The Victoria Cool Aid housing society is putting the posthumous legacy of Saanich resident Carl Young into supporting pet-friendly housing for homeless people.
Young was 60 when he died in a West Saanich Road car crash in March 2015. He had surprised the Victoria Cool Aid Society 18 months earlier when he declared he would leave his home and estate to them, which ended up being about $388,000 in net proceeds expected from the estate and life insurance gifts.
“He had a generous spirit,” said a Cool Aid release. “Cool Aid was the sole beneficiary of Carl’s entire estate, and from this unlikely donor, our biggest gift ever has been received.”
Although he had never held a job in his life due to a disability, he was in possession of a life insurance policy and had inherited the family home in the 3900 block of Grange Road.
Young also declared his love for pets and expressed a desire for the proceeds of his home sale to go towards helping the homeless and their pets. Young had no children.
Victoria Cool Aid Society didn’t know it at the time, but Young’s gift became the biggest they’d ever received, also the first estate they’d ever received.
The bulk of Young’s estate and life insurance gifts, about $250,000, will be used to help develop about a dozen additional pet-friendly housing units for people who are currently homeless.
Already, a portion was used to give a dog named Electra a needed operation.
Cool Aid said $50,000 has been used to establish the Pets In Need Carl Young Endowment at the Victoria Foundation and a Cool Aid operating fund for pets in need. Another $50,000 will help clients of the REES program, including the Every Step Counts, running program and other services and support for people who are living with mental health and addiction challenges. And $38,000 will be invested in fund development to leverage additional donations for Cool Aid housing and other services. The money will also benefit SAFARS, the local pet food bank which assists Cool Aid.