North End Family Centre Site gets a VIP visit...
Winnipeg’s ‘North End’ is often a difficult neighbourhood to live in. The high incidents of crime and gang violence, poverty, drug usage and deteriorated housing victimize good people every day. And for countless many, there appears to be no hope in sight.
But there is a place...
The North End Family Centre exists to be a place that provides refuge, friendships, and resources to help people successfully move forward, so they themselves can improve the health of the community.
Unfortunately, the centre has far outgrown the original facility! That is why with the help of people like Mike Watson (developer), Geoff and Regan Archambault, gw architecture inc (and many others), the centre is currently engaged in a major expansion (quadrupling their current square footage) by renovating a building just a block north on Main Street.
Yesterday the construction site received a visit from the Mayor of Winnipeg - Brian Bowman, Elmwood-Transcona M.P. - Lawrence Toet and City Councillor for St. James, Brooklands & Weston - Scott Gillingham (among others).
The group tour was led by the centre's Founder and Executive Director - Kyle J. Mason. We were inspired by Kyle and his dedicated team and we were truly impressed by the long list of vital services provided, which the North End community so desparately needs.
The centre provides a community Living Room, a welcoming place with a true sense of community and belonging. A true gathering place for people to connect and build community. They also offer a Children's Play area and Pastoral and Spiritual Care for those who want it, not to mention the Community Laundry Facilities (An area for families to keep up with laundry), Community Phone (with personal and private voice mailbox service, Community Computers (An area to surf the web, stay in touch, job hunt, and work on resumes), Faxing and Photocopying Services (A convenient way to make copies, send and receive needed documents for job interviews, applications, and appointments), Resume Assistance (Creating, updating, and printing resumes to look for work), E-mail Set Up and Training (Set up and train people who are new to emailing), Life Coaching, Agency Referrals, and personal advocacy. ALL of this is provided at no cost to the community!
We are very pleased to be investing in the North End of Winnipeg by donating our Architectural Services to the Center and we encourage anyone who can to do the same by visiting the centre's website at www.northendfamilycentre.org.
