Kitchener — After a federal government investment, combined with community donations, The Working Centre will create a dynamic, beautiful and inviting new community space. MP Bardish Chagger and Joe and Stephanie Mancini, directors of The Working Centre, announced that the project will construct a community centre and new home for St. John’s Kitchen.
Operated by The Working Centre, the Victoria Campus Community Centre will be an inclusive, sustainable and welcoming space for drop-in visits, gatherings, shared meals, and activities as well as access to critical resources for those in need. Constructed with a mass-timber structure to minimize the building’s carbon footprint, the facility will also feature a rooftop solar panel array that will support net-zero carbon emissions. An open-concept community kitchen, courtyard, and public bathrooms will foster a dynamic, creative and welcoming atmosphere, while helping to deliver essential services and supports.
The Working Centre was established in Kitchener in 1982 to respond to poverty and unemployment in the community. The aim of the organization is to provide access to tools to support greater community opportunity for those most vulnerable. The Victoria Campus Community Centre will provide an important space for an estimated 2,000 individuals experiencing homeless and precarious housing conditions in the Waterloo Region.
“The Victoria Campus Community Centre will be a welcoming space, providing some of the most vulnerable residents in Kitchener access to critical services, resources and community activities, while using innovative, clean solutions that will contribute to a greener community. The federal government continues to invest in underserved communities, while also building a greener and more inclusive tomorrow for future generations.” – Bardish Chagger, MP for Waterloo, on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities