Ways to Partner With Us

The cost per client is approximately $1,000 per month.  While some clients are able to cover this cost, others cannot. Their costs are covered through subsidies from sponsoring churches and private donations.

There are many opportunities to support The Place of Refuge, including:

• Prayer for the clients and the ministry of the Place of Refuge
• The provision of house furnishing such as kitchen utensils, dishes, bedroom and living furnishings
• Donation of time to provide house and yard maintenance
• Giving regular, monthly donations
• One time gifts

The Place of Refuge does not rely on government funding.  Instead, support is raised through client contributions, donations, sponsoring churches, MCC British Columbia and Hope for Freedom Society.

To Partner with Us call Garry Janzen at 778-242-1185.

Place of Refuge Society is a Christian organization that provides transitional living accommodations, at 655 East 49th Avenue, for people recovering from alcohol and drug addictions. Our mandate is to provide a safe environment for people to become healthy, confident and drug-free.

Our program is:

• Based on Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) Programs, Place of Refuge is a 12-step program with Christ identified as the higher power, although services are open to all regardless of faith commitment or participation
• Committed to abstinence-based recovery
• Ensures a drug, alcohol and violence free environment (zero tolerance policy)

We are rooted in the church and rely on donations and volunteers. This project is the work of five South Vancouver churches, Mennonite Central Committee BC and Hope for Freedom Society. The sponsoring Churches are:

1. Sherbrooke Mennonite Church, 7155 Sherbrooke Street
2. First United Mennonite Church, 659 E 52nd Avenue
3. South Hill Church, 5887 Prince Edward Street
4. Culloden Mennonite Brethren Church, 6060 Culloden Street
5. Killarney Park Mennonite Brethren Church, 6426 Kerr Street

We consider dependency to be a physical, mental and spiritual disease and the chemically dependent person to be deserving of the same respect and dignity afforded to persons afflicted with any other illness. We believe that individuals can recover from their disease and can rebuild abstinent, productive lives. Program graduates will have recovered to the point where they can successfully integrate into the community.

Life at Place Of Refuge

Individuals who have successfully completed an abstinence based recovery program are eligible to live at the Place of Refuge where they:

• Attend mandatory 12-step meetings (Alcohol Anonymous  or Narcotics Anonymous)
• Attend the school of their choice to enhance their education and/or work in the local community
• Have access to group and one-on-one counseling
• Have 24 hr supervision
• Have assistance from professionally trained counsellors, facilitators, and resource people
• Live in a zero tolerance environment
• Are committed to an abstinence-based recovery program.

Target Group:

• Clients who have successfully completed detox and initial treatment elsewhere
• Clients who require follow up to initial recovery
• Open to all regardless of faith commitment or participation
• 10 full-time clients

Staffing and Supervision:

• Full-time supervision, on site 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week
• Professionally trained counsellors and facilitators
• Resource people in related fields
• Volunteers from the sponsoring churches
• Program provided by Hope for Freedom Society which operates 73 beds for men and women who desire a new way of life by recovering from addiction. www.hopeforfreedom.org

Hours of Operation:

• Residential
• 24 hr supervision

Referral Process:

• judicial system
• social services
• client referrals
• website inquiries
• word of mouth

Funding:

• client contributions
• donations from clients’ families and friends
• 5 local sponsoring churches providing financial and volunteer support
• Mennonite Central Committee BC (website: www.mcc.org/bc)
• Hope for Freedom Society ( website: www.hopeforfreedom.org)
• we do not rely on any government funding