Sudbury youth hub offers daytime support

Youth Hub offers several daytime supports Alana Everson has an update on Sudbury's Youth Wellness Hub and how its filling gaps after closure of another youth agency in the city.

Many community organizations are stepping in the help meet the need left by the recent closure of the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth also known as SACY.

One of those organizations is the Sudbury Youth Wellness Hub. Officials at the hub told CTV News that that has seen increasing numbers of young people visiting, seeking a safe place along with supports and other services.

The wellness hub is located in the YMCA building downtown on Durham Street.

Amanda Gates, the hub’s coordinator, said the centre offers support services and a safe space for people ages 12-25 from noon to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday.

“So our goal for our youth coming in is just hope. We want to give them hope in their lives,” said Gates.

“A lot of them you know are homeless or really struggling and we want to give them a place where they can come in and I always say we are adults you can tell anything to.”

Gates said the recent closure of SACY was tough for young people it helped – the agency offered the only youth shelter beds in the city.

“We are seeing a few new faces and a lot more just panic in youth,” said Gates.

“Not knowing where they were going to stay when they first announced they were closing we had a handful of youth coming in having absolutely no idea what that meant for them and where they were going to go.”

Since the closure of SACY, the City of Greater Sudbury has partnered with New Hope Outreach Inc. to fund an overnight warming centre for up to 10 homeless youth, ages 16 – 24, at the Samaritan Centre until April 30 – but there are no beds.

Officials said that during the day the hub offers primary care and mental and social services and is always looking at ways to grow.

“One youth told us that this is the only safe space for him and he said if this place didn’t exist he didn’t know what he would do,” said Gates.

“He is someone who has a place at night to go to but during the day is trying to stay out of trouble.”

Officials said the hub has served more than 6,000 youth since it opened at the end of June last year with the average now up to 48 visits a day.