Planned Parenthood gets new home with support from provincial government
Executive director relieved and grateful for new building in central St. John's
After 39 years on Merrymeeting Road, Planned Parenthood got the keys Friday to a new home in St. John's.
The building is far from new, but with renovations paid for by the provincial government, it's a solid new space for the sexual health clinic operator.
"We saw it for the first time today and it was beautiful," said local Planned Parenthood director Nikki Baldwin on Thursday night.
The organization gets the keys for the new space on St. Clare Avenue on Friday and will begin moving in December.
The building is owned by Eastern Health, but was in rough shape prior to the renovations. The province paid $300,000 to have it taken back to the studs and fitted for two clinics downstairs and a boardroom upstairs.
Baldwin said the arrangement was made after Planned Parenthood invited local politicians to visit the clinic on Merrymeeting Road and explained why it needed a new building.
The province funds Planned Parenthood with a $64,000 grant each year. Baldwin told CBC News in May that there wasn't enough money to address the needs of the old building and the increasing demand for services.
The organization sees between 3,000 and 4,000 patients come through its clinics each year and does more than 100 presentations on sexual health in schools and community groups.
She was concerned they'd have to start cutting education programs to save costs.
But with a new building secured, fears have turned to excitement — for the most part.
"We're extremely excited," she said. "We're a little scared because we're moving from a building we own to one we're renting, which is going to be a new thing for us. But the space itself is beautiful and we're so incredibly excited and happy and grateful."
With files from Meghan McCabe