Youth experiencing homelessness can turn to SACY this winter for overnight shelter

Sudbury Youthexperiencing homelessness now have a newplace to turn to keep warm and find support this winter.

It'sthanks to the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth (SACY), which will be extending its operational hours to establish a temporary youth warming station and shelter.

"Back in April of this year, the only youth designated shelter in our community had to close its doors," said Julie Gorman, youth program co-ordinator with SACY.

"It's been our goal at Sudbury Action Centre, since that point, to be able to provide that type of service with a low barrier threshold."

'Frozen, in need of shelter and food'

Gorman noted that as the weather is becoming colder, a youth-only warming centre couldn't come soon enough.

"We're seeing lots of people during the day who come in from the night before and frozen, in need of shelter and food," she said.

TheCity of Greater Sudbury announced it will be providing $175,000 toward the initiative, which will be open from10 p.m. to 7 a.m., daily, until the end of April.

I think once enough youth, who are absolutely homeless, find out about the centre we're going to see a large turnout ... where we'll have to have a first come, first serve sort of regulation. Julie Gorman, Sudbury Action Centre for Youth

The shelter will includefour beds to be used by those in needand seating for 10. The centre will be open from youth aged 16 to 24.

Gorman noted that while the organization is thrilled to offer the centre up for the service, she doesn't anticipate that four beds will go far enough for the more than 35 youth it estimates currently are experiencinghomelessness in Sudbury.

"I think once enough youth, who are absolutely homeless, find out about the centre we're going to see a large turnout ... where we'll have to have a first come, first serve sort of regulation," she said.

'We're trying our best'

But she said staff will do their best to accommodate those searching for shelter and warmth.

"Even though we only have four beds, we have already looked to ensuring that everyone can get a blanket, we've looked at the pricing to see if getting reclining seats or whether it's better to just put a few seats together," she said.

"We're trying our best to provide for people with the funding and the money we have."

Youth face different challenges than adults when homeless. Julie Gorman, Sudbury Action Centre for Youth

Gorman said it's crucial that a separate shelter exist in the cityfor young people to go to.

"Youth face different challenges than adults when homeless," she said, "There's still a lot of need for support and positive adult role models."

"As we know brain development doesn't complete until we're almost 27, and those youth do need that support to ensure that all of their holistic health is taken care of."

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