The YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce is opening a new support services office in Port Elgin.
Director of Community Initiatives, Employment Services and Settlement Services Matthew Shute says the new location at 604 Goderich Street will be expanding access to the YMCA’s employment, settlement and community initiative programs.
“We have had services operating across Bruce County for decades, but the demand for services across both counties had continued to grow, and so we were looking for another site,” says Shute.
This new site is the first physical foothold the YMCA is building in Bruce County after having centres in Owen Sound and Hanover.
It will feature a resource centre open to everyone in the community with computers, phones and meeting spaces.
YMCA’s employment and settlement program staff will also be on hand to support anyone in need.
“A lot of great things are happening in Bruce County, certainly with Bruce Power offering more and more jobs, but with that we sometimes also see an increase in entry level or customer service related jobs. People don’t always have everything lined up to access those types of employment, so we have seen an increase in demand for employment services,” says Shute.
The new site is currently being renovated, but Shute says they aim to have the office up and running by late December or early January.
“I think it is an excellent opportunity really to deepen our presence and build stronger connections in the community,” says Shute. “We are really looking forward to having that footprint in Saugeen Shores as Saugeen Shores experiences and continues to experience tremendous growth at the moment. We are just happy to be a part of that and to be there for community members that need our support.”