One of the first things visitors notice when they walk into the new Family Services of the North Shore office is the height of the reception desk.
“The desk is very low. I’m really excited that kids and everyone can be very welcomed into the space with low barriers, just feeling like this is their community space, because it is. This is a space for the community,” says Julia Staub-French, executive director of the non-profit, community-based agency offering education, support and counselling services to North Shore residents of all ages.
“I hope people come in and say, ‘I feel really comfortable here and (that I can) get the help that I need,’” she says.
As of Feb. 2, Family Services moved their office from West First Street in Lower Lonsdale (as that building, which had housed the agency since 1996, is being redeveloped), to 203-1111 Lonsdale Ave., in North Vancouver.
“It’s a very flexible, efficient and welcoming space for the community located at Central Lonsdale on major transportation routes. We’re much more visible to the community, I think, here,” says Staub-French.
Family Services is now operating out of three sites on the North Shore. In addition to its new, main Central Lonsdale office, its I Hope Family Centre, a community hub providing programs and services promoting wellness and the optimal development of children up to age six, operates out of a space at 399 Seymour River Place, North Vancouver, near Maplewood Farm. The organization’s second I Hope Family Centre will remain operational at 101-255 West First St., North Vancouver (Family Services’ old office site), until the end of April; however, staff are actively looking for a new space nearby to continue serving families in that area.
“A space is a place where people come, but it’s our staff who continue to do the great work through their expertise, their knowledge, their skill and their compassion for people in the community. So I think the fact that we’ve got great staff who do this amazing work with people who are vulnerable and who need our help, and now we can offer that in a brand new bright space that hopefully gives the impression to everyone in the community that you’re welcome and that it’s OK to reach out to us to get the help you need, is the best of both worlds. I think those two things go really hand in hand,” says Staub-French.
familyservices.bc.ca
