Last week, Youth Opportunities Unlimited, also knows as YOU, opened up their brand new location at 333 Richmond Street after a year of construction work. The building will be knows an ‘Joan’s Place’.
YOU is a non-profit organization which has been around for 40 years. It’s main goal is to help young people find success in life, whether it be helping them find their first job, or placing them in affordable housing units, YOU does it all.
Steve Cordes has been CEO of the organization for the last 30 years. He is excited about their new location, as it is now right across the street from their Cornerstone building, where they already have thirty apartments, and a cafe that the company runs where young people can work at.
“To have staff in the new facility here at 333 in Joan’s Place, this is our employment team, our career services team, job placement and developers. Having them have such immediate access to the young people that are coming to YOU for service, we’re expecting because we’re so much more visible than where we were in our previous location, young people will find us much easier to visit us.”
Steve adds that there will be a second phase coming to Joan’s Place that will include thirty five more affordable housing units, as well as a youth wellness hub, where they will have other partners on site offering services that YOU may not offer. The organization plans to have the apartments and the wellness hub up and running within the next year.
“Altogether instead of having young people get on a bus, find a different agency, find a different location, they’ve got a one stop shop they can come to for education, career opportunities, housing, mental health support, addiction support, things that can really help them find some clear, stronger, and more complete direction in their lives.”
YOU is located just north of York Street at 333 Richmond. Steve encourages young people to walk on in if they are curious or interested even in the slightest bit.
“They can wander in, talk to the staff about whatever help they might need, we have a resource centre on the main floor of this building if they just want to come in, sit in front of a computer and conduct their own job search they’re welcome to do that, if they need help from staff that’s what we’re here for, but if they don’t need our help and they just need access to the technology and the space, that’s what we provide as well.”
YOU is opened Monday-Friday from 8:30 A.M to 5:00 P.M.
