March 24, 2006: The fourth annual
Accent Inns InnAid event, held March 17 and 18 at Accent Inn Victoria,
was an invitation to the public to participate in caring for our
community, and many people answered the invite with support for
the Salvation Army. Almost a dozen vanloads of pillows, dishes,
clothes and household items were delivered to Accent Inn over the
two days and all of it will be appreciatively used to furnish housing
units for people recovering from addictions.
"We had such a fantastic response to the call for help that by mid-afternoon on Friday we had exceeded last year's total donations," says Carol Barton, public relations representative for the Salvation Army. "It's wonderful to have this partnership with Accent Inns as it focuses on a specific program, giving us a great deal of help. This is a great boost for us."
Donations will help furnish a housing unit for people with addictions. The Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre is a 149-bed facility that gives its residents the opportunity to live in a safe, drug-free and alcohol-free environment. The twenty-one beds provided specifically for the homeless are full every night -- regardless of weather conditions. In severe weather an extra 30 spaces are made available through use of mats on the floor. No one needing a warm place to sleep is turned away. Other services provided at the ARC include addictions support, a family tracing bureau, a community feeding program and the Beacon Bus emergency vehicle.
"It's so rewarding to see an initiative that directly meets the needs of those in our community. There is such a positive result to working directly with the Salvation Army to meet real needs and address real concerns," says Mandy Farmer, Vice President of Accent Inns.
For Accent Inns, participating actively in the community has always been a way of doing business. This philosophy of community involvement was the inspiration for InnAID, an initiative that pairs each of the five Accent Inns properties in Burnaby, Richmond, Kelowna, Kamloops and Victoria with a mission, homeless shelter or transition house in their community. In 2006 three Accent Inns properties worked with the Salvation Army to focus on specific initiatives and unique needs in each community. Accent Inns donated bedding, towels and furnishings and staff members gathered clothing, household items and other furnishings to contribute to their partner organization
"As a family-run business, we're very conscious of our role in our community and we are determined to do more to help others improve their quality of life" says Terry Farmer, President and CEO of Accent Inns. "InnAid has grown in each of our communities over the past three years. The program builds on a platform of partnership and participation. By working together we can make a positive difference in the lives of many people in our communities."
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Media contacts:
Mandy Farmer, Accent Inns Victoria - 475-7500
Carol Barton, Public Relations Representative - The Salvation Army
386-6304
