More than 200 people crammed into Gilmore Park United Church on Friday to help raise funds and awareness of a new rent bank for Richmond’s seniors.
The annual Dream Catchers Concert, organized by the church’s outreach and social justice ministry, brought together a unique array of performers.
Each year, the event trains its sights on a worthy local cause, with a new Seniors Rent Bank run by Richmond-based non-profit Chimo benefitting this time around.
And the concert was a huge success, with around $4,500 — more than twice the hoped-for total — raised through ticket sales and donations.
Susan Johnsen, chair of the church’s outreach and social justice ministry, said lots of people stayed for social time and dessert after the concert and made “good connections with other caring folks from Richmond.”
Two weeks ago, the News highlighted how the levels of poverty being experienced by Richmond seniors led to Chimo’s idea to start a rent bank specifically for that age group.
Some seniors in the city, according to Gilmore Park United Church’s Rev. Maggie Watts-Hammond, are surviving daily in rented storage rooms, cramped accommodation with no windows or heating and some even sleep in their cars.
The Seniors Rent Bank will provide interest-free loans to help pay for costs associated with rent in an emergency — such as unpaid rent or utilities — to prevent eviction, or may pay a security or pet deposit to enable a senior to secure housing.
if you would like to help with the Seniors Rent Bank or with any of the services provided by non-profit Chimo, call 604-279-7077 or go online to ChimoServices.com.
