Santa's Helpers Pay It Forward

Every night in the Cowichan Valley, the experience of homelessness is a reality for many adults and youth - whether they are couch surfing, sleeping outdoors, or feeling unstable in their current situation. It is estimated that there are well over 300 homeless individuals in the Cowichan Valley.

Both our Warmland House Shelter and Open Door Youth Services Centre are spaces where the CMHA Cowichan Valley Branch staff can connect with and assist homeless individuals. No matter what brings someone through the door, they are always met with caring and welcoming staff, eager to offer support in whatever form is needed.

COVID-19 has presented us with many challenges. While we have continued to provide services to some of our most vulnerable community members, we have put many fundraising events on hold. To this end, we are offering a pre-Christmas ‘Santa’s Helpers Pay it Forward’ virtual silent auction to raise funds for our mental health programs in the Cowichan Valley.

Thank you to the many community members, organisations, businesses and artisans that are supporting this silent auction. We thank you for helping us to help others.

The Cowichan Valley Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA-CVB) has been working to meet the needs of persons involved in the mental health system since 1992. We continue to learn and grow in creative and innovative ways, guided by a vision of accessible, inclusive, person centred health and well-being support for all adults and youth in the Cowichan Valley.

Our ongoing programs include:

• Warmland House Shelter - a three-story residential facility with 30 shelter beds, 24 transitional apartments, a common room, kitchen, dining room, and offices. Breakfast and dinner are served daily in the dining room. Laundry and shower facilities are also provided. A physician is on site weekly and a Foot Care Clinic is held monthly Warmland also has a volunteer and resident-run garden.
•Open Door Youth Services Centre - a space where youth ages 12-19 can connect with staff over a coffee and a snack, participate in youth-focused activities, get clothing, and mentoring services
•Mobile Youth Outreach Engagement Team - 8 mobile youth outreach workers traveling by foot and van to youth homeless camps, providing support, food, basic first aid, and transportation to access services as needed.
•BounceBack - a telephone counselling program for adults and youth that are experiencing anxiety or moderate depression
•Rainbows - grief counselling for children experiencing loss
•Sexual Abuse Intervention Program