More than 100 local renovators banded together to give a non-profit what organizers say was a much-needed sprucing. Joyce LaBriola is the chief development officer of Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS), which connects young people in need with mental, emotional and physical resources. Normal fundraising efforts for the organization, she said, just keeps the lights on. But BILD Edmonton, another non-profit in the city, has given it what she says is a “kind of luxury that we haven’t had the pleasure of having.” “Being able to allow ourselves to imagine what could be possible was an incredible experience. You look at the rooms and work that they’ve done,” she told CTV News Edmonton. BILD volunteers, builders and renovators took three days to transform YESS’s shelter on Whyte Avenue, free of charge. “The youth are already commenting about how much more welcoming it feels, how much more inviting everything this feels,” LaBriola added. “One of our youth says it doesn’t feel like a shelter, it feels like a hotel.” In a media release, BILD Edmonton Metro Board Chair Paul Lanni said the project was made possible with the help of businesses around the city that asked, “How can we help?” “These projects are about much more than renovations. They’re about coming together as an industry, using our skills and resources to make a meaningful difference and supporting the organizations that serve our communities.” YESS has worked with Edmonton’s young people for more than 40 years and operates a 24/7 support centre for those aged 15-21 who are experiencing crisis. It works to connect them with medical care, mental health support and community resources. BILD Edmonton Metro will continue to highlight the work of its renovators throughout October, the non-profit said. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton
