92 ~ Sunday, October 3, 1993 - North Shore News

Neighbourhood House makeover
reflects goodwill and hard work

YOU HAVE to see it for yourself. Someone telling
you about it; you just can’t imagine, if you’re at all
familiar with North Shore Neighbourhood House,

what’s been done.

It’s beautiful. I mean, for as
long as I've known it, some 30
years or more, it’s been the
height of grunge.

Dark brown. Brown inside,
brown outside.

Cramped, ugly as a refor-
matory, ill-lit, ill-equipped, its
working tools a collection of
well-worn cast-offs.

‘Baby, look at her now!
Light everywhere, and I’m
talking natural, fresh, sunlight.

The kitchen, where I used to
hold cookery lessons in the
most squalid surroundings, i is
transformed.

- It's as though the fairies had
granted all the wishes — up-
to-date, convenient, bright
premises, attached to a pretty
snack room, and also open to
a generous dining space with a
handsome fireplace and music
equipment and windows, win-
dows all around!

The washrooms! The crisp,
airy craft room, games and
directors’ room, the office *

space ‘somehow quadrupled its.

previous size, with light every-
where!

' -. And with equipment to em-
phasize the metamorphosis
from early Stonehenge to the
eve of the 21st century.

The change is apparent right
from the entrance off Second

' Street.

It looks like someplace else,

i wide inviting doors fancied up

with green glass and an in-
viting view of the welcoming
interior. :

Of course at the formal
opening day, on Sept. 21, it
was decorated with-miles ‘of
smiles — smiles of triumph, of
pleasure and relief, and of: .

: Keen intent to get going on ail
the things it was so hard to do
before.

All the staff and all the
happy volunteers looked ra-
diant with accomplishment and
anticipation.

So where did it come from?
What happened to bring it
about at last? It’s a great

to02 CADILLAC ELDORADO
immnacuate ingce .
Moorea OO $59 295

Eleanor

THE VINTAGE YEARS

story.

There were the core con-
tributions one would expect,
such as the help in renovating
the adjoining playground that;
was offered by the Vancouver
Sun Children’s Fund and the
B.C. Tel Pioneers and the pro-
vincial ministry of social ser-
vices, |

- That’s what organizations
like that are supposed to do.

“If you were undertaking
building renovations for this
sort of activity you’d lean on
City Hall to help, and the
various provincial agenicies, the
United Way — those are the
traditional reliable sources.

And all those bodies did

‘help, and everyone applauded.

But it’s a warm, fuzzy sur-
prise when you get $3,300°
from IGA Stores, eh?

They happened to be doing
over three stores in the area,
and for one of their promo-
tions offered free hotdogs.’

People, bless them, insisted

on making some thank-you

gesture, and it piled up. IGA
couldn’t think of a better place
to put that nice little pile of
money. -
Top this one: RBC Domi-

nion Securities, situated in

. West Vancouver, was turned
on to staging a gold tourna-
ment on behalf of the Neigh-

ee bantal tes: "

“1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM
4 dr, loaded with opbons .2
Your choce of 3 514, #80 ,
/ Save thousands over new
/ Full manufacturers’ warranties
/ On-the-spot financing
/ Exceptional Service Dept.
ALL THIS ONLY 5 MINUTES
FROM THE 2ND NARROWS

| —

HOURS: Nae Ts, 99 « FrivSat 96° Son. 115

bourhood House, and pres-
ented a cheque for $12,000!

They were so pleased they
think they'll try it annually.
Hallelujah.

And Red Robin restaurants,
equally unlikely in the role of
donor, is a steady source of
cash for the Neighbourhood
House, as is the North Shore
Credit Union.

Some of the credit union
people sit on the house board
of directors as well,

When the Rotary Club had
the Capilano overflowing with
little plastic duckies, a nice
piece of the money thus gener-
ated was directed to NSNH.

You don’t expect that sort
of help, which makes it that
much more impressive.

_ Underneath it all, ongoing
and selfless, is the work of the
members; the volunteers who
are lavish with their time and
responsive to any fundraiser.

They’ve been doing it, some
of them, for years, because
they know the need.

They know there will be
close to another 50 babies born
this coming year to girls as
young as 13, girls who can’t
count on any other support,
who haven't the faintest idea
about parenting. Both babies
and mothers need care.

Shannon, who gave me a lot
of this information, related
how helpless everyone felt at
having to demonstrate only
patented diapers to these
young girls.

But cloth diapers are useless
to them because none of them
has a washing machine.

And in the daycare, it’s a
given that of the 30-odd .
children who are brought in
each morning most will have
had no breakfast.

. The hot-lunch program is of
greatest importance to these
kids, and it’s a constant
scramble to keep it at a decent
level,

When you see what’s been
wrought you can’t help but
wish all charity money was
handled to the same effect.

Real needs are really being
met,

| Brenda & Masa Full Call 984-7900

' THE CORPORATION OF
THE DISTRICT OF NORTH VANCOUVER.

61 UNIT APARTMENT SITE
NEXT TO NORTHLANDS GOLF COURSE

A RARE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY —
IN 4 PRIME LOCATION

PARKGATE AVENUE, NORTH VANCOUVER

Sealed tenders for the purchase of the freehold of the
above site will be received by the Manager - Lands of
the Corporation of the District of North Vancouver
until 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 10, 1993. jf

For a tender brochure.providing full details, please contact

the Land Department, District of North Vancouver Annex,

253 East 14th Street, North Vancouver, B. C. ;
V7L 2N5 ‘Tel: 987-7131

it Enforcement
ek. iu
Your. Local Police and ICBC