With the 2010 Winter Games less than two weeks away, and an expected 300,000 visitors on their way, Tourism Vancouver says most hotels are no longer taking reservations, and that finding accommodation close to Games venues could be "challenging."

Well don't stop packing yet.

With more than 215 listed hosts and 90 confirmed bookings, one innovative project promises visitors comfortable, affordable places to stay -- whether it's a folksy East Van home for $100 per night, or a luxury condo in the heart of Whistler Village.

Home for the Games is a non-profit website that matches 2010 Winter Games visitors with Metro Vancouver and Whistler home stays, with half of the nightly fee directed to charitable organizations battling homelessness.

"We're definitely seeing the steam now," says Tracey Axelsson, Home for the Games' project manager. "We took in somewhere between $5,000 to $7,500 over the weekend. More people are hearing about us each day, and now the bookings are really starting."

Home for the Games has been featured on Oprah.com and can boast bookings from Australia, Amsterdam, Finland and Sweden. Axelsson has even been contacted by Olympic athletes.

"The bobsledders did call us," laughs Axelsson. "And another woman called saying that her son is in the Olympics and she's interested in staying, so that's very exciting."

Contributing in a positive way

Home for the Games is the brainchild of Vancouver writer Charles Montgomery, who, with the help of some dedicated friends and volunteers, watched his idea grow into an initiative that has attracted institutional partners, a media sponsor in The Tyee and over $150,000 in donations and in-kind support.

One of those volunteers was Axelsson, who says she got involved partly because of what happened during Expo '86, when an estimated 500 to 1,000 low-income residents were evicted or displaced to make room for visitors.

"I was very worried for the homeless," she says. "I know the province and the city did their best back then, and I know they're doing their best again this time, but the people who are really suffering are made to suffer more.

"For me, this is a great way to take my fears and contribute in a positive way, and to see practical, pragmatic answers to problems that we have."

The charities to benefit are the Streetohome Foundation, a community-based foundation working to ensure that all Vancouver citizens have access to safe, decent and affordable housing by 2015, and Covenant House Vancouver, which supports street-entrenched youth.

"It's an especially tough time for charities right now, and because Covenant House is privately funded we really encourage people to participate in this," says Michelle Clausius, associate director of development and communications with Covenant House Vancouver.

The money raised by Home for the Games will go to the agency's 24-hour crisis shelter, and its drop-in and assisted living programs.

As of Monday, Home for the Games has raised $40,000 for its chosen charities.

Home stay helps fulfil boy's wish

For home stay hosts Patricia Crawford and her husband, it was the charitable aspect of Home for the Games that appealed to her.

"I heard about [Home for the Games] on the six o'clock news," says Crawford. "Renting our home was something we were wary about and initially decided against because you hear the horror stories about these weird websites popping up and demanding money to post your place.

"But then here was this organization with an awesome concept so we signed up."

There's no fee to list or book a room on the Home For The Games website, and hosts receive a tax receipt for the portion of the home stay fee that goes to charity.

Crawford was thrilled when she was informed that her two-bedroom, three-bathroom condo, just five minutes from Granville Island, was chosen by the Children's Wish Foundation for a 10-year-old Montreal boy named Samuel, and his family bound for the 2010 Games.

"It makes it even more fulfilling since it's a family that has obviously gone through a lot," says Crawford. "If we can help in any way to fulfil their dream, this is our way of doing it."

For Samuel, who has lymphoblastic leukemia, watching Olympic athletes compete for gold has always been his wish.

"Samuel loves hockey. He's incredibly excited about traveling to Vancouver and watching the Games," says his mother, Manon. "Staying in a home will make our weeklong stay much more comfortable."

Samuel and his family have tickets to several men's hockey events and short track speed skating. 

Building a new Olympic legacy

The Rotary Club of Calgary Olympic, a service organization for business and community leaders, will sponsor Samuel and his family to come to Vancouver for the Games.

"Our name was chartered back when Calgary won the Olympic bid," says Tara Johnson, the club's former president and chair. "We thought we should do something since the Olympics are back in Canada again, so we got on the phone to see if Children's Wish had any children whose wish was to go to the Olympics."

Johnson and her fellow Rotarians are now sponsoring six children -- something that has cost the small club of less than 30 members their entire annual budget of $30,000.

It was a club member that suggested Home for the Games, after she spotted an ad for the organization in Rotary Magazine.

"It was so heart warming to hear that we were going to be blessed with this opportunity," says Axelsson. "[Samuel] is going to be staying at one of the most beautiful suites that we have and it's going to be deluxe and just wonderful for him the whole time.

"Just that one booking makes it all worthwhile to us, it's so fabulous."

Four of the six children being sponsored by the Rotary Club will be staying in Home for the Games home stays, and Johnson was so impressed by the project that she booked herself and fellow Rotarian, Tamara McCarron, rooms as well.

"Well, I thought, the kids get to have this experience so why not us as well," says Johnson, who will be staying in a two-bedroom condo at Barclay and Bute in downtown Vancouver. "The way I saw it was that we're going to spend the money anyways, and this way it's great to know that something is going back into the community."

As for the future, Axelsson hopes that Home for the Games will become an Olympic legacy that will continue on in future host cities.

"We've been in contact [with London] and Russia," says Axelsson. "We've even had a Brazil media team interview us and how long is Brazil from now, 10 years?" she says.

"Whenever there's an opportunity like this where there's just eager need for accommodation, I think that there's a real opportunity to do more for the community. It's a way to put a spotlight on the issues in a positive way."

To learn more about Home for the Games visit the website.