Dear Mr. Mayor and Council,

                 We strongly believe that a Community is only as strong as its most vulnerable. The Kelowna Gospel Mission asks you to accept this letter and petition of Gratitude for the immense work, dedication and effort being put forward by you, the Mayor, your incredible council and your planning team. Your “Journey Home” plan is one of the most comprehensive plans we have seen to date. It shows how much work and thought the City of Kelowna has  put into dealing with the complex needs of its most vulnerable citizens.

While we all celebrate Kelowna’s ever growing success and the extraordinary work Mayor Basran has been doing in advocating the complex needs of our most vulnerable with the Urban Mayor’s Caucus. We also recognize that that success can come with road blocks. These obstructions include higher housing and living costs. In addition, strains have been placed on our services and infrastructure, such as healthcare, emergency services and mental health provider needs. The “Journey Home” approach seems to tackle all of the issues with short, medium and long term solutions. This ensures our most vulnerable don’t fall through the cracks.

We the workers whose job it is to care for these people would like to convey our immense gratitude to you and the council. We see, appreciate and admire the efforts you as well as BC housing are making. Your incredible efforts to find us a long term/permanent shelter, and ensure that 60 souls in desperate need are not without a warm bed, food and safety is seen. You have also shown a great deal of  care for all of the 56 incredible individuals that work for and love these marginalized people.

Please continue in your exceptional endeavours and know that we as an organization are here cheering you on, praying and working tirelessly towards mutual success.

Yours Sincerely,

The entire team at Kelowna Gospel Mission