The need for a new Children's Treatment Centre (CTC) in Chatham-Kent is apparent but work can not start until provincial funding is secured, which may require a little help from the public.
The Children's Treatment Centre Foundation has been collecting donations and has previously held multiple fundraisers as part of the Butterfly Building campaign, which is in support of a new state-of-the-art facility to meet the needs of more children within the community.
The CTC currently located on Lark Street in Chatham was originally built to serve 250 children and youth, however, the centre currently has 4,980 caseloads with 1,000 kids on the wait-list. With the intent of building a new facility, land on McNaughton Avenue West had been identified as the desired location for the new CTC build.
Donna Litwin-Makey, executive director with the CTC, said although this project has been identified as a need for the region and has met fundraising goals, $22.5 million is needed in provincial funding to move forward with construction.
"Our Children’s Treatment Centre requires both local fundraising and government funding. The successful local fundraising has demonstrated our strong community support, and we are very grateful for the generous donors," the CTC said in a news release. "We are competing for provincial funding and advocating to be considered a priority with support."
In order to secure provincial dollars, residents are being asked to send a letter to local MPPs Rick Nicholls and Monte McNaughton to help the project move forward.
"The more people who send these letters, the more people will have their voices heard," said Ashley Gialelem, CTC ambassador. "The more people we have, it sends a stronger message and a more community [centric] message that we need these types of facilities in our community."
Gialelem said she knows first-hand how the programs at the CTC benefit children and their families.
"I have been with the treatment centre since I was an infant. It has helped me with everything from walking to speaking," she said. "It's actually because of them that I am able to talk on the phone which is amazing for me and my family.
"Each and every person has a gift and we want to see that and embrace that."
For further information on how to help in the effort for a new CTC, click here.