Go Back to Previous Page

Rate this article:

(Rated 0 Stars)

Northbaynipissing.com
Date Published: Monday, June 11, 2012
View printable version

The FamilyHelpNetwork.ca broke ground at its new Therapeutic Youth Learning Residence in front of community partners, dignitaries and staff  on June 8.

Located at 750 John Street, this new residence will serve as a single-storey, multi-unit therapeutic educational facility located off John Street near Third Avenue.

“This project symbolizes a huge step forward in our ability to serve youth in need across this region.” said Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca executive director, Jeffrey Hawkins. “This is an example of our organization’s continued growth in the North Bay area. It helps us move toward our objective of helping families and everyone in them.”

MP Jay Aspin, a representative from Nipissing District MPP Vic Fedeli’s office, Deputy Mayor Sean Lawlor and representatives from the Ministry of Child and Youth Services were on hand to offer their support.

“On behalf of the City of North Bay, we are very excited to be participating in the ground breaking,” said Lawlor. “This building represents a huge step forward for Hands and I would like to thank and congratulate them on this momentous occasions. Hands provides such a great set of services for this community and this new facility will allow them to help even more families.”

Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca is a not-for-profit organization that provides comprehensive client-centered, professional and skilled services for infants, children, youth families and developmentally challenged adults that address social, emotional, behavioral, physical and developmental difficulties, and make a positive difference on their quality of life.

“The design for the residence was based upon the concept of a healthy, family home setting.  Instead of an institutional building, it offers a comfortable, therapeutic healing environment for children and their families.  The relaxed and soft interior finishes, furnishings and colors will be echoed on the exterior, also designed to suit our familiar ideas of a home within a local residential neighborhood and natural setting” said Architect Marcus Wheeler

Hands offers programs including early intervention (prenatal to six), and child and youth mental health services for Nipissing, Muskoka and Parry Sound. Hands also provides Autism support for children, youth and families across Northeastern Ontario as well as clinical leaderships for developmentally disabled adults in Northern Ontario.