Last week, we told you about a group trying to establish a drug treatment and detox centre in Timmins. There’s also a group who wants to help men once they’re gone through that.
Casa Maria Recovery Home founder and director Maria Gelinas is a social worker and recovering addict for the past four years.
She already has a board in place to buy a seven-bedroom home in Timmins, where men can be taught to live again.
“You get rid of the drugs or the alcohol and then what?” Gelinas asks. “Like how do we cook, how do we pay bills, how do we live again? With programming and help and resources that we can help them at it for up to year.”
Casa Maria is looking for individual and corporate donations. Gelinas says the government won’t even look at the organization until it operates the home successfully for a year.
Gelinas says a lot of people complain about the level of addiction, but no one’s doing anything.
“I have a board. We are ready to commit to filling that gap, because nothing changes if nothing changes. We need to do something to help our community, as it’s not getting better. If anything, it’s getting worse.”
Gelinas’s board is holding an awareness- and fundraiser on Saturday, July 26th in the parking lot across from the Empire Complex between 10:00am and 4:00pm
For more information contact [email protected]
