Source: Posted in the St. Catharines Standard on Feb. 2nd, 2024.
By Matthew P. Barker (Reporter)
A man played a song on a piano as people watched or milled about, getting acquainted to a new space after Start Me Up Niagara completed its move from Gale Crescent to its new home on Church Street.
“Originally, we weren’t going to bring the piano, as it was too heavy,” said Laura Dumas, Start Me Up’s executive director.
Previously, the Work Action Centre offices were moved to accommodate SMUN’s drop-in centre, which continues to offer services to people experiencing homelessness, poverty and isolation. It’s employment services and offices are expected to move to 211 Church St., a former furniture bank, two doors down.
Start Me Up Niagara (SMUN) recently moved from its home of more than 14 years at 17 Gale Cres. due to accessibility issues.
The move came a month after SMUN had originally planned to leave the old site but was stymied due to permitting issues to complete construction at 211 Church St.
“What we’ve done is we’ve moved all our programs into 203 Church St., with the resource drop-in centre at the front and employment in the back, and housing in one of the side offices,” Dumas said.
“We’ve got the go ahead for an occupancy permit at the front of 211 Church St., so once everything’s in order, employment will be moving there, by month end.”
She believes once the kinks are worked out everything will be good for clients as services will be centralized.
“We’re all in one location and the staff are working together to the same end,” she said.
“Whereas before we were split between two different buildings, now employment can see what the drop-in centre is like and it’s a smooth transition for individuals coming to the resource centre if their work ready.”
Dumas said a major hurdle in moving was the amount of stuff accumulated over the years — donated items, office equipment, paperwork boxes — which made the move daunting then previously thought.
“When you occupy an agency offering the services we offer, you’re looking at things we’ve had in storage, things used on a daily basis, and trying to co-ordinate it all, and making sure to move it all,” she said.
So far, Dumas said, clients and employees have adapted easily and, despite having some growing pains, everything now is moving along smoothly.
Dumas is hoping SMUN will be able to offer other services it was unable to provide with the limited space it had.
“We’re hoping to bring a pharmacist on board, so people have access as his specialty is diabetes education,” she said.
“The whole point of this move was accessibility, making sure we had services accessible to everyone,” she said.
“Both buildings are accessible, so we’re hoping people who might not have had access now can have access and having the services side-by-side makes access better.”
