Yellowknife's SideDoor youth centre expands hours and services

The SideDoor Resource Centre for Youth in Yellowknife is expanding its services for vulnerable youthaged 15 to 24 thanks to new territorial funding.

Executive Director Iris Hamlyn says services provided by the organization's Hope's Haven transitional home and emergency shelter on 52nd Street, such asmental health and addictions support, and life skills and employment training, will now also be provided at its Youth Resource Centre at 49th Avenue and50th Street.

"We were providing the services to youth that resided at Hope's Haven. That was up to 13 youth at a time. That's how many rooms we had," Hamlyn said.

"We were realizing that if we wanted to prevent, reduce, and end homelessness in Yellowknife for all youth, we had to expand beyond the borders of Hope's Haven."

The change means the centre will now be using the entire building, including the space that previously housed the Yellowknife Family Centre.

The centre is also expanding its hours to fill gaps when the emergency shelter is closed. The Youth Resource Centre will be open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to5 p.m., and Wednesday to Saturday from 6-10 p.m.

The emergency shelter is open from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.

"The reality is at 8 a.m. each morning we were discharging youth back into homelessness," Hamlyn said.

SideDoor is calling the expanded services a "One Stop Shop" for vulnerable youth. The expanded services take effect on July 4.