Burnside -
The Dartmouth Adult Services Centre (DASC) wants to go home. More specifically, it wants to construct its own home.
DASC is a long time Burnside resident, and for all of those years it has leased space on Akerley Boulevard. That space is no longer adequate for the organization to present the scope and variety of programs its clients require. So DASC is looking to build a new home custom designed to meet the needs of its unique clientele.
DASC was originally established as a training centre to assist people with learning and social challenges in acquiring the skills they need to enter the mainstream workforce. Mark Gascoigne, one of the volunteers heading up the capital campaign for the new location, says the organization's ultimate goal is to have no one working there.
"We want to have everyone placed in the community," Gascoigne says. "Unfortunately, we currently have 50 to 60 people still on a waiting list trying to get into our program."
The new building won't eliminate that waiting list, Gascoigne says, at least not right away. What it will do is create more capacity to train and place clients in a wider variety of skills, and this will eventually lead to a quicker throughput that will start to reduce that waiting list.
DASC currently offers several training programs, all of which have real private sector support in terms of service delivery contracts. Mass mailings, production of promotional buttons and product assembly are just a few of the services DASC currently offers.
"The new building will offer a much better working environment for a clients than the current location," Gascoigne says. "Our current space was never designed for what we do and much of it is 'MacGyvered' together. The new location will improve not only our shipping and receiving area, but the whole operation."
That's why DASC has themed the imminent launch of its public fundraising campaign "Dignity of Work," because it believes the new building is all about giving dignity to its clients.
The organization has already acquired land for the new building from the city on Dorey Avenue. It has a few hundred thousand dollars in hand from past donations, but it estimates the new building will cost between $3 and $4 million to construct. That's why it's kicking off the Dignity of Work capital campaign this month after holding information sessions for all of its stakeholders.
DASC volunteers will start contacting government, businesses and foundations looking for major gifts to kick-start the fundraising. Following that will come the 'Neighbourhood Campaign,' in which volunteers will be looking to DASC's fellow Burnside residents for assistance.
"Most of our clients and placements are right here in the Park," Gascoigne says, "so we're counting on Burnside to be a big part of our Dignity of Work campaign. We want to reach every business in the Park and get as many corporate donations as possible. There will be many 'naming' opportunities, where supporters can have meeting rooms in our new facility bear the name of their business."
Anyone interested in participating in DASC's capital campaign can find details on the organization's website: www.dasc-ns.ca.
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