Medicine Hat's Mustard Seed opened in June, 2021 and has been steadily expanding it's programs and services since.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
As extreme cold weather paralyzes much of Alberta, the local Mustard Seed continues to provide shelter to those in need, alongside other support programs and services.
Opened in June, 2021, Medicine Hat’s Mustard Seed aims to connect with and offer care to community members experiencing homelessness and poverty. And assist them in working toward stability, independence and improved health and wellness.
“This is a space where community members can feel safe and welcome,” centre managing director Colette Eirich told the News. “But we’re not a handout; we’re a hand up.”
While the centre is most known for providing services to meet immediate needs like food, clothing and shelter, it is also a growing hub for long-term wellness supports.
“We’re trying to look at the root problem (individuals accessing the centre are facing) because it’s not just one thing,” said Eirich. “There’s all these things. This lifestyle didn’t happen overnight. So our goal is to reframe things one at a time.”
To do so, Eirich has gathered a core team of staff and volunteers, which includes wellness co-ordinators, a social worker, a mental health counsellor, an advocate, a social and recreational programmer, a spiritual adviser and more – readily available to assist those seeking help.
And if centre staff and volunteers are unable to provide a certain service, Eirich can request assistance from a network of community partners.
“We bring them all together so that we can be ready when someone says ‘I need help today,'” said Eirich.
Community partners are not permanently stationed at the centre, but rather operate on a rotating schedule from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an hour break at lunch.
Currently, community partner programs and services include a community paramedic clinic, an STI testing clinic, ID application and recovery services, financial support services, community housing support services, a resume-building workshop, occupational therapy, as well as system navigation and referral services.
Eirich plans to continue expanding that list.
“We’re constantly transitioning and that comes down to the needs of the clients,” said Eirich. “We’re always thinking, ‘What are some things that we can do that are going to work for them?'”
And while Eirich recognizes not all those who access the centre are ready to commit to long-term betterment, she is firm in the value of having the resources necessary for such readily accessible.
“I want to give people an opportunity to get help,” she said. “And we’ve seen it (happen). We’ve had people say, ‘I need help today; what can you do?’ And they’ve turned around.
“And, yeah, we have lost some. We’ve had some who are really not wanting help. But we have some who do want help. We’re not giving up on them.”
