LYNC Mill Block Community Centre

What is this project about?

LYNC is building a mixed income intergeneration housing community that will fulfill LYNC's objective
1. To relieve poverty and financial hardship in rural communities by building
and operating residential housing and incidental facilities for low income
and financially disadvantaged intergenerational individuals and families
An integral part of the development is the creation of a community Centre in keeping with LYNC's second objective
2. To relieve poverty by developing the knowledge, capacity and skills of the
members of socially and economically disadvantaged communities through
supportive programming so that they may thrive. The Community Centre will be a place for community collaboration and will include community gardens, a commercial kitchen, meeting rooms, childcare space and collaborative and social enterprise spaces. The Centre will provide space for educational and mentoring opportunities to improve individual and community self sufficiency, well being and stability. Collaboration with community members will play a significant role in driving the content of the program taking place in the Community Hub. Social Enterprise spaces will allow local businesses to provide services and goods for tenants and the public creating positive interactions and connections. These enterprises operating in the Community Hub will provide employment and mentoring opportunities for individuals and families. Through the Mill Block Community Development LYNC is making our communities more sustainable, diverse, equitable and inclusive. LYNC is directly contributing to the resiliency of our community by helping to relieve poverty, alleviating food insecurity and building capacity through the development of the knowledge, skills and resources of individuals and families.

22022MillBlockCommunityKitchenR1.pdf

Why is this project important to the community?

New Hamburg is a rural community that has experienced tremendous growth and change in population. New Hamburg has seen an increase in "newcomers and have a substantial aging population that require affordable housing and a place to build community. This growth has increased the demand for assistance with basic needs for families and individuals such as housing, food security, education, employment training and childcare assistance. The Mill block development will address these needs by providing 31 new rental units of which more than 60% percent will be affordable and accessible. The Mill block will provide an accessible community centre which will strengthen community ties and create a more resilient community through collaboration with other community service agencies. The community centre will feature a commercial kitchen. Working with Wilmot Family Resource Center we will provide regular community meal programs, cooking classes and other life skills programs such as canning and food preparation that will help individuals and families gain needed food security. The community Centre will have dedicated meeting rooms for both tenants and community members. Several of these rooms will be dedicated as safe and accessible counselling space to be used in collaboration with Interfaith Counselling Centre. This will allow newcomers to access services in an environment an accepting environment. The Centre will also include community gardens for community building and to relieve food insecurity; Social enterprises space to help with employment training as well as to reduce the cost of basic services and childcare space. These needed elements in the community centre will help to foster a supportive and resilient community.
Target Completion Date
October 31, 2027
Location
183 Mill Street,
New Hamburg
N3A 1P8

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