Special thanks to the Bancroft Times for another amazing article!

Little Blue Cabins Gets Charitable Status
By Michael Riley The Bancroft Times
Photo Credit: Ken Balmer

According to a July 15 post on their Facebook page, Little Blue Cabins has achieved charitable status.
This initiative aims to break the cycle of the homelessness crisis that Bancroft and many communities across Canada are facing by providing access to housing combined with
education, health, social services and employment services.
This new status will allow them to fund raise in earnest to help fund LBC and its programs. Kevin Taylor, the chair of LBC, comments on the initiative's new status.

Little Blue Cabins, whose slogan is “walking alongside the unhoused towards a fresh start in life” was realized by Taylor after seeing a similar concept in a British TV series set in the 1940's called Dr. Finlay, as well as studying similar concepts in Kingston, Hamilton and Newfield, New York; Our Liveable Solutions, HATS and Second Wind Cottages receptively, and learning from these models. For more information on Litttle Blue Cabins, visit their website at www.littlebluecabins.ca, email littlebluecabins@gmail.com, or call 613-334-0409.

Taylor told The Bancroft Times on July 22 that he can't even express how over the moon he is with the news that LBC now has charitable status.

“I had a couple of emotional days, tears of joy when we first got the news. If felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders,” he says.

The process to become a charitable organization took a lot of waiting, according to Taylor but also the Canadian Revenue Service wanted them to change their articles of incorporation and other changes that were requested. “But we complied, and then resubmitted it, and then they wanted more changes and that had to be sent off to the provincial government, who weren't in a hurry to comply to our changes but eventually did, and then that had to be sent back to the CRA. It seemed quite silly but they weren't convinced that we weren't going to turn into some profitable cottage resort. It appeared that they didn't really read all the documents we had sent, so we had to reword things and make it clearer as to our intentions as a charitable organization,” he says.

Taylor says that the impact of LBC now being a charitable organization is huge, as they haven't been able to have any real fundraisers, other than the one the Bridge held for them, which caused issues, as they weren't able to provide tax receipts.

“So that will open up doors for us to hold fundraising events and information sessions along with providing receipts. It is also the open door to many, many grants and government funding. For example, I will be in a Zoom meeting this Friday with United Way, as they may have access to some funding for us to hire a community director, so that main employee can be part of the planning and building of the community. That employee will also be able to lighten some of my load. We are so thrilled to get to this stage,” he says. In another bit of good news for LBC, Taylor says the have a potential donation of land, 22 minutes from Bancroft, but they have to go through the proper channels and due diligence to see if the zoning of that property can be amended to accommodate a health care/educational facility with residences. They've had surveyors to the property, GPS work was done, drone footage and they created a preliminary site plan for the community.

“We need to get that plan into the GPS plans, which is being done by Bishop-Geyer surveying, so we can plot out the building locations, then we can go to the (Hastings County) planner, as per his request, with a preliminary site map and some information on septic usage and we have now received that information as well. York River Interiors has been busy designing floor plans and we have been going through those, suggesting changes, etc”., he says.

Many of the floor plans are based on a great deal of work done by one of their board members, Solataire Robinson, according to Taylor. He said she prepared an incredible document on what types of spaces would be needed in the community building to aid in the health and well-being, training/education, exercise and more of the residents.

“This information has been taken into great consideration in the floor plans and we just need to tweak a few things and we may be able to make those public soon. She also created an intake process but we may need to have some more discussions with the health care professionals that will be involved, primarily the RAAM Clinic here in Bancroft which comprises a nurse practitioner, other RNs, mental health and addictions counsellors. We have another meeting scheduled with them next week to go through these documents from Solataire and also look closer at the floor plan we think we will go with, to see if they have further suggestions,” he says.

Taylor says they are also looking for more volunteers, new board members with specific jobs in mind. He said they have two potential volunteers joining them for their board meeting (the week of July 22) and probably next month's meeting as well. He says they like to have potential board members come to a couple of meetings to make sure it's a good fit before making a commitment.

“We are looking for a new secretary, so our existing secretary, Debbie Christie, can move into a position involving volunteer management/donor database, etc. We would like to find a volunteer, who doesn't have to be a board member, to help her in that area, hopefully someone who has experience with the type of software,” he says.

Taylor reveals that they are using grant money they received for Local Initiatives Program through Community Futures to buy said, software but they they have been researching various types/brands. If they get a volunteer that has experience with something they like, they will strongly consider buying that software. He says they have a lot of volunteers that have come forth to help in the building and operations of LBC, so they would like to keep track of them and be organized about it all, so this software will really help with that. He says they are also looking for someone that wants to work with them on grant applications and other fundraising initiatives. This person could be a board member or just a volunteer as well.

“We will still be looking for some big volunteers when it comes time to start building or sooner. We will be in need of a dug water well, a septic system, some land clearing, a plumbing specialist, etc. We have such an amazing team on the go, but there will be areas that we don't have covered with our great volunteers of designers or builders. So as people step forward to help, we can give them a clear idea of what is needed, and how much time and effort will be required to volunteer their expertise,” he says.

Taylor told The Bancroft Times that they have so many irons in the fire, and now with this news of LBC getting charitable status, that will add a lot more.

“But we have an amazing board, and phenomenal design/build team, but there is always room for more; more minds and more hearts,” he says. “This is moving forward, and I have so much faith in our community that I can see this community to help at a time get a 'fresh start in life' will be built and operated by loving community members and some well-trained staff.”