One of Boyle Street Community Services newest programs is our Community Connections Program. It is centred around a Community Connections space: 15308 Stony Plain Road. This facility, operating daily from 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM, helps bridge the seasonal service gap by providing a crucial, year-round place for Edmontonians affected by homelessness and poverty.
Origins of the Community Connections Space
This location was originally part of our winter warming program, and quickly became the program’s busiest location. Between December 30 and May 18, it supported 1,513 unique visitors for 11,046 total check-ins, with 402 accessing Boyle Street’s services for the first time. Its location on Stony Plain Road provides a point of access to supportive services in an area where access is hard to come by.
Given its success, it became an essential and easy decision to maintain a presence in the area, and we were able to do that by transforming it into a Community Connections space.
A Place to Relax and Socialize
The space is intended as a calm, relaxed area for relaxation and socialization. Visitors can enjoy snacks, coffee, and access harm reduction supplies and art supplies. Support workers staff the facility, and recruitment for a case manager to offer wraparound services is ongoing, aiming to provide comprehensive support that aims to break the root cycles of poverty and homelessness.
The foundation of the Community Connection space is its focus on relationship-building and engagement. For those we serve, there exist few - if any - places to simply take a break and relax. Most of the social services available in Edmonton expect something from those who use them - which is critical and necessary, that is undisputed - but no one can function at full throttle day in, day out.
We need places like our Stony Plain Road space to relax and refresh ourselves.
Commitment to Adapting and Improving
As an organization, we are committed to adapting and improving our programs and services as things change around us. That is why we created the Managed Alcohol Program, provide housing choice, or created the Interdisciplinary Program of Care. Our Community Connections Program is another example of this, born from our desire to meet people where they’re at. And in this case that is literal - many of our neighbours experiencing homelessness and poverty are far away from the concentration of social services in Edmonton’s downtown core.
The Community Connection space at 15308 Stony Plain Road is another step toward a healthier, more respectful community that encompasses all of Edmonton. By offering a welcoming and supportive environment, it plays a crucial role in building a future where everyone can thrive. Together, we can end chronic homelessness.
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