Our story
Whole Way House was co-founded by Jenny & Josh Konkin in 2013 and currently serves the residents of The Veterans Manor.
The story and history behind Whole Way House
An interview with Jenny Konkin (2:34)
Watch this interview with Jenny Konkin, President and Co-Founder, to hear the story and history behind Whole Way House.
Our History
Mario & Mina Angelicola (aka “The Nonna”)
In the beginning
Whole Way House began its journey serving the residents of The Avalon Hotel. It was purchased by Mario & Mina Angelicola (Jenny & Josh’s grandparents) in the late 1970’s. It was turned into an SRO (single room occupancy) in the late 1990’s and houses approximately 85 low-income tenants today.
Ron & Tina Konkin (Jenny & Josh’s parents) managed the building after Mario passed away. They undertook a massive renovation, upgrading the building to improve the quality of life for the tenants to really be able to feel at home.
The Konkin Family (2013)
Jenny & Josh
Josh & Jenny began managing the Avalon in 2010 and founded Whole Way House in March of 2013 in hopes of carrying on their family’s legacy and as a response to the need for relationship and human connection among the tenants, many of whom struggle with addiction or mental health issues.
We would like to thank our grandfather Mario, (who went home to be with his Lord in 1998) and Mina for passing on their spirit of generosity and caring for the Downtown EastSide to their family.
Legacy of Ron Konkin
We would also like to thank and honour Ron Konkin, our father, who went home to be with Jesus on Christmas Day, 2013 after beating his 4 year battle with cancer.
He was a huge part of Whole Way House and was so dearly loved by everyone there. His legacy is living on through the COMPASSION he taught and showed everyday.
Leadership Team
Jenny Konkin
President & Co-Founder
Jenny Konkin is the President and Co-Founder of Whole Way House Society (WWH), a registered charity founded in the DTES of Vancouver while managing her grandparents SRO’s, the Silver and Avalon Hotels. WWH now partners with non-profit housing operators to provide onsite community building programs and tenant support services to vulnerable seniors, veterans and residents who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness in the Downtown Eastside, across Metro Vancouver and in Victoria. These onsite support services help seniors stabilize into housing, age well in place and build healthy communities in housing.
Through the COVID-19 Pandemic, Whole Way House successfully started a meal delivery program to support low income seniors and vulnerable residents to safely self-isolate in their homes. They served over 300,000 meals to more than 800 seniors in 19 buildings across 6 different non-profit housing societies. The meal delivery program became more than a meal, but a true wellness check-in and source of connection for the recipients. Whole Way House now partners with 11 housing sites operated by 7 non-profit housing organizations, serving over 1100 low-income renters and is running a Pilot Program to provide enhanced support services to at-risk seniors in partnership with BC Housing.
Jenny was awarded Business in Vancouver’s Top 40 Under 40 2018 list, The Capilano University Alumni Award of Excellence and a Commendation from the Minister of Veterans Affairs of Canada in 2022. She serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Whole Way House Society and The Veterans Memorial Housing Society. She also serves on the BC Housing Supportive Housing Leadership Forum Steering Committee and serves on the Seniors Advisory Committee for the City of Vancouver. She also serves on the advisory committee to the Auditor General of Vancouver. Jenny is a regular speaker for the BC Non Profit Housing Association conferences and enjoys teaching others how to build healthy communities with vulnerable populations.
Jenny believes that every person has a story and when they are treated with love, dignity and respect, they are able to know their true value and build a life with purpose. She has traveled to more than 35 countries, she loves to play with her two dogs, Jake and Sophie-May and is always exploring her beautiful city of Vancouver.
Josh Konkin
Co-Founder, Vice-President
Josh has been involved in Downtown Eastside projects since he was a teenager, working at the Silver, Avalon and Broadway Hotels, learning from his grandparents and parents how to care for others in their time of need. He has always had a heart for the hurting and is passionate about the opportunity to help make a difference in people’s lives.
Josh is a partner at Pacific Powertech Inc. and as a BC business owner, cares about giving back in his community by providing others with a hand up, not just a hand out.
His wife Mary, one of the co-founders has had the opportunity to travel on missions trips around the globe ministering in developing countries. Those experiences have had a lasting impact on her heart.
Josh and Mary are raising their three beautiful children and puppy Charlie in Port Moody and Josh loves fishing (Mary not so much) and they both love skiing and spending family time at the lake.
Board of Directors
Cameron Hite
Treasurer
Cam is excited and ready, willing, and able to bring his entrepreneurial business experience and heart filled drive to Whole Way House. Through the past 28 years of experience with small and medium sized business ventures, Cam has developed a skill set that will be welcomed on the board of Whole Way House. Since arriving in Vancouver in 1994 he has built his business into an industry leader.
Cameron has participated in numerous community organizations and continues to do volunteer work with charitable organizations such as ‘One More Time’ which provides aid to the Downtown East Side community in Vancouver. Cam is an active member of the Sterling Men’s Community, whose purpose is to help men strengthen their families and build relationships.
With his own family of four children age 9 to 27, he has a solid commitment and drive to helping build strong communities here at home and around the world.
Chris Karuhije
Director
Chris Karuhije, born in 1985, is a former refugee from the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. When he was just nine years of age, his home country of Rwanda was engulfed in a flame of violence of brutality that saw almost one million people die in a matter of 100 days. Among the dead, were about 80% of his relatives and family, including his father Alphonse, and many others. All in all, 70% of his people were exterminated in what would become one of the worst tragedies in modern history.
In 1997, Thacienne Karuhije, Chris’ mother, and 4 of his siblings, immigrated to Canada and began a new life. Determined to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Minister of the Gospel, Chris enrolled in a two-year discipleship program at Springs Church, one of the largest churches in the nation. He then started working for Crossroads Communication as a Program Director for a local Children’s camp, where he saw over 4000 kids make decisions for Christ, before elevating to a National Program Director for all Crossroads camps across Canada. His role was developing curriculum and resources for thousands of children across Canada.
In November of 2011, Chris accepted the role of Children’s Minister at Coastal Church. He was ordained as a pastor two years later in 2013. He now oversees the Department of Family Life that includes ministries to Coastal’s families and is privileged to serve on Coastal’s Lead Team.
Chris is also the author of We Were Royal Refugees, a brief memoir of his life in Rwanda and the events of the Rwandan Genocide. He has been featured on national television and radio. He lives in Downtown Vancouver, steps away from the church he loves, and is married to Kristy and has three children; London and Kyeligh (twins), and Justice. He loves reading, writing, and horseback riding.
Helen Balzer
Secretary
Working on the staff and pastoral leadership team of Relate Church for more than 30 years, including providing financial and legal oversight for more than six years. She has the unique experience of serving in both pastoral and administrative roles, giving her insight on how to bridge the gap between the two.
Set up of ARC Canada (Association of Related Churches) as a Canadian charity. She continues to work closely with ARC Canada and ARC Global.
Served on the board of Pacific Academy School as a Jim Pattison Foundation appointee as well as Mercy Ministries.
Currently on the board of Resonate Church.
Chris Hamade
Director
In 2006, Chris established a private equity firm focused on real estate structured finance. The firm is currently engaged in a luxurious 20-acre, hillside development in the Fraser Valley and continues to seek uniquely positioned development opportunities.
Chris is as active in the community as he is in business, devoting his passion, creativity, and contacts to various causes. He sits on the Board of his local church, and chairs a downtown business ministry connecting local business and political leaders. A Torontonian turned Vancouverite, Chris enjoys food, travel and raising his two daughters with his wife Emily.
Darrel Johnson
Director
Darrell Johnson was born in 1947 in Duluth, Minnesota. He was then raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico (when it was a ‘secret’ city), and in Southern California. After Secondary School, he studied first at the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology, and then the University of California, San Diego, from where he graduated with a B.A. in Physics and Theoretical Mathematics. In the third year of studies in University, he surrendered to the call to the preaching ministry on April 4, 1968, the night Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. In 1969, after completing University, he began studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He graduated with a Master of Divinity in 1972 in Biblical Theology, and was ordained by the Presbyterian Church USA. He has served congregations in California, and in the Philippines, where he served as Senior Pastor of the Union Church of Manila. In 2000 he accepted the call of Regent College in Vancouver to serve as Associated Professor of Pastoral Theology. In 2009 the historic First Baptist Church in the heart of downtown Vancouver persuaded him to serve at Senior Pastor, until for health reasons, he stepped down in 2016. Since then, he has been serving part-time in a various ministries: Teaching Fellow for Regent, Bible Teacher for Alpha Canada, and a support pastor for The Way Church. He speaks for many different conferences, and has written a number of books, including among others, expositions on The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, The Beatitudes, The Lord’s Prayer, and on the Trinity.
In 1971, while serving in Ventura, California, he met and married his wife Sharon Lynette, whose great passion is caring for children, formally retiring in 2023 from serving as Director of the WeeCare day care of Tenth Avenue Church in Vancouver. Together Sharon and Darrell have raised four adopted children from four different countries of the world, and now try to keep up with eleven grandchildren.