The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Kingston is one of many amazing community organizations that exist to help those in need in our city. For nearly 60 years, they’ve been providing meals, free clothing and household items, an emergency food pantry and other support services. The big challenge for them now is space. With the rise in housing and food costs these last few years, there are many more individuals and families who are struggling, and that means there is a need for a bigger location that will allow them to expand existing programs. In the last few years, they’ve developed plans for a new St. Vincent de Paul Community Centre to be built at the north end of Bagot Street, in the Inner Harbour neighbourhood.
As Council, we’ve made it a priority to work with community partners to offer more assistance for those facing food insecurity, so last week Council approved more than 1.2M in funding towards this much needed new project. The new community centre will be constructed with the Lodestar modular building system developed by Anchor Concrete in Kingston. This means a faster construction period, with shovels in the ground by the end of May and a forecasted opening of the new centre before the end of this year. The new community centre will have room for other non-profit community organizations and employment agencies to operate, so that individuals and families can access a wide range of support services. The centre will also include expanded space for a new social market, with discounted and donated food options and other products. The idea is for people to be able to shop without needing to provide proof they need assistance, which reduces the stigma for those who are facing economic hardship and need help. The new St. Vincent de Paul Community Centre is a great step forward in providing more support for our community.
Video: Looking Ahead to the New St. Vincent de Paul Community Centre
One Response
Where will the new location be??