Gathering Place renewed after $7M renovations

A community centre in downtown St. John's is able to offer more services to the most vulnerable members of the community, after an overhaul of the building.

The Gathering Place started construction last year on the remodelling of the centre, and officially reopened the centre on Wednesday following a $7-million renovation.

The centre offers services and meals to people living in precarious housing situations; many of the people who avail of the services offered at the centre have complex issues, including physical illness, mental health issues, learning disabilities and addictions.

Sister Sharon Fagan, co-chair on the board of directors for The Gathering Place, said people who come to the centre have a variety of backgrounds.

"Most of them, I would say, are coming from places of isolation.They're people who are hungry. We also have people who come needing supports that they're just not finding in the community," she said.

A growing need

Sister Fagan said the renovations have allowed the centre to expand the space available, including more offices for workers and volunteers to operate out of.

She added there is a growing need for meals and services offered at The Gathering Place, saying that when the centre first opened 20 years ago they served about 45 people per day. That number peaked at about 170 one day.

While the centre only employs three workers, about 200 volunteers help The Gathering Place serves meals to an average of 131 people each day. There are more than 300 regular visitors at the centre.

Originally established in 1994, The Gathering Place on Military Road celebrated its 20th anniversary this year along with the re-opening of the centre.

The centre had been operating out of a different site while the extreme renovations were taking place.