After months of construction and design, a new safe space for those involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters Grande Prairie & Area is now ready for use.
“It’s finished and ready to go… the space itself is set up and right now are able to have 10 people at a time in there, obviously with social distancing and what not,” says Executive Director Corrine Patterson.
Patterson says with a theatre-style popcorn machine, video game consoles and devices, an air hockey table, foosball table, and a movie theatre, nearly every possible type of activity they could come up with will be available. She says the time and effort put into the emptied-out dance studio is mindblowing.
“We have some volunteers, and some great people in our organization that saw some potential down there, and it kind of exploded from there,’
“It’s more than I could have anticipated, I’m just so proud of it.”
Patterson says despite the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place limiting the number of people that can access the building, they are hoping further updates to the provincial reopening strategy will allow them to start offering the space to more than 10 people at a time.
“It’s available to be used, it’s a little awkward right now with restrictions, but we look forward to figuring it out together so the space can start to be used by matches, our families and the community,” she adds.
Kyle Evans, a Big Brother with the organization since January 2020, and morning show host on 2DayFM said that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, finding things to do with his matched little sister was difficult. He added having a reliably available safe space will dramatically help to reduce anxieties associated with going out.
