A monumental moment for a local organization.
Noah's House is officially open — the drop-in centre for youth is in honour of Noah Butcher-Hagell who lost his battle with mental health.
Peter Corio is with the centre and says family and friends felt there was a gap in the system for youth and they began fundraising to ensure teens and young adults had somewhere to turn when they needed help.
Corio says the centre has a very casual feel.
"It's not like counselling or therapy. It's support, what you're getting is a welcoming environment, almost like another friend to have that support. If you're having a rough day, it's that positive influence. That's kind of the big thing around here," he says.
Corio says the centre's volunteers are there to listen.
"It's really like a peer support kind of thing. We're not trying to solve all your problems, you're going to find people that are there and willing to listen to you, are interested in what's happening on your life and take complete interest in making sure you're doing OK and are happy," he says.
Corio says any youth struggling with mental health issues are encouraged to stop in.
"Since we entered Stage 3 we have been allowing kids in to use the centre for emotional support. So this is our formal opening after years of family and friends of Noah wanting to find a way to keep his memory going and keep his spirit alive. It really captures what Noah tried to be in his life. We wanted to be the backbone and protector for everybody," he adds.
Noah's House is located at 2343 Pillette Rd. in Windsor and is open to youth aged 11 to 18.
The centre is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.