Young, chair of the Lennon Recovery House Association, said she has been overwhelmed by the community’s support of re-purposing the former Belcourt Centre into a non-profit recovery house that will use a holistic approach to help individuals who’ve struggled with mental health and addictions.
The house is named in honour of Young’s son Lennon Waterman, who struggled with drug addiction and mental illness before taking his own life in 2013.
“There’s no greater loss than the loss of a child and I found the only thing I could do to help myself was to turn my grief into some kind of purpose,” said Young. “I really have faith that Lennon House will be a safe house for people, it will be a house of healing.”
The Diocese of Charlottetown donated the building to the group, which has also received lots of community support.
That support included the first ever Thanks for Giving Run, which saw about 150 P.E.I. motorcyclists raise more than $1,500 to help the association on Saturday.
Organizer Donnie Aitken, a member of the Red Knights Motorcycle Club, said the event included three separate runs, one in each county that ultimately met under the single cause of supporting Lennon House.
The cause was close to Aitken’s heart. He also lost a child to suicide when his daughter took her life on April 15.
“Ever since then, I’ve been holding myself together trying to come up with ways to promote more awareness to mental health and try and get ride of the stigma that’s with it,” said Aitken. “Every little bit helps, even if it’s enough to one tank of oil for them.”
Aitken thanked the many riders who took part and noted that the day saw great weather for the run.
“We did some praying and I guess the angels answered our prayers,” said Aitken, adding that he’d like to make the run an annual event.
Apart from financial aid, some in the community have volunteered their time in helping to fix up the building, which still requires a number of repairs and renovations before it can open.
The house will aim to fill the transition patients face after they leave detox treatment. Young hopes to have programs for life skills and counselling, as well as music and art therapy and yoga.
The group has yet to receive any government funding for renovating or operating the house.
“I think that’s coming… because I think the community effort is showing government that we as a community can step up and do something that should have been done a long time ago to save lives,” said Young. “Unfortunately there are too many families that are affected by suicide, mental health issues and addictions.”
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