Photo: Contributed

This week marks a full year since Foundry Kelowna opened its doors and in that time more than 1,500 youth have come looking for help.

Foundry Kelowna is a center that works with youth aged 12 to 24 to get the help they need.

“There are 25 partner agencies working together, as seamlessly as we can, to reduce the burden young people can feel when they are looking for help,” said Foundry Kelowna Manager, Melissa Feddersen. 

“When a youth walks through our doors it’s a safe and welcoming environment where they only have to tell their story once. That means getting help is less traumatic and less frustrating,” Feddersen added.

Foundry Kelowna can connect youth to counsellors, physicians, income assistance, housing, and employment services.

“We’ve worked with more than 300 families since we opened. When a young person comes in, sometimes we discover that mom or dad is also experiencing the chaos that comes from navigating services for their child – we work with the whole family," Feddersen added.

Foundry Kelowna is part of a network of seven centres now open in the province, joining two locations in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Victoria, Prince George and Campbell River.