Dwelling Base YK opened its doorways to Yellowknife’s neighborhood with a Thursday open home, permitting residents to see the group’s newly renovated youth housing and shelter.
The house, which features a recreation room, a Zen room, a shelter house, dorms, and a kitchen, was painted and adorned by a gaggle of youth from Montreal.
These college students held a fundraiser earlier than touring to Yellowknife final 12 months.
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Dwelling Base YK’s director of applications and operations, Traci Mercer-Sproule, stated the renovations had been essential to make the house much less “institutional.”
“That is their house, so we attempt to make it as homey as potential and we attempt to depart no youth out,” she stated.
The shelter facet of the constructing has separate rooms for male-identifying and female-identifying youth, a rest room and a eating room.
Youth are welcome to spend the night time on the centre, with the chance to bathe and eat breakfast the next morning.
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The dorm has a 10-person capability and at the moment homes 9 folks, who’re welcome to embellish their room and make it their house for nevertheless lengthy they spend at Dwelling Base.
Together with housing, Dwelling Base operates a youth middle in downtown Yellowknife from 12pm-8pm each day, in addition to an impartial residing program close to Metropolis Corridor.
“Principally, any youths have someplace to go 24/7, and that’s our purpose,” stated Mercer-Sproule.
“The entire concept is somebody would come into the shelter, we assess them and see what is going on on, after which we transfer them into the dorms, we train them life classes, mother or father them principally.
“Then after we suppose they’re prepared, and after they suppose they’re prepared and cozy, we transfer them into our housing program.”
Brady Daniels, the group’s recreation coordinator, says he works with youngsters on a day-to-day foundation to “hold them busy.”
“It is a actually protected house that children can depend on,” stated Daniels. “I am one in every of their most constant relationships, they usually can ask me to do something and I am going to plan it. I am actually versatile that means.”
With an upcoming rap workshop, birthdays, and seaside days, one youth stated there may be by no means a scarcity of issues to do.
“I actually take pleasure in it, there’s loads of good applications right here,” they stated.
“We often have a canine right here that we take out for walks and hikes daily, I actually take pleasure in these. And I actually do just like the house.”
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