Working Centre expands services

New King Street site offers more community space

KITCHENER — The Working Centre celebrated the opening of its latest innovative venture in downtown Kitchener, Fresh Ground, on Thursday.

The King Street East building includes supportive housing upstairs for people experiencing persistent homelessness, and a coffee bar, gathering space, coworking space, bike refurbishing area and filmmaking studio on the lower floors.

Director Joe Mancini called the building an “open community space” that offers new ways to bring people together at an open house on Thursday.

He and his wife, Stephanie Mancini, founded The Working Centre 35 years ago, and it now offers a diverse range of services and supports to address unemployment and poverty in the downtown core.

“We know what builds community. We know how to include people in complex ways,” Stephanie Mancini said. “This building is a bit out on that limb.”

She said they’re often surprised by what happens when they bring people together in these creative ways.

The space will evolve, agreed her husband.

“Each program creates its own culture.”

Housing is the focus of the newly-opened space, formerly owned by Ray of Hope for its Morning Glory Café and Bakery. Eight people moved into the top floor in April 2016.

The new units were made possible with a grant from the Region of Waterloo.

On the ground level of the building, a primarily takeout café will serve plant-based, whole grain foods with a focus on healthy, sustainable food alternatives. Beside that is a gathering space that can hold up to 50 people and be used for events and workshops.

The studio offers resources for filmmaking and storytelling where professional and community filmmakers can share skills and equipment. There’s also bookable desk space for entrepreneurs and people who are self-employed, creating opportunities for networking.

“It’s about building community,” Mancini said.

Volunteers are needed for the “bike pit,” where staff and volunteers from Recycle Cycles repair and refurbish bikes. They’re so busy helping 5,000 people fix their bike every year that often there’s little time for refurbishing.

Recycle Cycles is just behind the building on Market Street, along with the Working Centre’s Green Door clothing store and arts space.