WRFA’s Julia Ciesla-Hanley talked to Lutheran Corporate Recruiter Lisa Melquist about how assisted living facilities are dealing with recruitment issues.

The operation known as Gustavus Adolphus Family Services made the announcement on Friday, saying it had filed a 90-day closure plan with the New York State Office of Child and Family Services and state Education Department.

GA Family Services provides a variety of services to at-risk youth and their families. There are currently 60 youth attending the Learning Center, which serves students with emotional and learning disabilities. The closure will impact 100 employees considered “direct care and ancillary support positions” with the nonprofit youth service organization. The Post-Journal is also reporting that in mid-October, teachers at the Learning center had recently voted to unionize and join the New York State United Teachers union. But officials say that by October, discussions on the center’s future were already taking place.

The two centers are part of the Lutheran Social Services organization.

On Friday afternoon officials from the non profit assisted living facility cut the ribbon on the new Edgewood Commons development, located along Falconer Street.

The new facility includes grab-n-go cafe, fitness center, multiple activity rooms, billiards room and a 42-seat theater. Officials say Edgewood Commons is part of a larger $5 million project that included infrastructure upgrades to the entire Edgewood Communities.

The entire project was financed with the help of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency.

The fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) by helping support local suicide prevention and awareness programs right here in Chautauqua County. The goal for this year is to raise at least $10,000.

The Jamestown Out of the Darkness Walk is one of the nearly 250 Out of the Darkness Community Walks being held this fall nationwide. The walks are expected to unite more than 100,000 walkers nationally and raise more than $7.5 million for suicide prevention efforts.

The Jamestown community walk will take place at Tracy Plaza, City Hall with registration from 9 to 10 a.m. and the walk beginning around 10:05 a.m.  To register, go to www.outofthedarkness.org and go to the Jamestown walk page.

This walk is being organized by the local suicide awareness and prevention coalition within Chautauqua County called The Community Alliance for Suicide Prevention. The Alliance is made up of members from various organizations such as Chautauqua Tapestry, Chautauqua County Mental Hygiene, Compeer Chautauqua, WCA Hospital, Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. Mobile Crisis Team, Crisis Services, Hospice Chautauqua County, State University of New York at Fredonia, The Resource Center, New York State Office of Mental Health, Mental Health Association, Early Identification and Recognition Program with Chautauqua County Mental Hygiene, Family Services of the Chautauqua Region, Inc., CASAC, Lutheran, Jamestown Community College, VA of WNY Health Care System and passionate community members.

More details on the Out of the Darkness Walk will be provided Thusday on WRFA when we discuss the event and the effort to raise awareness for suicide prevent during our weekly Community Matters program… which airs at 6pm here on WRFA.