By Stephanie Mancini
Published in March 2015
In the midst of a February deep cold, we are constantly thinking of all the ways to build good spirit, offer hope and continue to act in thoughtfully intentional ways. We work to welcome people into the community of place, relationship and thoughtful engagement. The more people are tired, cold, and hunker down in these dark winter days, the more we at The Working Centre seek to hold the place where we can come together for rest and respect, and to open in a positive way to each request, each situation, and each moment.
These are almost daily conversations as we bring new people into the work, as we remind each other of how important deep respect is, as we support one another through colds and flu’s and the length of the winter.
This requires that we think outside of ourselves, our own desire to hibernate or escape, and root ourselves in the commitment we have made in our work. Here are some examples of the work.
Outreach workers are engaged in constant hospitality as we venture through this year where Out-of-the-Cold is closing up, and many people are hopefully looking for affordable housing that is not yet readily available in our community.
Almost every second week there have been memorial services at St. John’s Kitchen as we mark the passing of many friends in a cold and difficult winter season; and the more intensive and thoughtful supports that are needed as people approach death, as we serve in the role of family with people in our community. This winter the Outreach workers modelled this very patiently and thoughtfully by supporting one man in particular through months of days, nights, weekends; precariously supporting him in hotel rooms as they searched for a place that would suit his needs; graciously ensuring he died as he wished, and then held the memorial service where the community remembered him and mourned his death.
The exciting renovation projects that are going on that are helping to create affordable housing and creative shared spaces include:
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The addition of a central dining/gathering area as we join the two Hospitality Houses into one;
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The renovation of our Louisa Street house as we prepare to share the house with Waterloo Regional Homes for Mental Health
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The renovation of 256 King Street – to add apartments on the top floor and to prepare the main floor for a centre that promotes an enterprising approach to self-employment and a livelihood strategy of work (more on this in the June issue of GWN)
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Preparing the house beside the Hospitality House as we learn and prepare to launch a Dental Clinic in early summer that harnesses the volunteer efforts of local dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants to assist those who do not have access to dental services (homeless/at risk of homelessness and refugees).
We have just completed the details of purchasing 2 houses that will add to the affordable housing options in this community – this year we will add 18 units of affordable housing that will support people that we are working with in our outreach activities.
Preparations are in place to launch a capital campaign that will help us to pay off the balance of our commitment in creating these new units of affordable housing.
Employment counsellors in the Job Search Resource Centre work to creatively support each person coming in to search for work, to search for work alternatives, training ideas, self-employment options. In March we start the Digital Media Project for Youth, in partnership with KwartzLab Maker Space, helping young people with a technical capacity to build on these skills and to use them creatively in a job.
The Mayors’ Dinner will be held on April 11 this year and will honour the ways that Murray Haase steadily and quietly contributes to community building.
We are also preparing for a new season of growing at the Hacienda Garden, getting ready for a new season of Community Access Bikeshare, refurbishing bikes and organizing the Recycle Cycles shop in preparation of spring busy-ness; sorting clothing and getting ready for spring clothing at the Green Door. The IT team is looking at ways that VOIP phones can be leveraged to help people living on a limited income.
We are working on the infrastructure details for a “Set Up Fund” that will help people supported through STEP Home workers to make their new apartments “home” (beds, dishes, curtains, couches, cleaning supplies, moving and delivery costs). This fund has been supported by St. John’s Lutheran Church (they redirected some of their Out of the Cold funds to this purpose) and a further amount from the Region of Waterloo as part of their response to the closing of Out of the Cold.
The TRIP (Transit Reduced Income Project) is in the middle of its quarterly renewal of reduced fare bus passes as we welcome 300 people per quarter to renew stickers, and then invite people from the waiting list of 1,000 to sign up for the spots that don’t get renewed as people’s life situations change.
There are many shifting and changing projects – the dynamism of our place is that we are agile and we change constantly in response to the needs of people before us. It is so much easier to make rules and structures so that ideas follow an understandable pathway. But we are committed to the edges – to the liminal spaces where creativity and conversation lead to new ideas.
This is exciting and alert work – and calls us to be fully present where we are, walking patiently and hopefully through the dark days of winter, as the days start again to get longer.
