Powell River Family Place Resource Centre (Family Place) is moving from its longtime space in Town Centre mall.
According to a media release, the community hub, run by Lift Community Services (Lift), has been located in the mall since it first opened in 2004. Family Place’s last day in the mall will be December 14 and Lift is actively seeking a new long-term home for the program.
The release stated that the centre offers drop-in play time for babies and toddlers, workshops and education series for parents of young children, a demonstration kitchen where meals are prepared and shared, and a food pantry and hygiene cupboard filled with items for families to take home — all free of charge.
“We would like to express our deep gratitude to the Town Centre mall for generously donating space for us to call home for the last 19 years,” stated Lift community support manager Jessica Colasanto. “This program has been a lifeline for hundreds of young families in our region over the years. We couldn’t have done it without the mall’s support.”
Lift is currently seeking long-term space for the program, which supports approximately 50 local families at any given time. The organization is grateful for the offers for immediate, short-term space it has already received and is actively seeking long-term possibilities for housing the program, which would ideally have a kitchen and lawn space to meet its programming needs, according to the release.
Lift is coordinating a meeting with other qathet region child and family service providers to discuss options for working together to meet community needs while Family Place finds a new home.
“Research shows that family resource programs result in healthier, stronger families by building community connections and empowering caregivers to recognize their own strengths,” stated Colasanto. “We certainly see that in our program, where parents of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds are creating new social networks and discovering new resources for themselves and their families. And while all of this magic is happening, every day, we’re providing supports like food, clothing and bus tickets.”
In partnership with River City Coffee Roasters, Family Place held a successful food drive for its food pantry. Colasanto assures that the donated food will still get to young families, the release stated.
“We have three weeks in our current space, and will be able to distribute most if not all of the food then,” stated Colasanto.
Lift staff will remain active on social media and email while the centre is between spaces, and families are encouraged to reach out if they are in need, the release stated.
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