Local volunteers donate over $25k to Homes For Heroes Kingston Village
While taking part in a national fundraising event, seven teams of local volunteers have raised over $25,000 to benefit those in the community right here in Kingston.
In fact, the teams exceeded their own fundraising goals by over $10,000, all to help create a safe space for unhoused military veterans. On Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, the seven teams of 37 participants raised funds through a charitable cycle/walk/swim initiative – Ride for Refuge – to benefit Homes For Heroes Kingston Village.
L to R: Jacqueline Howard (Director of Planning and Development for H4HF), David Howard (President of H4HF), Kay Langmuir (Co-Founder of the Kingston Ride for Refuge Fundraiser & Sales Representative for Sutton Group – Masters Realty Inc. Brokerage), Lorraine and Ken Rolston (Owners of Sutton Group – Masters Realty Inc. Brokerage), Ryan Power (Sutton Group – Masters Realty Inc. Brokerage), Gail Power (Co-Founder of the Kingston Ride for Refuge Fundraiser & Sales Representative for Sutton Group – Masters Realty Inc. Brokerage), and Mark Hutchings (Chairman of the H4H Kingston Team). Photo by Rob Baxter of HFH Kingston.
Among those participants, Kingstonian Kay Langmuir (Co-Founder of the Kingston Ride for Refuge Fundraiser alongside Gail Power) set her own personal goal of swimming 100 km in the St. Lawrence River to raise funds through pledges for the 20-unit veterans’ village, which will consist of tiny homes for veterans experiencing homelessness, along with counselling support, all aimed at restoring independence.
As a result of their efforts, the volunteers – all of whom work in real estate locally – presented Homes For Heroes Foundation (H4HF) with a cheque for $26,300 on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021.
The Homes For Heroes Kingston Village was first announced in November of 2020, when the City of Kingston and the Province of Ontario announced a formal partnership to build the housing project, with the province providing $200,000 in funding. One year later to the day, the province announced further funding on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, with Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing issuing a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO), allowing for residential and complementary uses of the site. The project has been endorsed by the Social Planning Council Kingston & District, and just recently received another funding injection by way of a $25,000 donation from Commissionaires Kingston.
For more information on the Homes for Heroes Kingston Village, which is to be built at the southeast corner of King Street West and Portsmouth Avenue, visit the H4HF website here.