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HATS to build place for youth

They are currently seeking funds to do it.
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Hope and Area Transition Society’s youth-focused staff stand behind executive director Gerry Dyble (in pink). HATS wants to build a Youth Centre in the back of their Park Street office.

Hope and Area Transition Society (HATS) wants to build a Youth Centre to create a community for young people which will allow them to access services as well.

According to executive director Gerry Dyble, her vision is to potentially build a 1,000-square-foot, two-storey building at the back of their new Park Street office. That project could cost $450,000, according to an estimate. Dyble said this fills a void from years ago.

“We had a youth centre from years ago and that closed down due to funding,” said Dyble. “There is nowhere for youth to go where they can call their own.

“Youth are in a transitional phase of their lives, and they need to have a place where they feel supported and accepted.”

Dyble said the definition of “youth” in terms of age varies. For them, they will focus on youth up to 24 years old.

To foster a community for youth, Dyble said she wants to hear input from them to understand what the space should look like.

“We want it to be engaging for them, we don’t want it to feel sterile and institutional,” said Dyble. “We want it to feel like somebody’s living room.”

For services, Dyble said their youth workers will be in that space and will have evening and weekend hours, potentially. She added that the youth centre will involve community partners such as health care experts so that they do not need to visit various places for the appropriate services.

Dyble said the project’s goal is to enhance their quality of life, such as making good career choices, stabilizing mental health or reducing substance abuse. The second floor will have housing for youth in need of housing.

Dyble expects this project to span about three years, as she applies for grants to fund it. The first grant she has applied to is an Envision Financial grant which supports community projects, which will disburse $50,000 to recipients.