Our Story: Part III

...Continued from Part II

During the Phase 1 build, the organization was noticing businesses becoming much more risk adverse and funds were drying up.  Gloria had seen the value of the ReStore with other affiliations and promised her reluctant Board that she could set up the store without tapping into any of HFHGV current funds or volunteer resources. 

With the Boards approval, Gloria set up a new committee, went to BCIT for assistance in developing a 3-year business plan, and started a location search.  In 2002, the same year as the completion of Phase 1, HFHGV opened its doors to its first ReStore in Burnaby. In the first year, the hope was for the ReStore to break even, but by year-end the business netted $300,000. 

Feeling confident that the organization was in a solid position with a building plan, funding channels and community resources, in 2004, Gloria Levi, Board Chair, stepped down from the organization due to health issues.  HFHGV hired an Executive Director, Anneke Rees, to lead the organization.  Under the new leadership, the organization completed Phase 2 (2004), Phase 3 (2006), Phase 4 (2008), Phase 5 (2011), and opened the second ReStore in Vancouver in 2006.  Tim Wake took over in 2011 as CEO and closed on the Cordova project with Westbank and Vancity before passing the reins over to Tim Clark in 2012, the current CEO of HFHGV.  2013 was a pinnacle year with the opening of the third ReStore in North Vancouver and the completion of the final phase, Phase 6, of Government Street.

In total, 27 families with 43 children call 8745 Government Street home.  

At the dedication celebration for Phase 6, Gloria Levi was awarded the first Honourary Life Membership Award. She is without a doubt the soul of our affiliation.  Her passion, energy and vision made it possible for HFHGV to celebrate incredible accomplishments over the years.  She provided a strong foundation for us to build on, year after year.

Today, the organization continues to foster relationships with influential community partners and individual volunteers to evolve and grow our build site and ReStore operations.  HFHGV has expansion plans for ReStores to open in all the major markets in the lower mainland, with even bigger aspirations for our builds.  As we carry out our mission to end the cycle of poverty and advocate for affordable homeownership, HFHGV’s efforts are focused on building more homes, faster, for low-income hard-working families.