Kaitaia youth will now have a safe place to talk or chill where this is food on the stove, activities and help.
Te Hiku Hauora applied for Te Puni Kokiri funding in April to open a youth drop-in centre after health promotion manager Cathy Murray-Cherrington attended a hui at Whangape, called by kaumatua after 11 people had died from suspected suicides in the area over the past 15 years.
On Thursday Te Hiku Hauora, with community support, opened that drop-in centre.
Hinemoa Tipene, 25, is the drop-in centre's youth kaimahi and said she is "excited" that Kaitaia has somewhere youth can go.
"It isn't just a place for the youth, it's an opportunity for services to work together and for our community to band together," she said.