Mission Services of London is receiving $1.1 million in philanthropic funding to expand aftercare services for men recovering from substance addiction. The investment includes $500,000 from the RBJ Schlegel Family Foundation and a $600,000 contribution from an anonymous donor. The funding will support men who have completed the four-month, live-in addiction treatment program at Mission Services of London’s Quintin Warner House as they transition to independent living. The RBJ Schlegel Family Foundation’s contribution will allow Mission Services to reopen all available transitional housing spaces, bringing the number of beds back to 17. “This enables us to continue with our aftercare program, providing counseling, job education skills, continuation of building on the skills that individuals have learned through the Quinton Warner House Treatment program,” explained Tara Saunders, Director of Social Enterprise, Development & Communications. The organization says continued access to housing, counselling and other supports can help graduates maintain their recovery as they move toward independent living. As part of Monday’s announcement, the aftercare program was renamed the Wilfred Schlegel Aftercare Program, in honour of one of Mission Services of London’s founding community builders. Wilfred Schlegel and his wife, Emma, were among the families involved in establishing Mission Services in 1951. Rob Schlegel, Wilfred Schlegel’s grandson and a board member of the RBJ Schlegel Family Foundation, said the family wanted to continue his legacy. “It was his way of giving back, helping community, and helping the most vulnerable. And it really resonates with us today, and what we’ve done through my parents and my brothers is going back and celebrating what Grandpa and Grandma had done,” Schlegel said. Quintin Warner House provides a four-month, live-in addiction treatment program for up to 20 men aged 18 and older. The program includes individual treatment plans, case management, life-skills support, diet and exercise programming, communications training and trauma-informed safety training. Mission Services of London was founded in 1951 and is marking its 75th anniversary this year. The Christian faith-based organization provides emergency shelter, addiction treatment, mental health programs and other services for people experiencing homelessness, poverty, mental health challenges and addiction. The Quintin Warner House program is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Health and through private donations.
