House gifted to Autism Okanagan to meet growing needs

The home will allow the organization to expand existing services and add new ones to help support some 300 families every year amid the growing need.

Six-year-old Maddox is a regular at Autism Okanagan’s Lego club.

“He’s been here since he was four and he’s been to every session,” said Maddox’s mom, Victoria Bijak.

But the Kelowna boy is building a lot more than just Lego structures — he’s building friendships and confidence, as well.

“He has a place that he can be accepted and we know that he’s safe and that he’s understood,” Bijak said.

However, putting on vital programs for children on the spectrum and for their families isn’t always easy as the organization has to find suitable spaces, which is costly and restrictive.

“We borrow space. We’re compartmentalizing the city,” said Tammy Gilmour, president of Autism Okanagan. “We spend a little bit here, a little bit there. Many places are unaffordable to us.”

But that will soon change after the charity received a major gift, a 2,200-square-foot home near the city’s downtown.

“It’s incredible…nothing like this has ever happened,” Gilmour told Global News. “We’re going to double, maybe even triple our impact.”