We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to those who gathered with us on such a chilly November morning, as we held a blessing over the workers who will move Daybreak from idea to reality, and the ground upon which Daybreak will be built.
Heart Love & Soul’s New Daybreak Site and Construction Workers Were Blessed by Niagara University President Emeritus Fr. Joseph Levesque.
A blessing of workers was held at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, at 924 Niagara Avenue at the Daybreak Site located directly behind HLS’ current building. Fr. Joseph Levesque, President Emeritus of Niagara University and Honorary Chair of the Capital Campaign for Daybreak and Heart, Love & Soul, presided over the blessing.
We purchased the old McGill Electric building, behind its 939 Ontario Avenue location, in 2017. Demolition at the site began in September 2019, and the Daybreak program is expected to open in Spring / Summer 2020.
The Daybreak center will offer shower and laundry facilities, a multi-purpose community room, a computer lab, new case management and care coordination space, a space for quiet/meditation, and offices for partner agencies to deliver a variety of services on a rotating basis. Clients will be able to access services for housing, health and wellness, behavioral health, employment and training, education, financial literacy, legal support, and more.
“We are so grateful for the wide-ranging support that has helped move this important project from vision to reality,” said Sr. Beth Brosmer, Executive Director of HLS. “At this key moment in the evolution and planned redevelopment of the North End, it’s worth noting that Heart & Soul and its network of partner agencies have committed to supporting our residents and families, to strengthen the system of social service provision, and to deepen the collective impact we can achieve by working together.”
The groundwork for Daybreak began in 2011 through a collaborative effort by the Niagara County Coalition for Services to the Homeless. Although HLS retains fiduciary responsibility for the program, Daybreak remains a community initiative dependent on multi-agency collaboration.
HLS launched a capital campaign in February 2019 to support renovation of the building, Daybreak startup costs, and the long-term sustainability of the program. To date, the effort has netted and/or pledged $3.4M toward a $4M goal.
