After a year of struggle, centre that helps Sault youth to move to a building with heat

Sault-based charity Save Our Young Adults, or SOYA, will soon move to a new home -- for good reason.

For more than a year, the building that houses SOYA, a multi-purpose food bank, clothing depot, and resource centre, has been without heat, with no way to reach the new owners of the building.

For more than a year, the building that houses SOYA, a multi-purpose food bank, clothing depot, and resource centre, has been without heat, with no way to reach the new owners of the building. (Photo from video)

Founder Connie Raynor-Elliott said the cold has hurt their efforts and driven away volunteers.

"Even people that come and visit us, our numbers have gone down because, like, I mean, they're coming into a cold building," Raynor-Elliott said.

"Like, how are you supposed to warm somebody up when we can't even warm ourselves up?"

"We were having a problem with the heat and the space, like, it's actually falling apart," added volunteer Onyeka Chukwu Onwubuya.

"It's not just the heat. Every other thing is bad. And we just need to get out here to serve our friends better."

With help from the local social services board, the charity will soon move to a new building directly across the street.

The non-profit group still needs to raise $20,000 to fix the space, on top of any work to make it usable for them.

Social services take over the property Dec. 4. Renovations are expected to take a month before SOYA can move in.

"We're looking for, like, you know paint ... flooring," Raynor-Elliott said.

"I would love a company that can change that flower shop sign into, like, you know, SOYA. So we're looking for our community support donations. Of course, financial donations, as well."

Although the new space has heating, it's about half the size that SOYA currently occupies, but it does come at a good price.

"We're not calling ourselves landlords," said Stephanie Hopkin of the Sault social services board.

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"We really want to think about it as a partnership. So we're leasing the space back to SOYA for the cost of insurance, and then a minor capital reserves fund for things that come up in the building."

Because of the space constraints in the new building, Raynor-Elliott said they will be slightly downsizing services.

Rather than housing things like furniture, or summer clothing, they will connect those in need with the items. SOYA is still accepting winter clothes and non-perishable food items.