For 16 years the H.O.P.E. Outreach has operated to support some of the most vulnerable women in the Okanagan and now it’s being dissolved.
The society serves Kelowna and Vernon, B.C. with several programs including nighttime outreach, bad date reporting, and a Narcan team.
“The board of the society has made the decision to call it quits due to financial constraints,” said Naomi Woodland, board chair of the H.O.P.E. Outreach.
“Post COVID, a lot of non profit organizations are struggling, there was a lot of government money available through COVID which really buoyed our support and we saw an increase in the number of people that are marginalized folks on the streets of Kelowna and Vernon but after COVID some of that money wasn’t reoccurring.”
The not-for-profit was founded by Angie Lohr and Kelly Craig in 2008 and since then has helped thousands of women who work in the sex trade as well as those experiencing homelessness. Lohr retired last year.
“I get a little emotional and the gift that it has brought to so many that we did serve, Kelly and I just wanted to make a difference and so did our staff, so did our volunteers and I don’t think they truly know the impact that was created,” said Lohr.
With the closure, there’s a potential gap in the services however, Woodland says it won’t be for long.
“The ally outreach team is a program of H.O.P.E. Outreach, we have trained volunteers we have dedicated people, we have a 24/7 phone line, that is a lifeline for the folks on the street and sex trade in general,” said Woodland.
“We are not planning on closing anything. What we need is to transfer these services to other organizations these services will continue in some form.
Even if programs are picked up, the dissolution is still a loss for the community.
The Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society is one of the many not-for-profits in the area that offer services to hundreds of vulnerable women and children every year.
“We support all survivors of sexual assault, exploitation, intimate partner violence and child abuse and neglect and we do that through community-based victim services, sexual assault counselling and community education,” said Banman.
Announcements about where the H.O.P.E. Outreach programming will go should be announced in the coming weeks.
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