come in and they are in the shelter generally on an emergency basis but often times if they come back to the shelter for more than one night and over a period of time then there is an indication of some readiness about them wanting to move into a more independent kind of housing so there is the ability to transition to different programs within the centre," said Ward-Burkitt.
There is another wing that is designated for supported recovery from drugs and alcohol and then there is the option to enter the supported living facility that offers the life skills that are needed to achieve independent living.
If a man chooses to go from the emergency shelter into the recovery program it includes help to transition away from street life and addictions, said Ward-Burkitt.
"From there they can move to transitional housing that is in a different part of the building," she added. "The men pay rent within those units geared upon income and there's an expectation that the men are working or working realistically and authentically on their recovery and moving towards independence or they're going to school or connecting with family so we know that they're doing some of that work that will lead them to be successful when they move into their own housing outside of this facility."
Men residing in any capacity within Ketso Yoh are all provided three meals, assistance from staff on duty round the clock, basic hygiene products and bedding.
There is also an outreach program to make sure the homeless that don't want to access the Ketso Yoh centre are still taken care of on some level.
"Our outreach team makes really close connections with the homeless and their job is at night," said Ward-Burkitt. "So when we're all going home from work during the day time, they're going out at night bringing hot chocolate and soup to those in need."
Another service provided to the community is to offer a buffer between the income assistance office and those accessing those services, including women.
"We also have a program for individuals who are not able to access face-to-face services because they may have burned their bridges there for acts of violence or other unwelcome behaviours," said Ward-Burkitt. "So they can come here and we've got a staff member who works with them and that work is around doing things like applications and a needs assessment and those in need can actually pick up their income assistance cheque here from our staff rather than going into the office."
Ketso Yoh also offers the services of a male cultural and spiritual advisor that hosts talking circles and sweat ceremonies.
"The guys are then able to have those conversations that are really challenging for them in a safe place that honours their culture," said Ward-Burkitt. "That's an important piece, as well."
Ketso Yoh is a really big resource for the community where all men are welcome, added Ward-Burkitt.
The former Ketso Yoh at 160 Quebec St. was originally designated by the city as a steam bath hotel facility back in the day and as the Native Friendship Centre saw more and more renovations required and maintenance cost elevating over time, it was deemed that it was not providing adequate service to the community any longer.
"We want to provide the best we can as best we can so this new building has been a dream of those in the organization for about 20 years," said Ward-Burkitt, referring to the Native Friendship Centre. "Because we could not access those big capital dollars we used our assets to leverage a mortgage on our own as a non-profit society so I'm really really proud of that. I think it speaks to our relationships in the community not just as good neighbours and good service providers but really good financial partners as well."
The Native Friendship Centre then needed to do fundraising to equip the building and that's how Ketso Yoh was connected with the Rotary Club of Prince George.
"Because some of what we do here fits within their mandate we've been able to come together in a really beautiful relationship with the Rotary Club of Prince George," said Ward-Burkitt. "This is something that's new to us as we've not had a partnership like this before and it's been really good and they've been really wonderful in terms of working with us to sponsor the men's shelter wing of Ketso Yoh."
Besides Ketso Yoh, the Rotary Club of Prince George operates a thriving Prince George Prostate Cancer Support Group that includes outreach efforts with the Canadian Cancer Society and the Kordyban Lodge as well as holding free clinics to address men's health within the community.
This year's Big Blue Ball is amping things up a bit from previous years with a man-sized roaming dinner, as well as craft beer and wine pairings. There will be more networking opportunities and musical entertainment will be provided by Pink Champagne, a seven-piece band. There is a silent and live auction and as always, guests are invited to wear their best denim formal wear to the event.
Tickets are $85 each and on sale at The Coast Inn of the North front desk or online at
www.thebigblueball.ca.
