A street-level organization that supports vulnerable populations in the Sault will soon move across Gore Street into its new location, although SOYA founder Connie Raynor-Elliott says it may not be a smooth transition unless things line up perfectly.
Last week, Save Our Young Adults announced it had acquired the current The Flower Shop building at 179 Gore St. with assistance from the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB).
Although the sale of that building will close on Dec. 4, it will require weeks of further renovations to make it ready for use by the organization. In the meantime, the current depot at 178-180 Gore St. has been without heat since last winter and Raynor-Elliott says she has no idea who currently owns it, causing some disruption in the services it provides.
"I have lost volunteers because they couldn't stand the cold," said Raynor-Elliott. "And we can't expect people to come in and freeze their asses off to attend our meetings."
Mike Nadeau, CEO of the DSSAB, confirmed with SooToday that his organization recently authorized purchasing The Flower Shop building using reserve funds and will offer the space to SOYA in a lease that is lower than the one it currently pays across the street.
Although the DSSAB is entering into a new relationship with the organization as a landlord, Nadeau said SOYA will remain independenty operated.
"I don't think of it as being a landlord relationship, I look at it more as a community partnership," said Nadeau.
Nadeau said he is frightened to think of what the Sault would look like if not for the work SOYA puts into support the community.
With only weeks to go before SOYA receives the keys for 179 Gore, it has begun a fundraising effort for an estimated $20,000 in repairs that are needed to the new space before they can move in, including work on the floors and some demolition work.
"We have had some really big organizations and people step up, but we still need some funds to get the job done," said Raynor-Elliott.
The organization, which receives no stable government funding, is going to have to go back to the basics and concentrate on its core mission when it takes over the smaller space, she said.
In the meantime, she is concerned that the current space SOYA uses across the street could become uninhabitable before her organization is able to move over.
"I'm really at a loss. We have nowhere to go if we are forced to close," said Raynor-Elliott.
The property at 178-180 Gore St. was purchased in 2012 and transferred to a locally-owned company named Darkstone Water, Inc. A REALTOR.ca listing for 178-180 Gore Street has been active for 165 days, with a selling price of $329,000.
SOYA moved into the building as a temporary measure in 2021, at a time when it expected to eventually inhabit the second floor of the Verdi Hall — which was being operated as a temporary men's shelter. That move never happened and SOYA has remained in the building at 178-180 Gore St. ever since.
Raynor-Elliott reached out to Nadeau for help to find a permanent building after spending much of last winter without heat at the depot and headaches trying to figure out who to call for basic landlord inquiries.
A search of publicly-available property records shows a lien was placed on the 178-180 Gore St. property earlier this year after a judgment in small claims court was brought forward by TD Bank against two directors of Darkstone Water.
SooToday reached out to one of the directors for comment through Facebook and did not receive a response.
With the lien in place, Raynor-Elliott is now dealing primarily with lawyers regarding the state of the building at 178-180 Gore and a recent request to have the heat turned on in the building was not able to be granted.
In the meantime, SOYA is making preparations for distributing 300 Christmas stockings from the Gore Street depot to people in need.
"We're going into our busiest season," said Raynor-Elliott.
"We need to give Sault Ste. Marie a Christmas and we're going to do everything we can to do it."
The depot is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to distribute food and warm clothing for people experiencing the effects of poverty and/or drug addiction.
Raynor-Elliott said some other local organizations have stepped up to help SOYA fulfill its mission, volunteering to assist with SOYA's annual Christmas lunch and dinner events.
While SOYA is planning for a future in a smaller space, Raynor-Elliott said the organization will only be accepting donations of food and warm winter clothing.