A pre-teen drop-in centre in Trail will mark its 25th anniversary this weekend with an open house.
Sanctuary, which provides a free place for kids ages 8-12 to go after school, will celebrate its milestone on Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. at 1705 Bay Ave.
“We’ve invited all kinds of people,” says board chair Brenda Hooper. “Our alumni, kids now grown and some who are parents themselves, people who used to volunteer, current volunteers, board members present and past and the folks who have helped us keep doors open: our very important donors.”
Hooper explained Sanctuary got its start in September 1998 after present treasurer Barbara Gibson noted the library was a common after-school hang-out for kids. Following a meeting to gauge support, Cominco and the United Way each provided $5,000 in seed money and Ken Potter was hired as the first co-ordinator.
“We were not sure what to expect but we knew a safe space was needed after school for the pre-teens of Trail,” Hoooper said. “The children came in large numbers, but we had a lot of volunteers at the time.”
The Salvation Army gave them use of Kate’s Kitchen, then in a house near the Royal Theatre. A few years later Sanctuary started renting their current building, the former Lazareff hardware store, which was then owned by the Ferraro brothers and had apartments on the upper floors.
“We thought we should buy the building and laughed ‘How could we do that? We’re on a shoestring budget,'” Hooper says. “Within a year, with donations from the community, we were able to buy that building.”
The upstairs apartments are a mix of market and affordable rentals that help fund the kids programs downstairs. Sanctuary is open five days a week year round, although it takes a couple of weeks off at the beginning of summer and a week over Christmas.
It has three staff and a capacity of 25. Hooper says they rarely have to turn anyone away. In addition to providing snacks and hot meals, there is a bit of structured programming, much of it involving their neighbours.
This year kids worked in the community garden on Riverside Avenue, going every Friday to plant seeds, weed, and harvest. They do weekly pottery sessions at the VISAC gallery and participate in many library programs. Sometimes they go to movies at the theatre.
The United Way also provided a grant for a life skills program, where kids learn things like basic cooking, elementary sewing, budgeting money and buying groceries. “It empowers the kids to participate in their family life,” Hooper says. “We’re grateful for that support.”
Hooper said hundreds of kids have passed through their door and they still run into their alumni.
“At a recent market a young woman with two small children and her partner walked past. We asked her if she knew about Sanctuary and she said ‘Yes, I used to go there, it changed my life.’ One comment like that makes it all worthwhile.”
Keeping the program going has not always been easy, as they continue to rely on donations and grants, but Hooper said whenever they have run short of money, the community steps up. Teck still provides annual support.
“We are looking forward to caring for Trail’s pre-teens for a long time to come,” Hooper said.
