The Little House Society is thrilled to report that its campaign to raise $250,000 is well underway. It has received more than $40,000 in cash donations as well as offers to donate a range of products and services from more than a dozen South Delta area businesses to help build the new facility.

Society president Jim Stimson says what is starting to happen is akin to an old-fashioned barn raising.

"Many different individuals and businesses take a look at what we are doing and want to support us in whatever way they can. Whether someone has been directly touched by drug and addiction or not, people see the need to address this growing concern in the name of community spirit."

Murray Lott of the Delta Law Office says his family and his firm are proud to be involved. "Many of the problems that we deal with in the law office are rooted in substance abuse issues. In addition, my family has been touched with addiction so I see this as a good investment for our community."

Rod Swenson says his family wanted to make a contribution because it knows first-hand how addiction can affect a family and how hard that can be.

"There is much that we need to understand when it comes to addiction so the education role the Little House Society plans to take on will be very valuable."

Pastor Paul Woehrle said St. David's Anglican Church is pleased to partner with the Little House Society.

"We are happy to be able to provide meeting space for 12-Step program meetings. But beyond that when we heard about the renewed and broadened vision and purpose for the Little House Society it resonated with what our church wants to do in terms of serving the community and helping people to heal."

The Little House Society is a community-based, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and advancing education related to substance use, abuse and addiction, and abstinence-based recovery from addiction. It is the society's hope to develop a template for educational strategies that would be used by other communities both nationally and internationally.

For 27 years, the Little House Society was charged with overseeing a house located on 12th Avenue in Tsawwassen that was used as a meeting place for addictions and related recovery groups. In 2009, the house was destroyed by arson.

The society decided to turn this tragic event into an opportunity to redefine its mission and purpose. The board and members decided that not only would it rebuild the house as a multi-purpose facility to be used by recovery and other community groups, it would extend its mandate to look for ways to provide knowledge and support to the community regarding substance abuse issues.