Schizophrenia society’s branch staying open for now

Society failed to apply for operating grants due to staff and board changes

The Kelowna branch of the B.C. Schizophrenia Society came close to having to shut its doors this winter due to a lack of funding.

Fundraisers and a gaming grant have kept the society afloat for now, but there is a lot more money needed to not only stay open but to fund important programs for people with mental illnesses, said community support worker Alison Vrabel.

“The way we got into this predicament was there was a lot of staff and board changeover, and there were grants that were missed during last year’s grant cycle,” said Vrabel. “We kept running the programs, but we weren’t applying for funding for them.”

By November, the society ran out of money to pay rent and other bills.

“The gentleman who owns this building was nice enough to say ‘don’t worry about rent until the gaming grant comes in,’” said Vrabel.

The society held several fundraisers recently, and was also approved for a gaming grant, allowing the organization to stay open.

“We’re open, but we’re still not in the clear,” said Vrabel.

“We need to do a lot of work and a lot of fundraising and be successful with grants to keep running our programs and hopefully implement new programs.”

The Schizophrenia Society in Kelowna helps hundreds of people and offers many programs throughout the community.

“I have an average of at least 20 to 30 new walk-in clients a month,” said Vrabel. “That doesn’t include people who are already involved in our group.”

Despite its name, the local Schizophrenia Society does not just deal with people living with schizophrenia — it helps people with all kinds of mental illnesses.

“We have programs for the individuals that struggle with mental illness, but a large portion of what we do here is educating the public, as well as helping family members of people that have mental illness.”

For more information or to donate, go online to bcsskelowna.org.