A busy drop in service offering a place to stay for vulnerable and housed youth aged in Edmonton will be closing their doors at the end of March with no concrete plan in motion after the closure.
The landlord for the Old Strathcona Youth Services Building (OSYS) at 10325 83rd ave deemed the building to be ‘unsuitable’ for continued use, stating the property needs extensive repairs.
Opened in 1998, the building has been a place to comfort vulnerable youth in the Old Strathcona area, serving 150-200 unique people every month, with 50 people coming through the doors daily. The OSYS is one of the few drop in centres dedicated to teens and young adults offering employment information, housing referrals, bus fare, food and other daily items.
Ian Pidgeon is the executive director of OSYS and says he’s only been the executive director since the summer but has goals of incorporating more culture and ceremony as the majority of youth using the services have an Indigenous background.
Some of the programs include art and recreation activities, housing referrals, basic need items like socks, underwear, hygiene items and bus tickets. Nurses are frequently there to offer on-site tests or referrals.
Pidgeon says though there are services across the city like Boyle Street, Bissell and Hope Mission, his program is crucial to helping vulnerable youth looking to have a safe space to sleep or stay.
The organization said they’ll be moving into a community outreach program if they can’t find a new location by March 31st. For more details on how you can show your support you can visit their website.
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