Updated, June 30th, 12 p.m.: This story was updated to correct inaccuracies. Energeticcity.ca is happy to set the record straight.
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A prominent health and wellness services network coming to Fort St. John is looking for local people and voices to help contribute to it.
Foundry locations around B.C., which are funded by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, are operated by different host agencies, but Foundry Fort St. John will be operated by YMCA BC.
Already at 17 centres across the province, Foundry plans to open 18 more locations across B.C. – including Fort St. John – with the announcement for the facility back in 2022.
Asuncion Sta Maria is the community development and project lead for Foundry, and is overseeing the development of the centre.
Foundry offers assistance to young people between 12 and 24 years old, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents and their families. Until a physical facility is built in Fort St. John, Foundry’s online services are available.
Through its “integrated youth services model,” Foundry offers a range of services, from physical and sexual health, mental health, peer and family support to social service and substance use support.
Sta Maria is the former community giving and event coordinator with the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation, and joined Foundry last fall.
“Because of YMCA BC’s experience as Foundry’s lead agency in Prince George, we were approached last year to be the new lead agency in Fort St. John and Quesnel,” said Sta Maria. “The focus right now is community engagement. We’re just going out into the community, talking and getting to know everybody.”
Sta Maria said she would like to see Foundry Fort St. John “grow organically” and described how she feels mental health is “so important.”
She added the dream is to have a Foundry centre within “an hour’s drive” from every major community in B.C.
In the meantime, Foundry is looking for residents within the community to join Foundry’s first Youth Advisory and Family Advisory Committee in Fort St. John.
“These are members of our community,” said Sta Maria. “Usually with other centers, [they are] composed of anybody who would like to contribute. These are youth who are interested in telling us what they would like Foundry to look like in Fort St. John.”
Sta Maria adds the template is not a “cookie cutter” and each individual centre is tailored to the specific needs of a community.
Foundry will announce a location for the Fort St. John centre by the end of July. It is currently hiring for a position to support fundraising for Foundry centres in Fort St. John, Quesnel and Prince George.
More information about Foundry and how to access virtual services are available on its website.
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