Seeing in your own neighbourhood

Cary called me the other day; a woman who lives in a condo in Calgary and who has weekly contact with a homeless man who lives in her alley. Cary works for the Auditor General and is in Edmonton most of the week and only home on weekends. She stated the man in her alley is about 30 years old, does not 'look' homeless and yet carries a huge backpack and spends day and night behind her condo. He is extremely friendly and helps her carry her garbage out or visits when she is going for a walk. Cary stated that she wants to be sure she is not ignoring what her responsibility is was his neighbour and could I guide her in how to support him.

Imagine those magical words, "my neighbour". This is where the difference had already begun in Cary's heart because she didn't see him as a blight or as weaker but simply as a neighbour that she cared about.

I invited Cary down to the SEED as she had never been here before and last Saturday she came for a tour. She was impressed by how much the SEED did in the community and the services that we offered that she wasn't even aware of. I had told Cary I would make up a backpack for her neighbour with warm clothes, hygiene items and a list of Calgary resources and a Street Guide. Cary stated that he is always reading a book so she put a Chapters Gift card and a Tim Hortons Card in the bag. It was a wonderful blessing for me to work with someone in our community who truly cared and who wanted to be part of the solution, who truly was a neighbour.

Below is the email Cary sent me two days after our visit.

Hi Deb,

Thank you so much for meeting with me last Saturday morning. The Mustard Seed is much more than I expected.

I found the man we had spoken about a few hours after we met and introduced myself. His name is Cody. We chatted for a few minutes and I gave him the backpack. I let him know that I didn’t have much family left and it had made me happy to have him to shop for. I wished him “Merry Christmas” and said that if he needed any help to let me know. He said thank you and wished me a “Merry Christmas” and that was it. He seemed pleased and was smiling during our conversation. (I did say that I got the clothing and backpack from The Mustard Seed so he didn’t think it was weird that I bought him underwear! J)

I thought you’d like an update. It was so hard for me to walk away…I wanted to say more or do more… so frustrating… But I know it’s probably not good to be pushy (which is an integral part of my profession J).

I spoke to several people at work and they are fine with me putting a collection box in our photocopy room starting in January. Our office is small in Calgary (12 people) so not sure how this will work out. Like you said…everything helps.

Merry Christmas Deb and all the best in the New Year!

Christmas List of Love

Hi, I'm Trudi and I'm posting on the blog for my first time! I receive and sort donations at The Mustard Seed Calgary's Resource Sorting Centre. As Christmas draws closer I go over my list of the "to dos" and the "yet to gets", and I'm finding it impossible to concentrate. My thoughts keep running off course, traveling back to a time last season when a client asked me for help with her own Christmas list. She knocked quietly on the door to the donation room where we (before we moved) sorted clothing and hygiene. Her eyes, weary and desperate, told her story before she spoke a word. She was going home for Christmas this year, out of province, and wanted more than anything to bring gifts for her children and grandchildren.

   She had no money but offered to give us a hand during our busiest time of the year if we could possibly help her out. I wasn't really sure if we would receive anything suitable for her loved ones, however I answered without hesitation. "Yes, for sure, we would love to help you." This was truly a joyous moment. It's what you could call a stepping stone leading to a life God intended. This woman was a hard core drug addict and could have chosen a less dignified or less honest way of getting the gifts she needed; instead she reached out to The Mustard Seed in a sober state of mind, asking for help with what we all want: to spend quality time with our families during the holidays.

   Over the next week or so we all worked incredibly hard, but not once during the whirl-wind of activity did we ever lose focus or forget about the special request. The other volunteers and I kept a careful watch for donated items that we felt might make great presents. We felt that, piece by piece this list would surely come together by the time she had to leave. This was a task of love that took top priority in our little sorting room and it was important that we helped fill this woman's request. Well, I'm happy to say we found all the right presents thanks to the generosity of our donors! Our client was truly grateful, as were we for her. On her last day with us she thanked everyone, and we embraced one another wholeheartedly with gratitude. At that moment that we had found everything for her, I felt a true sense of hope for this woman and I believe she felt it too. This will be a Christmas I will never forget. She might not have known this, but she gave us a gift as well -, she gave us the spirit of Christmas.

The Season of Giving

Weekends are a unique time in the inner city. Most of the agencies are closed, and there is a kind of hush that seems to blanket the remaining activity. As I was leaving work one Sunday, a somewhat distraught older, aboriginal man approached me wanting to talk. We sat, side by side, our arms slightly touching, on the steps of the church looking out at the neighborhood. Sitting for a while, in silence, and then looking off into the distance he said, “I did something bad.” “You did something bad?” I echoed in reply, my mind wandering off as I imagined any number of confessions that could follow. I looked at him and waited for him to respond. It was as if he was pulling the words from deep inside, mustering the energy to give them a voice. “I gave my money to some bad people. They asked me for money and when I gave them some, they tried to take all of it from me. How can I be a Christian?” he asked, “I try so hard to love people and to give them what they want, and then they hurt me.” I could tell he had a heavy heart, and we continued to sit for a while in silence, intermittently speaking about the difficulties of being human, being a Christian, and of loving people.

In this holiday season we are often reminded of the good in the world; it is a time to remember family and friends, to enjoy big meals, and of course, to give gifts, but there is also a great deal of pain for many people. Many of the worst parts of the inner city - the violence, the addictions, the broken relationships - all seem to increase around this time. They often seem senseless until they are seen as responses to the intense pain many of our neighbors harbor, pain that is often amplified by the memories of holidays past. In listening to this man it was as if I could feel some of his pain. I share this with you because in this Christmas season, one of the invitations of the season is to love one another through the spirit of giving. My invitation to you is to consider that perhaps whenever people ask for something from us, we are to give to them; perhaps not always specifically what they are asking for, but we can always give dignity, respect, and kindness.

This Christmas Season, and throughout the year, may I always remind myself to pause and consider, “what is this person asking of me, and what am I able to give them?” Let me be reminded that not all gifts must be bought from a store and wrapped in pretty paper to be valuable, and for each person I meet, may I take the time to ask myself, “How can I love this person more?”

Redefining "Neighbour"

The Mustard Seed currently has a picture featured predominantly on its website. The photo is of a man holding up a cardboard sign that says, “I used to be someone’s neighbour”. The scene reminds us that homelessness is closer than we might think- that people affected by this displacement are sometimes those just like our neighbours, co-workers and friends.

But I think the sign in the picture also asks us to think deeper about the full definition of “neighbour”. Are our neighbours just those who live geographically close to us? Because someone does not have a home, does that make them no longer our neighbour?

Whenever we have faith-based groups come to The Mustard Seed in Edmonton, a big part of how we talk about our inner-city community, about poverty, and about our mandate as Christians regarding these topics is to focus on the Gospels’ call to “love your neighbour as yourself.” We run a workshop with many visiting youth groups titled “Who is your neighbour?” in order to emphasize that our neighbours are not just those who live near to us, but include all people both locally and globally. We talk about what “loving your neighbour” looks like in action, and how groups can respond when their “neighbours” are faced with poverty and injustice.

Poverty and brokenness can have a devastating effect on neighbourliness. People affected by poverty and homelessness often have their right, God-created relationships as neighbours distorted and broken by sin and the effects of poverty. They are put in a position where they no longer feel like they are anyone’s neighbour- they are rootless, disconnected, and too often forgotten.

While the photo on our website tells us that its subject is no longer someone’s neighbour- in the traditional sense of no longer living in a home next to someone- this man is definitely still our neighbour in a wider, more significant way. In fact, as a person faced with homelessness, he is even more in need of the love of all of us fellow neighbours!

Home for Christmas

I’m about to go live on air for the final two hours of the 10th Annual Mustard Seed Shine-a-thon. I remember being on the radio last year, as a co-host for my first ever Shine-A-Thon. From where I was sitting, I could see out across a dark, snow covered street to a lineup of people making their way to our shelter. I was on air while over 300 Calgarians made their way on yellow school buses to an industrial park to find shelter from the frigid cold. There I was, seeing an enormous need and being so compelled to invite listeners to be generous. I could see the difference they could make, lining up right in front of my eyes. At no other point in my life have I been so aware of how a donation could be transformed into life change.

Since that day, the donations have been used to help 98 of those in that lineup to make their way home. Those gifts have helped 47 more find meaningful employment. And we’re not done yet, because while I’m on the air tonight, the line will form again and many will make their way to our shelter. They choose to do so, because they know that they will be received by staff who will offer the lost art of hospitality and from there, they will find hope, experience community and begin the journey towards sustainable life change. In many ways, our shelter has become a re-housing centre, an employment centre and even more, a centre of hope.

Today is a day to give. I write this blog hoping it will inspire you to donate generously, inviting you to do your part to make a difference in the lives of those who stand in line, showing that they do not stand alone. Tonight, as a despairing line forms, let’s get together to offer hope and show that Christmas is a season filled with great anticipation, new beginnings and a gift far beyond what any of us ever imagined. Let’s bring that line ‘home’ for Christmas.

Tune in live to 88.9 Shine FM or visit us in Banker’s Hall.

Still here...

I’ve been a part of The Mustard Seed since 2001.  I can remember the first time I served a meal with my church as if it was yesterday.  I remember being surprised by how polite everyone was as I offered them a bun with their meal. I remember laughing at the jokes the people told me and how safe I felt despite the warnings from my parents to be careful.

After that night, two friends and I started volunteering.  We served lunch and then helped clean up and chat with people.  That’s when I met George* who ALWAYS had the biggest smile on his face and never said anything negative. Ever.  Then we came on Saturday nights and just talked with people as we watched Hockey Night in Canada. That’s when I met Carl* who spoke candidly about his addiction, loneliness and what it was like to live on the streets.

In May 2004, they hired me as a Summer Intern after finishing my 2nd year of university.  I spent four months working in the kitchen, food bank, clothing centre and playing baseball.  i. loved. It.  This was the first time in my life that I had a job and actually liked it. I guess you could say that I found a piece of myself at The Mustard Seed that summer.  Although I worked with people on a daily basis who had encountered so much pain and heart ache they still had hope that things could change.  They inspired me and made my faith look trite and surface.  I was forced to ask the tough questions such as “how can people say God is good in the face of such trial?”, “What does it mean to see God in everyone?”, “what does success look like in the eyes of God?”

It’s now 2011 and I am still here.  I could write a long list of the jobs I’ve had since 2004 but that’s not important.  The reason I am still here is because I still believe that I can be a part of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth as it is in Heaven.

What’s Going on in Employment? An Update

The Employment Centre at The Mustard Seed as we now know it has been operating since August, which means that we’ve had just over four months to work with our 80-odd clients towards achieving what we’re calling “sustainable employment.” We’ve spent a lot of time talking about definitions, data and decisions as we’ve been rolling this all out. While these are essential to a successful program, I thought it would be helpful to provide some insight into what’s been happening amidst it all in the real lives of our hard-working, hope-filled clients; the people who are the real focus of all of this.

Mary came in for help with interview skills which gave her the confidence to land the cleaning job for which she’d been hoping.

Tom struggles with addictions and has worked one-off day jobs for the last few years. We introduced him to an employer who offered him a construction job where he worked steadily for close to a month. He’s still working through his challenges, but is recognizing the value in steady employment that he didn’t see before.

Jennifer is working part-time in a job her coach assisted her in securing, but is making money to get her FoodSafe training and fulfill her dream of working full-time in the food industry.

David came through the Employment Centre to get a job with Facilities at The Mustard Seed, and is now able to afford a trip home to the US for Christmas.

Vanessa is in her mid-20s and has never had a job. She was able to work with a coach to get into a paid training program that will give her the work experience she needs to enter the world of employment while earning enough income to pay her rent.

George, despite his serious mental health issues, was able to see real change happen through perseverance and readiness to change. In a matter of days, he came for a haircut with one of our volunteers, searched for a job with his coach, secured an interview and received a job offer and has been working steadily as a dishwasher downtown ever since.

Tony, a new Canadian and a skilled glazier, came to us for help finding any kind of work just pay his rent and help out a sick loved-one. Instead, he worked with his coach who accompanied him to an interview that landed him a job in his field. He’s been employed successfully for over three months now and has achieved full benefits doing the trade he loves.

Marcel was frustrated with temporary work, so came to us to find something more permanent. We introduced him to an employer with a contracting business, and since then he has been learning new skills on the job and taking pride in the things he’s been able to build, abut also in showing up consistently every day.

These are just a few of the life stories our clients are writing daily. There are others that don’t seem so positive: some battling addictions and other health issues, some lacking the motivation or skills to get into their dream job. This is a reality for many of the people The Mustard Seed serves, but they all have one thing in common: they’re here. They’ve taken the initiative to work with an Employment Coach to take positive steps forward, however small or large those steps may be. So while we take steps to make sure we’re serving them with the best policies and programs possible, I hope this has given a glimpse into what’s happening on the ground, because their individual successes are also worth talking about.

A Million Dollar Gift

The phones were ringing and everyone was giving what they could. Amongst all the ones and zeroes stood a tired and weary man, reluctantly playing each day with the hand he was dealt. Beyond the tattered clothing and possession-filled backpack lay a glimmer of hope. Coins in hand, he walks hesitantly to the table. "Here," he says, opening his hand to reveal a few dirty coins, "it's all I have." He was immediately embarrassed and closed his fingers around the shiny objects, retracting his arm and bowing his head. "It's only three dollars."   "That's ok," they said. "No, it's only three dollars."   "No,"  I tell him, as I touch him gently on the back and look straight in his eyes.   "It's not only three dollars, it's three dollars." "It’s not only three dollars... " everyone there echoes. He looks up at us standing there and, looking slightly more empowered, sits down to fill out the form. "You should make a challenge," I say, and explain he can challenge other people to donate. "I want to challenge everyone to give, because if I can give, they can."

After that exchange, I slowly walked away from the table, my heart a little warmer, my smile a little brighter. Thank you, sir, for touching my day and my heart in a way I will never forget.

Four years later, we're about to launch into another Shine-a-Thon, the event where the above events played out. I'd like to personally ask you to listen to Shine FM on Thursday, December 15, and watch our Facebook and Twitter feeds in Calgary to see and hear about the work happening at The Mustard Seed and how you can help. Our goal is to raise $250,000 in one day with your help. If nothing else, we're fun people to listen to, and you'll be inspired in one way or another. Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for listening.

The Day it All Changed

Hi, I'm Karina, I'm the Executive Assistant to Jeff Dyer, our COO here at The Mustard Seed. Visiting Heritage Park drastically changed my perspective.  No, not of how much more modern our society is today compared to the past, but of people experiencing homelessness. Last year I had the opportunity of visiting Heritage Park in December with 8 of our clients and a few other volunteers.  We all loaded into the 15 passenger van and, when we arrived at the park, seemed to naturally split off into a few small tour groups. My group included Carissa*, John* and Silvia*, along with another volunteer.

I admit, before going on this outing, and before joining The Mustard Seed, I was scared of homeless people I’d see on the streets. I made the generalization that they ALL were dirty, did drugs or drank non-stop, didn’t have thoughts or feelings and enjoyed begging for change.  In short, I de-humanized them in my mind.

As we wandered through the park, I was able to talk with several of the other group members, and got to hear their perspectives and feelings about various things. Carissa, in particular, shared with me throughout the afternoon about her struggles with mental illness, but how she’s doing much better and how her relationship with God is her source of strength. After a few of such conversations, it hit me: each person experiencing homelessness has a unique story & struggles, and at the end of the day is just a human being like me. There’s nothing to be afraid of. This seems like such a small shift in thinking now, but at that time, it was a big step. 

Since that day, I’ve made it a priority to connect with the people we serve, and often the small conversations we have at lunch are a highlight of my day.  I’d encourage you to reach out and simply talk with someone you have a certain notion about or otherwise wouldn’t. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a person experiencing homelessness, but could be that seemingly unapproachable neighbour or the quiet immigrant. It just may change your perspective and generalizations, something that if we all did more often would lead to increased mutual understanding and ultimately societal change.

- Karina

See You In the Neighborhood

Last week I met a handful of families, couples and singles who have to vacate their homes by December 15. The issue is mold, and a property owner who can’t or won’t take steps to properly fix the mold. I stood in the hallways of this building for a few hours with folks from a few other agencies and knocked on doors with a health and safety representative. They gave bad news, we gave good news. As agencies we were there to help, to tell people that we can offer support over the next few weeks as they hurry to find another place to live before Christmas. I have to say, I had mixed feelings about offering this good news. I was certainly happy that we (and these other agencies) can step in to help, but I also wonder how their community can respond. Sometimes, it seems, we rely too much on a systematic response and we don’t offer a human response. When can we (as communities and individuals) step in and help someone in need?

I need to make a confession. I don’t know many of my neighbors. I live in a condominium community in the SW of Calgary; my complex is set up as stacked townhouses, which means I have quite a few neighbors. In fact my garage is surrounded by about 9 other garages. I bought my house about a year ago and the couple who lives above me has lived there for about 6 months. Last week was the first time I’ve ever spoke to the neighbor that I have been parking next to for all that time. Her name is June and she is a lovely person. I’ve been missing out on the opportunity to know her for months now, and it seems like they might just be the type of people I’d want to know when I lock myself out of my house (which has happened 3 times now…) or when I need to complain about the condo board or need to borrow sugar… although more often I run out of olive oil. And perhaps I’m just the type of person that has something to offer them as well!

For me, these two thoughts are connected because I realized that I’m not making myself available to my own neighbors. If there is a senior citizen or new Canadian across the street at risk of losing their housing merely because of a language or technology barrier (a common reality), I can help! But, alas I haven’t met them, I don’t know them and they don’t know me. So I have a challenge for myself: to start making myself available to my neighbors. After all, perhaps there is some way I can offer support and justice to my neighbor, and perhaps a neighbor has something to offer me.


Peace

Remember

With winter around the corner, I thought about someone I met one afternoon during The Mustard Seed’s coffee drop in. Her name is Lena. Lena is often seen at The Mustard Seed wearing her signature pink scarf with matching pink lipstick. She’s always smiling and always gracious for everything she receives at The Mustard Seed. Yet, one snowy, cold afternoon I was driving home and there was Lena – that kind soul – walking outside thinly dressed - no sweater, no coat. She was wearing summer shoes too admist that snowy weather. Tears welled up in my eyes. No one should have to be outside in the winter cold. No one should have to be alone either. But, sometimes, people do not have everything we seem to take for granted.

It’s because of people like Lena that The Mustard Seed strives to provide what it can – basic needs in the form of meals, clothing and personal items - and now housing and employment. I am very pleased that The Mustard Seed is expanding into the latter of these two areas. Often a meal is the first step to a changed life. Housing and employment takes people like Lena beyond that first step so that they don’t have to be outside when it’s -30. And, although saying that sounds a bit harsh, it’s true.

If you are ever having a bad day, please remember what you have. There are people like Lena who even smile when they have much less than we do, even when they face the harsh, cold winter. And, please, keep them in your prayers and do what you can to help us help them. Hope can only grow with the support of people like you.

The Children Who Lead Us All

It was a cold and blowy day on Street Level two weeks ago. There was a knock on the doors and the wind blew in a little boy and his dad. The little boy announced “my name is Billy and I am 7” and proudly held up 7 fingers. Billy then explained, “Yesterday was my 7th birthday. Instead of presents for me I asked all my friends to bring a gift for the Mustard Seed.” Billy then handed over $80 in $5 dollar bills and a bundle of Tim Horton’s gift cards. Last week a little boy and his parents came for a tour, and he too brought gifts for the Mustard Seed, which he had asked for instead of gifts for himself for his birthday. On Friday I did a tour for a mom and her two children, who had the afternoon off from school. The kids each explained that they had their own rooms at home and were shocked when I told them that the people who sleep in our shelter have 369 roommates in their bedroom!

The Bible says, in Matthew 18:3, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Often it is easy to become bitter or negative or doubtful of the good of mankind as we watch the news or read the paper or see some of the things that go on around us. But it is important, no it is critical, that we remember that there is so much good, so much kindness and such commitment on the parts of many parents to ensure that their children truly understand not only how blessed they are but how important it is to take responsibility for our communities as a whole. This is where change begins, in the innocent and non-judgmental heart of a child who will truly lead us all.

Real People

"I want to stay because people here care about me" muttered Laura (not her real name) as she sat sobbing on the bench in the lobby. My co-worker, Joel, and I attempted to ease the pain of the reality that she would not be able to stay at our shelter any longer, due to various medical issues that we were unable to accommodate - not the least of which was her passing out mid-sentence and nearly falling to the floor on a number of occasions.  This may sound strange that someone in this state would "want" to stay at an emergency homeless shelter, but it is not an uncommon desire among many of the guests that utilize The Mustard Seed's services. 

My name is Jordan, and I work frontline at The Mustard Seed Shelter in Calgary. For someone like Laura, an elderly individual who had been on the streets for a number of years, slipping through the cracks, and being cycled through the system, living off of a very small monthly cheque from the government and picking bottles for a living, it is very easy to feel alone. Couple this with her mild personality and small figure and it made her somewhat forgettable.  With her failing body, being on over two dozen prescription medications, and her deteriorating mental health in a battle to overcome severe depression, her situation was very bleak. And as I sat there and witnessed the anguish in her face, while trying to fight my own tears of sorrow, I had once again been reminded of the humanity and unsurpassable worth of the person sitting in front of me.  This lady was not a statistic, or a number, or my "work", she was, is, a real person, who has real pain, just like me.

I no longer appreciate the term "homeless people/person", when you use the word homeless as a title to describe someone, you are attaching a very painful and traumatic experience to their identity, creating a cultural divide of "us and them".  The reality is that these are valuable, legitimate members of society who are experiencing homelessness.  Yes, many of them have made decisions that have born negative consequences and may very well have put them in the place they are in, but to strip someone of value and worth because of their social standing, or even because of the wrong decisions they have made, is a travesty, and it is often only a reflection of how insignificant we ourselves feel.  So I have decided because of Laura and others like her, I will know longer work to serve the 'homeless' but rather, I will serve real people who do not have a home. Semantics? Maybe.  But also something to think about.


Jordan T. Swaim
Overnight Support Worker

The Beauty of Vulnerability

I love working at The Mustard Seed, but sometimes after a long day, when someone approaches me to talk, I just don’t have the desire or the energy to be fully present to them. John (we’ll call him), doesn’t come to The Mustard Seed very often, but when he does we always have very awkward and strange conversations that I don’t look forward to, so when I arrived at work already exhausted one evening after a long day at school to find John, eager to chat, I have to admit I was less than thrilled. It was a busy night, the kind where the entire shift can go by without a moment’s pause. I was thankful for this because no sooner had John begun to chat, I was called away to deal with a flooded toilet and then a conflict, and on and on the list went. Whilst maneuvering through the crowded drop-in from one task to the other, John reached out and caught my attention for a moment; seated alone in the midst of the chaos of a hundred other people talking and laughing, eating, playing games, and sharing community together. John looked up at me from his seat and said, "Loneliness is terrible. Sometimes it’s nice just to be with other people, isn’t it?" I think for the first time I heard John not with my ears, but with the whole of me; in this moment of vulnerability, I really saw him there as a human being.

Author and priest Henri Nouwen said, "Community is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives." Today I am thankful for people like John, who remind me that The Mustard Seed exists because, not only is it nice to be with other people, it’s essential; it’s what we were created for. I am thankful for John because he forces me to collide head on with the true meaning of community and, through awkwardness and uncomfortable conversations, invites me to understand and practice community better.

Reflect, Wonder and Observe!

Almost every Wednesday morning throughout the year, The Mustard Seed in Edmonton hosts a different grade 6 class from schools throughout the city. These classes come as part of the City Hall school program- a week-long, hands-on learning experience held at Edmonton’s City Hall where students gain an understanding of municipal government with a focus on citizenship, the environment and social responsibility.

At the end of each day at City Hall school, students spend time creating R.O.W.S- a way to Reflect, Observe, Wonder and Sketch what they participated in that particular day. The City Hall teacher then passes on the R.O.W.S to me and the other group facilitator so we can read these reflections about the students’ time at The Mustard Seed.

I always love reading through the R.O.W.S the following week, and yesterday I received a piece of writing that I wanted to share, from a grade 6 student at Bisset Elementary.

“[Today] I realized that not all homeless people are bad… Anyone could be homeless. I could be homeless, my best friends could be homeless, the bus driver could be homeless. Homelessness means that you are stronger than others, that you are skilled, you are independent, that every day you wake up cold and hungry yet you still have hope and you still are fighting. Every day you hear people call you names and laugh at you but you keep going. You still struggle to get food on your plate and a blanket wrapped around you, but you don’t give up and that’s what makes you strong. You know that one day you will be free and all your suffering will be worth it if you keep on going. You will be stronger when this time of poverty has passed you.”

There are probably some ideas in here that I would challenge, but overall it’s a pretty astute reflection. I certainly know a lot of people in The Mustard Seed community who match this description of strength and perseverance!

Experts say that kids form stereotypes by the time they’re 9 years old, so part of what I love about City Hall school is that we get to engage the kids about their stereotypes and misperceptions- we hope they leave understanding that everyone has a name, a face, and a story!

Spread the Love

Yesterday I was driving to work and a woman called in to the local radio show to tell listeners about how she stopped on her way to work at Tim Horton’s drive-thru for a breakfast sandwich and coffee and when she arrived to the window to pay the car ahead of her had already paid for her purchase and how this random act of kindness made her day.  Then I read Jeff’s blog post about a small act that his family did for their neighbour, Deedee, which took a little time and energy but probably had a big impact on Deedee. 

Both these stories got me thinking about how fun it would be to  spread the love or pay-it-forward by  just doing acts of kindness to random strangers or neighbours (anonymously or not). 

These don’t all have to cost money but could be:

-  An anonymous note of encouragement to a co-worker or a friend

- offer to babysit for new parents who need a break

- shovel your neighbour's walk

- buy the coffee for the person behind you

- help clean someone’s house (a good friend of mine did this for me a couple weeks ago!)

- donating long underwear or mitts to a local charity

I know that I can get caught up in me, me, me.  So in light of this I’m committing to do 1 random act of kindness for the next 5 weeks leading up to Christmas.  Consider joining me on this journey, as I attempt to spread the love, 1 act at a time.  And if you do join me, share with me what you did!  I promise to keep you posted on my adventures of spreading the love.

Cookies, rakes and community

Deedee is in her seventies and gravity is having its way with her as the weight of a life’s work bends her towards the ground. She is unable to stand tall and finds it near impossible to shoulder check and lift a bag of dog food. Deedee is so tough that she has a hard time receiving help and unfortunately, the support system she trusts is shrinking. The good news is that she has a weakness: she loves cookies.

On Saturday night, my wife, Kristy brought Deedee another instalment of warm ginger snaps. Weakened by the generosity, Deedee started to share that her grandson had moved away and how difficult she finds chores without his help, particularly with her increasingly creaky back. The truth is this is the beginning of a very difficult reality for Deedee, where her chance at independent living shrinks as her chore list grows and routine tasks become ever hard to complete. It is not hard to imagine that in the confines of her lonely home, her chance at sustainable living will diminish. She needs community.

I think that the general human response in a story like this is to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of helping someone completely. We can’t imagine being able to entirely resolve the issues facing our neighbours and so we get stuck doing nothing. The counter to this inaction is to do what we can. So, on Sunday afternoon our family adjusted our plans to include raking Deedee’s leaves. It was a small inconvenience for us and a world of encouragement for Deedee. Baking cookies became raking leaves, which will become shovelling snow, which will grow into something else. As we left her yard, she said, “There’s still good people.”

None of these simple acts will completely combat the isolation that puts Deedee at risk, but it is something. We knew she had a sweet tooth, and now we know she’s got a taste for community. In the words of Mother Theresa, “The needs are great, and none of us ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”

Cookies, rakes, shovels… who is at risk and what small gift can you give?

Hope grows through holistic care

When I talk to employers in the business community about what The Mustard Seed does, I often find myself telling them about the concept of holistic care. It’s usually an eye-opener for them to hear about the spectrum of services that is available to guests, as we discuss how we’ve moved beyond just providing warm meals.

On several occasions, I’ve explained our model using a hypothetical guest to illustrate how one might stay at the Shelter until they’re ready to move into their own place through our housing program (Aftercare), then find and secure a job with some assistance from the Employment Centre, thus completing their reintegration into mainstream society. This seems to make sense to my audiences; it’s a linear progression that most people can understand and support. They’re usually willing to consider hiring my imaginary character, so I chalk the conversation up as a success and we move on. Then, right before I depart, I ask them to return the rose-coloured glasses I lent them so that I can offer them to the next employer I meet.

If you’ve spent any time around The Mustard Seed, you’ll recognize (and forgive) my sarcasm and appreciate that holistic care doesn’t always happen in this clear and simple fashion. Progress takes patience and commitment from all parties involved, and sometimes we’re so wrapped up in our own piece of the puzzle that we’re not able to see when life-change has happened and this idea of holistic support has really worked. After a few months in this role, I, too, was beginning to wonder when my hypothetical character might come to life; when I’d have a real example of theory becoming practice. And then I met Michael.

We have all witnessed and heard about the truly complex and challenging circumstances that many of our guests have faced, and Michael's story is no exception. What is remarkable about Michael, though, is how he has been able to make progress in his life using the perfect blend of his own initiative and holistic care from The Mustard Seed.

Since Michael’s living situation changed in September, he has been working with both an Aftercare worker and an Employment Coach to devise a sustainable plan for a fresh start. It took versatility and motivation, and I was fortunate enough to see it all come together recently when I had the opportunity to take a road trip with Michael, to a small town northeast of Calgary where he had secured a job interview and tour of a potential rental unit. It was one of the most impactful days I’ve had since starting at The Mustard Seed to be able to be a very small part of a not-so-small change in someone’s life.

After spending the day with Michael, learning about his experiences and seeing the joy and hope in his eyes, I am so encouraged by how when we all work together in community with the goal of providing holistic care, change can happen and hope can grow.

Courage to Change

The fridge died.  The warm contents of the freezer were not the result of a son having left the door ajar as my husband first thought.  No, the appliance had failed and did not warrant repair. The stove was the same vintage as the fridge so we decided on a pre-emptive strike stove wise and replaced them both.  Problem - the new stove doesn’t have an outlet to plug the coffee pot into like our old one, so coffee needs to happen on a different part of the counter.  The next logical place for it has meant I had to move the basket that contains the deluge of paper that I will deal with later.  Now I don’t have a place for the basket, or the deluge of paper that I don’t want to deal with.  The change grates me.  Petty, I know. 

My name is Debbie, and I’ve been working as a reintegration chaplain at The Mustard Seed Edmonton for about a year and a half I work with women before and mostly after their release from federal prison. Most days I can’t believe someone is paying me to go to interesting places and meet amazing people.  The stories of their lives and how they came to be involved in the correctional system as employees or inmates or volunteers are compelling.  Some stories are horrific, some noble, some sad, some funny, some inspirational and rarely are they only one of those things.  They all touch me in some way.

It is the stories that are being written, the stories of moving forward that leave me marvelling at my good fortune to be a witness and, in the mercy of God, perhaps a character as they unfold.  My vocabulary fails me when I try to explain the stories of women who have the courage to change everything and start again.  It shouts of how lousy their life has been if everything known and familiar now must be rejected to create a healthy life. A new locale, a new occupation, new friends, and new ways of dealing with life are all part of the wholesale change.  The stakes are so high, and each element of change is daunting on its own - let alone stacked up with the others like a pile of fragile china.  I can not imagine what it would be like to have your life deconstructed and face rebuilding with tools that are only recently acquired.  Perhaps it is my own irritation with change that makes what they are doing so extraordinary to me, but I’d prefer to think it is witnessing this brave thing called courage that leaves me feeling like I’ve been at Niagara Falls.

Fear and doubt are not absent in the presence of courage, but they do not make the courage any less remarkable.   They make it authentic. 

I’m learning in the work of reintegration that it is important for me to help women
make good connections in the community, to support good decisions, to listen to the fears, to comfort in the sorrow but perhaps one of the most important supports is recognizing courage, naming it, applauding it and admiring the beauty of the one who displays it.

- Debbie

Where Did all the Turkeys Go?

In late September, The Mustard Seed had an excellent turkey drive in Edmonton. The public donated 580 turkeys at Save-on-Foods locations across the city. Thanks to these stores, Shine FM and AM 930 The Light, the turkey drive was our most successful one to date. But, just where exactly did all those turkeys go? Sixty turkeys were cooked up for our Thanksgiving dinner and the financial donations went towards the purchase of all the fixings. The remaining turkeys went to other inner-city agencies. Here are some great stories from them that we’d love to share with you:

"The St. Albert Food Bank was the very fortunate recipient of 40 turkeys from The Mustard Seed’s "T-Shirts for Turkeys" event. As a result of the generosity of your sponsors, Shine FM and AM930 TheLight, we were able to provide a Thanksgiving hamper to 56 families."
- Suzan Krecsy, St. Albert Food Bank

"We cooked the turkeys for a special Thanksgiving dinner to which we invited residents from the People In Need Houses to our church for dinner. Many of these residents do not have an opportunity to go out and be served a meal and have a special evening. We decorated the room with lights and fall colors and served the food at the table. We had about 30 residents join us and many came dressed up for the occasion. Our pastor accompanied by a guitar player provided a varied repertoire (Beatles to gospel) of music. The residents enjoyed the evening out and it was our purpose to treat them like royalty. Everyone went home happy."
- Patricia Elzinga, First Christian Reformed Church

“We used the turkeys for our West Boys & Girls Club Family Thanksgiving Potluck. It was a REALLY FUN night! We ended up serving approximately 70 youth and children and 9 parents/grandparents. We even had two moms come early to help cook and prepare the meal! It can be a challenge to connect with our parents so meals like this are a good chance for us to build these important relationships. We had a couple of our club members offer to perform for the dinner. There were also some crafts available for the members and their parents to participate in so we had kids and some parents doing beading and colouring together. It was a busy night and we had a lot of fun serving our members and getting to know their families!”
- Antonia De Boer, Boys & Girls Club Edmonton

Thanks for making Thanksgiving special for so many adults, children and families this year. Your support truly matters.

By Laura Fedoriw

Witnessing Inspiration

So I just got married. I’m telling you because my coworkers have heard it ad nauseam and I need a new audience. I’m actually telling you because the wedding was the setting for something I witnessed re: inspiring others.  I try to live life in a healthy, motivating way that will inspire others to contribute to the world around them – and the opportunity presents itself every day.

Our wedding reception was held in a building owned by a local charity. All profit that was being made from our dinner and dance was going directly back into a charity’s bank account in order to help sustain the work they do. For that opportunity to touch lives with our wedding, I am grateful.  Instead of letting our guests tink their glasses for us to kiss, they had to make a donation in the jar at the front. 10 minutes before the reception, our emcee said he wanted to set an example;  donate a loonie, have us sorta-kiss, donate another loonie, have us sorta-kiss again, and then donate $5 and, well, this is a family show.

This simple example he provided inspired the room. People were ‘upping the ante,’ if you will, and my groom and I were almost running out of creative/funny/entertaining ways to kiss. Before we could blink, the two youngest attendees (10 and 13) struck up a fundraising campaign. They scoured the room, wheeled and dealed to try and get as much money in one shot for the ‘best’ kiss of the night. They raised $125. Two kids. Raised $125. To see my husband and I kiss. All this fun competition, inspiring creativity and motivating compassion all came because our emcee showed people how to do it. There is no doubt in my mind that there are so many people out there who do, genuinely, want to help – they just don’t know how, and don’t have time to figure it out. Sometimes they just need to be asked! It’s up to those of us who do know how they can help to show them and make their action easier to perform.

What inspiration have you seen or been part of?

(Oh, and PS, the $125 kiss involved acapella from the bridesmaids and a human pyramid with the groomsmen. That information alone is probably worth you clicking the subscribe link in the sidebar and leaving a comment below. Just sayin’)

This Blanket, Woven with Love

Homelessness is often viewed by society as something that is a choice; you can choose to work, be productive, take care of yourself or you can choose to be lazy, sleep on the streets and demand that society provide for you.


This thinking has allowed us to consider homelessness as a ‘norm’ of society rather than a plague that we must be involved in creating a solution for. Illness, loss of job, mental illness, a sick child, rental increases, the list goes on and on and all of these things can cause homelessness.

I was gifted with this poem a few years ago, from a man who was homeless and lost because he had lost his family when he was quite young and his heart just never recovered. He wrote this poem for his brother who had died homeless, alone and wrapped in the baby blanket his mother had made for him. He is a man who still believes that he will have a better life, he will recover from his losses and he will matter, somehow, to someone.

When you walk by that homeless person in your community remember, he is a son, she is a daughter, they are parents, they are scared and alone. They are part of your community.


This blanket woven with love and care
Is laid over a newborn, frightened and bare.
They are held close in arms, tender, secure
And a mother dreams of her son’s future.

The little boy grows, watched by loving eyes
As he explores his world, its wonder, its size.
He knows the mother is close, is near
And he ventures his world without question or fear.

One day he comes home and his world is now gone
The house has been burned, his mother to the beyond.
So he takes up his blanket and a picture so worn
And walks away from the place he was born.

His heart is aching and his feet are so sore
He cannot find what he had before.
The blanket is dirty, he sleeps in a box
Afraid of the dark and no doors, no locks.

The man watches life, go past, go by
And the tears are now silent, he cannot even cry.
He doesn’t wish to be, it hurts to go on
He pulls the blanket close and waits for the dawn.

The winter steals in, steals his breath, ends his strife
The worn little blanket covers the end of his life.
And I mourn my brother who I loved so dear
Because without mother he forgot I was here.

So I walk the streets, await my turn to be free
My mother and brother have both now left me.
The blanket I carry, right next to my heart
So that it might some day, hug me when I depart.

By Derek, for my Mike
 
- Deb Runnals, Street Level Manager

Clothed in Dignity

A woman came to the doors of my office today naked. Well, not totally naked (thank goodness), but I was surprised as I was leaving work for the day to find a woman with no pants, socks, or shoes standing at the door shivering in the shadow of the building and the cool fall air. As I was gathering items to give to the woman at the door, I had to chuckle to myself at the sometimes blatant ways that God pushes his way into my life. It brought to mind the verse in Mathew where Jesus said, “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Despite the fact that I work with the hungry, the sick, the lonely, the poor, the oppressed, I often seem to lose perspective on my purpose. I begin to forget what it’s all about; I often ask myself, “Am I really doing anything that matters?”

I brought her some clothes and left for the day, but it did cause me to question myself. How can I give a naked woman clothes and then hop in my car and drive away unchanged? How in this day and age can some members in our society make million and billion dollar salaries each year and others end up at the doors of The Mustard Seed with no pants on? How can this happen and how can I continue to live this privileged lifestyle that perpetuates the systems that make this phenomenon possible? Even as I write this I am sitting drinking a latte at a chain coffee shop whose CEO probably makes more in a year than I will in a lifetime. Perhaps it was just the shock seeing a half-naked person on the steps that shook me out of my complacency for the day, something you don’t see too often, but this woman reminded me in a very real way why we are called the Mustard Seed and why, even though I can’t change the world in all the ways I want to, I choose to work for an organization that is able to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. At The Mustard Seed we hope that even the little things make a big difference. Human dignity is important and we hope that even something as small as a pair of pants, a hot meal, or a smile can make a big difference towards restoring some of that dignity that has been stripped away.

- Paula, The Mustard Seed Edmonton

"If you leave me alone..."

I’m in a room with concrete floors, temporary walls and full of people. All of us are awestruck by the stark story of Brian who sits with his tattooed arms crossed over a tired, 60 year old frame. He opens up to us all, sharing a life story littered with incarceration, speckled with homeless nights and echoing of a journey full of memories impossible to forget. From what he can remember, his story began when he was left orphaned in downtown Toronto at the age of two. It moved through teenage years where he and many forgotten children found their way into gangs for camaraderie, the kind of support that grows into organized crime. The way Brian tells it, he didn’t view homelessness and crime as a choice. He considered it a form of survival.

He’s home now, in an apartment of his own and no longer refers to himself as a client of any particular agency. Instead, he says that he’s a member of an Edmonton church, an employee with an understanding boss and a mentor to others who find themselves on the difficult road home. Peering out of tired eyes, he tells us it took him over a year to grow the courage to speak to anyone at church. So disenfranchised over a lifetime, he couldn’t even grocery shop, let alone make small talk. He simply had no common ground and no language for ‘being normal’.

As the story went on, what seared into my soul was when Brian said, ‘if you leave me alone, I will return to what I know…’ referencing a return to a previous life of survival. It was both a threat and a statement of fact. Bigger prisons and being tough on crime will not keep Brian from re-offending. Each and every day, he finds the courage to be committed to living on this side of prison bars because of the community that embraces him: his friends, his church and the mentees that remind him of his long journey. For Brian, ending homelessness was more than an apartment. It was the building of community that grows hope and sustains change.

Where would you be if left alone?

So What's With All This Community?

At The Mustard Seed we talk a lot about community— we have a community garden, community volunteers, do community recreation, have a community advocate and a community pastor.

What does all this ‘community’ mean at The Mustard Seed? It means that we believe in the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment for people to build healthy relationships and uncover and develop their gifts in their physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual lives. We believe that every person we serve in a meal line, or help in the food depot, or provide clothes to, has unique strengths and gifts, skills and potential.

Living in poverty or being homeless means that you are constantly bombarded with messages (verbally or otherwise) that constantly focus on what you lack. When you spend your days trying to find food, housing, clothing, or a job you are always having to tell people what you need or what you're lacking. Often people get to the point that they feel like they don't have anything to offer. So at The Mustard Seed we are trying to change that thinking to say 'hey you have some great things to offer us too!'
An example was at our first art show last November at the Jeff Allen Art. We've had an art program for more than 5 years and this was the first time that the art had been framed and available for purchase. The artists were at the opening reception and were proudly showing off their work for all to see. At the end of the night one of the artists had sold 3 of her painting and kept on saying over and over again "I'm sooooo proud of myself, I'm sooo proud! I can't believe that I sold 3 paintings!!"

So the next time you hear the word community think about people caring about people to help them uncover their skills and potential!

The Wide (and Wild) World of Work

Tucked away in an office at the end of the hallway in The Creative Centre, I could very easily go unnoticed as I plug away making phone calls to potential employers for our guests. Instead, however, I have been encouraged to “hit the road” by getting out and meeting these employers, to see firsthand where they work and what they do, all in the name of uncovering sustainable work opportunities for our guests.

Since The Employment Centre launch on August 2, we’ve had over 75 guests come through an intake, making them “clients” of our program. The range of industries and jobs on their resumés is extensive, as is the range of jobs they hope to do as they strive towards sustainable employment. When we first started the program, the big push was for general labour and construction jobs, but I’m pleased to report that with creativity and open minds, we’ve gone far beyond the original plan, making “hitting the road” a lot more interesting.

I’ve been able to get out and explore some worksites I truly never imagined I’d see. All in one day, I visited a downtown commercial cleaning company, an organic worm farm and the head office of Samaritan’s Purse. I’ve also toured a dry-cleaning facility, a grocery store warehouse and a welding shop (which, might I add, has hired one of our clients full-time!), to name a few more. It has truly been eye-opening, and I hope that this little blog post has been this way for you as well, as you think about the connections you might have to the business community. We all have networks, and though we may not think they’d be a “fit” to hire our guests, it’s always worth a try. As we’ve already seen, a little creativity and a few open minds can go a long way. We’re all here to see real life-change with our guests, so here’s just one more way you can be a part of it!

There's Hope! Taking Positive Steps Towards Change

One day I witnessed a ragtag homeless man being shooed away from the mall even if he wanted to buy his coffee just like everybody else. I have countless stories about employers who won’t employ a homeless person or terminate employment when they discover the homelessness.

Once a person becomes homeless, rarely does the larger society care to know what caused that. A stonewall is formed where stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices flourish to the extent of someone being barred from buying a cup of coffee at a mall.

As such, The Mustard Seed work is monumental. By “intentionally following Jesus Christ” we are able to locate the problems of homeless in the proper context. When people start on drugs or depend on alcohol or put faith in gambling, that’s actually a spiritual crisis. When they abandon or cannot nurture their own kids in the right way of God, the spiritual crisis becomes a community and national problem. Not everyone we serve at The Mustard Seed is struggling with addiction, gambling or alcohol. A great number of people were in fruitful relationships or marriages once, but something small went wrong and they lost all their supports.

From working at the Shelter, I have had the privilege to see guests receive those needed supports to start to address change in their lives. Those guests who take the largest positive steps take the spiritual route: they seek Christ for strength.

The other day, Mark, a former guest I was somewhat scared of when I first began working at the Shelter, paid me a visit. He still called me “Mr Spike Lee.” He was looking really great! He talked about the peace he has, how his marriage has been recovered and how he’s happy about everything. He clearly told me God had saved him from the clutches of his drug and alcohol life.

Another time I bumped into another former guest, John, driving his Jeep Cherokee. He has now found good work in the oil and gas industry. He said too it was God’s love that saved and helped him out of his homelessness.

Everybody falls on hard times sometimes and The Mustard Seed affords such people a second chance to reconstruct their lives.
 
-Josiah, Overnight Support Worker at the Shelter

God Loves us Where We're at

Yesterday was my 1 year anniversary working for The Mustard Seed.

One of my favourite experiences working at the Shelter was when a guest started asking me questions about being a Christian. He knew I was an ex-addict and an ex-convict and because he had been an addict for 30 years and spent over 20 years in prison, he felt he could relate to me and my experiences. I asked Bob what he wanted to know, and he said, "Well, I want to know more about being a Christian." He then asked me to share my life story and how I came to know God personally. I shared in detail about my history with drug addiction, the prison system and what lead me to having a relationship with Jesus. Bob said, “I’m interested. What do we do now?” I really wasn’t experienced in this at all, as I had never seen anyone at the point where they wanted to invite Jesus into their life. So I decided to go and ask another staff member to help me. Bob came with me to the front, I introduced Bob to the other staff member and then Bob said, “I don’t know you and can’t relate to you, but I know Jason.” So I took the plunge and prayed with Bob myself. He cried and invited Jesus into his life. After, we hugged and I told him that he was loved exactly were he was at and that God loved him too much to keep him where he was! By far, all my past experiences in life were worth it because it helped Bob feel like he wasn’t alone and that someone else who’s been through what he’s been through can be loved by God. I look forward to seeing Bob again some day.

By Jason (Aftercare Worker)
Bob-His real name was changed

Toilet Paper or Milk?

I stood in line at the supermarket with my lonely frozen pizza in hand. As I placed my pizza on the conveyer and waited my turn, the elderly woman in front of me was inputting her PIN into the pinpad and the cashier was counting a series of pennies on the counter. “I can take 22 cents off,” she says, as she finishes counting the coins. “You’re not going to have enough,” she states next as I see the elderly woman has handed her an ATM slip with her bank account balance. It hits me with hurricane force that between the pennies on the counter and the balance in her bank, she can’t pay for her grocery bill. Then I look up and see her grocery bill is $8.80 and consists of toilet paper and milk. $8.80. Toilet paper and milk. That’s it. “Which would you like to leave? The milk?” “Yes, the milk,” she says, as my heart tears into jagged pieces and the cashier voids the item. My mind was racing about how unfair it was for this woman to choose between those two necessary items.

What is this woman’s story? Where is her community? Where are the people who love and care for her and make sure she has toilet paper and milk in her home – even if she can’t afford it?   This woman could be a horrible person who steals and spends her money on terrible things, I don’t know. The point was, at that very moment she was in need of help. Plainly put, I’m a stranger in a store, she doesn’t know me from Eve, and I’m one of the three people witnessing this woman’s financial shortfall, grocery bagger and cashier included. And the realization was – her community was me. I harp on all day about building community, growing hope and supporting change. Here was an opportunity to do perhaps all three.

“I’ll pay for your milk,” I said as I stepped to where her and the cashier could hear me. She didn’t insist otherwise, but instead asked if I was sure, and then thanked me repeatedly. I handed the cashier a $5 bill to cover the cost of the milk and then a bit more. $3.80 was the woman’s new total, and as she continued thanking me, her last words before leaving were “may God bless you.”

Little did she know He already had.

Domestic Violence: One cause of homelessness...

There are often questions in the community around how someone becomes homeless. So many assumptions can be made with regard to people’s willingness to get a job, ability to stay in a relationship, their own doing leading to the downfall of their lives and the subsequent demand that society lift them back up.

But what we do not always consider is that homelessness is not a choice, it happens to someone. Mental illness is not a choice; a life of abuse and trauma leading to addictions as a means of survival is not a choice; grief and loss that devastate a soul is not a choice; fleeing domestic violence is not a choice.

Alberta is the domestic violence capital of Canada with 14,000 calls to police in Calgary last year and 16,000 in Edmonton, all as a result of domestic violence. Women and children often end up homeless if they want to stay safe, shelters are full to capacity in an attempt to help and families are challenged with family members couch surfing in their homes to stay alive.

The following is just one idea of what that first brave step can look like when a woman flees an abusive partner.

SHE
She silently watches, wary, alone.
Searching the darkness for that thing she called home.
Seeking that form once friend, now foe
She can not run, there is no place to go.

His breath was heavy, he waited, he stalked
Echoes of screams, where once they had talked.
“Silent”, she said. “Still!” she thought
If not then she would surely be caught.

The new little life, beating inside
Demanded her silent, demanded she hide.
“I cannot defend, I cannot flee
Please my mother, protect me!”

Her hand lay on the belly that grew;
“What kind of life am I giving you?
If I walk now, we both will die,
But never again will I have to cry!”

Again, the little life beating inside,
Demanded her silent, demanded she hide.
“I cannot defend, I cannot flee,
Please my mother, protect me!”
And so she stayed, her loyalties torn.
“If I face him you will not be born,
If I stay silent we both live a bit more,
We’ll have a tomorrow, but God what’s in store?”

And soon he was lying, snores telling of sleep.
And she rose on legs shaking, and began to creep.
Past his form, walking away as a wife
Carrying the only thing worth saving…This new little life.

She fled down the street, house dress and bare feet
She ran without thinking, echoing soles on concrete.
She entered the station, glaring lights, uniforms
She told of the beatings, the fear and the storms.

The officer listened, he cried and he said,
“If you hadn’t left, you both would be dead.
You have tonight, saved two lives, not one.
You brave, strong woman! Well done, well done!”

She again laid her hand on the belly that kept
Her new little baby, and silently she wept.
“We did it my darling, we’re safe, we are free.
I will always protect you my baby, trust me”.

Again the little life, beating inside
rejoiced the silence and the strength to hide.
“I could not defend, I could not flee
But my darling mother, you protected me.”

Karlos

“I’ve been thinking about maybe applying to a different role here. This is going to sound ironic, but tonight a blind man made me see that this is where I need to be….”

Cristina (my coworker) said this last night. As I was helping a guest with something the DOAP (Downtown Outreach Addiction Partnership) team came in, Cristina spoke with them and then came back to me because somewhere there was a lack of communication. She explained to me “social workers found him sleeping in a park…I don’t think he can see.”

Her and I talked for a few minutes and I was so torn because we are not really set up to help someone who is blind. As we left the office to go talk at the front, I asked God to lead this decision because I really didn’t know what to do. We spoke with all involved and I hate to imagine the DOAP team think they have to convince me, because I felt compassion for this man and want him to be in a the best place possible. I explained to him when they left that my hesitation was nothing personal.

His name is Karlos, although he said only his mother calls him that. He is legally blind, 57 years old, and served in the Canadian military. He doesn’t have addiction problems, but just ran out of money as paperwork was being transferred over for AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped) from long term disability.

I didn’t know if I wanted to start crying as he told us he walked through the park that night trying to find a place to hide using his cane, or if I wanted to laugh, as he told Cristina and I we were beautiful because of the sound of our voices.

Throughout the night we got to know more and more about him. And in my mind this goes from a sad story to a victory. Karlos told us how for the past 15 years his cat has been his best friend and his constant companion (the cat went to a safe place when Karlos lost his housing). He also shared how he generally doesn’t spend much time with people, how humbled he feels and how astounded he is that so many strangers have come together to help him.

Karlos will not be in the shelter long, as there is another agency working to get him housed. I’m hoping he leaves knowing he is loved.  This whole experience with him has left me baffled at how God can use something like a miscommunication to speak his love into the life of one of his own.

Nothing But Potential

“You look at a potato and see: mashed potato, baked potato, french fries, potato salad, hash browns, roasted potato, potato stew. You look at a homeless youth and see: a homeless youth.”

On a recent vacation, I was struck by this powerful poster campaign on buses and billboards throughout the city I was visiting.

In place of “homeless youth”, insert any of the people The Mustard Seed serves: “homeless man”, “mentally ill woman”, “drug addict”, “prison inmate”… Wider society often overlooks these people on the margins, stereotyping them and in doing so denying them their humanity as beings created in the image of God.

Maybe this is why the prophet Micah was so adamant in pointing out the responsibility of Christians “[t]o act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Ch. 6:8). If justice can be described, in part, as “providing people with the space, opportunity and resources to fulfill their God-given potential”, then this reinforces the need to view all people as image bearers of God, full of worth and possibility.

In this context, what does it look like to “act justly” ? At The Mustard Seed Edmonton, maybe it’s our art night or sewing group. Perhaps it’s our Clean Team- inner city residents employed in taking care of their neighbourhood. It could be Seedworks, which helps people attain skills to reach their employment goals. All of these programs encourage people in discovering and developing their gifts, skills and potential! For communities and church congregations, “acting justly” might look like actively seeking to create and/or become hospitable spaces for people on the margins to flourish.

As the poster campaign so succinctly put it, folks who are poor or homeless often have nothing… nothing but potential.

Correctional Chaplaincy

In my role as the Mustard Seed’s Community Correctional Chaplain, I have the weekly privilege of meeting with inmates at an Edmonton area minimum-security prison.  Many of the men I meet are finishing their prison sentences and preparing to return to community life.  This transition can be tough, full of difficult questions and emotions. 

On a recent visit, I spoke with ‘Pete’, a man who about to undergo this transition.  Fortunately, Pete meets each week with a Mustard Seed mentor.  He and his mentor are able to explore some of the reasons why he ended up in prison, and they can talk through the anxieties, frustrations, and fears that inevitably come with leaving prison. 

Pete told me that, by sharing his journey with his mentor, he has been able to heal some of his own wounds that ultimately led to prison, and feels prepared to start healing the wounds caused by his crime.  Not only that, but Pete has begun regularly attending a local church with The Mustard Seed, where he feels welcomed by a life-giving Christian community and by the God it worships. 

As Pete updated me on his life, I was struck by the unexpected way that God operates in the world.  The mentor’s simple act of listening to someone – someone who had been told he was not worth listening to – is helping turn a cycle of wrong-doing and violence into healing and restoration. 

At the Mustard Seed, we hope to be a community where healing can happen, where folks who find themselves on our city’s street or in our country’s prisons can be welcomed as people bearing Christ’s image - no longer simply people with addictions or prison records or without a home, but “dear brothers and sisters in the Lord” (Philemon 16).

- Jonathan

Thinking Smaller

As the COO of The Mustard Seed, I can drift into philosophical discussions in the search for large solutions to complex problems. And, as I blog, I feel like I ought to offer some grand rant or quantum idea that will make you feel certain that the problems we’re addressing are well in hand. But the fact is, poverty is mountain-sized and I have only mustard seed-sized faith, so I will instead offer two really small ideas that if we tried, may grow to move the mountain.

First, I believe we have to have local responses to poverty and by local, I’m not thinking city-wide. I’m not really even meaning neighbourhoods. I’m thinking as small as my neighbour. To me, one of the biggest things I can do is to know my neighbours well enough to listen for their challenges. If I can respond compassionately to the issues facing Matt and Candace and Chuck and Wendy I can support them if the cruel cloud of poverty descends on them. Equally, if they take note of my family and our needs, I wonder if we couldn’t step into the growing gap between the rich and poor by simply living attentively to our neighbours. Think of it: what if when Matt loses his job he knows that we will co-purchase groceries that month, help with child care and listen into the evening about the loss of dignity in their struggles through poverty.

My second small idea is to stop taking seconds. I know, sounds crazy but there is a macroeconomic challenge when I consume more than my share. Think of it on the smallest of scales: if you came to dinner at my home, wouldn’t it be outlandish if I served myself first, then enjoyed seconds only to leave you crumbs for your first portion? In this tiny act I set in motion the very large notion of scarcity. As consumers, we need to be mindful as we make our purchasing decisions: do I have I a right to a second home when my homeless neighbour has none?


Please don’t think of me as trite or Pollyanna. The fact is that root cause of poverty are enormous and the complexities involved in offering hope to those who are homeless, colossal. As we begin this week, with the hope in us to change the world, I want to give the gift of these seed sized idea and see what might grow from there. Think of it, if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we might move this mountain.

What’s your very best seed-sized idea?

Faces of The Seed: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I love photos. I love taking them and looking at them.  I love the stories that they tell with using no words.  So in light of that, I hope you enjoy today's post.  These are the beautiful people that I get to work with on a daily basis they have taught me more about strength, resiliency and the power of giving than anyone else.




You are Like Family to Me



Beloved

Passion

Soul Food

Many Hands Make Light Work

You Make My Day Brighter



Hands & Feet

 


Weary

*These photos are not my own and have been taken by many people at The Mustard Seed*

Put Me In, Coach!

Hi, I'm Eric and I'm filling in for Lydia today from the Employment department in Calgary.

As an Employment Coach you never know what a day at The Mustard Seed Employment Centre will involve.  Obtaining a job can be stressful and hard work, and my job as an Employment Coach is to help clients work through that process.  Some of our clients need help sprucing up their resume, or practicing answering basic interview questions.  Some clients simply need you to be present at an interview to provide that extra bit of confidence in order to impress an employer. 

Every day can involve a lot of different emotions for an Employment Coach.  Sometimes I come into the office and have a voicemail telling me that an employer is considering letting go of one of my clients because he got his first paycheque and spent it on something illicit.  But, thankfully, more often I come in and have a message from one of my clients saying that they have an interview at a restaurant or they got a job in a manufacturing plant.

Recently I had the opportunity to go with a client to an interview with a major Calgary employer.  I was there to support my client but she really didn’t need me there.  She was confident and made a compelling case that she would be a reliable and valuable employee for this company.  They hired her on the spot after a very short interview. It’s moments like these where a guest has chosen to change their life, and take the scary step of finding employment that makes my job fulfilling.  The role that an Employment Coach plays can be large or small with our guests but all that matters is that we continue to plant little seeds of hope in as many guests’ lives as possible.

- Eric

Bless Your Heart

I struggled a bit with this post, wondering which was the best topic to write about today. One thing kept coming to mind though, so buckle your seat belts and grab the Gravol; you're in for a ride.

That was an outright lie, but I hope you brought refreshments again. Maybe a Powerbar or something.

I've been working at The Mustard Seed for just over 5 years now. I feel like I started here when I was 15. Working here brings with it a set of conversation topics I had never broached before my tenure here. When you're stuck in a smalltalk situation with nothing to say, mentioning that you work at The Mustard Seed always cures that immediately. Sometimes in awkward situations, and I'm always awkward, I just want to blurt out "I WORK AT THE MUSTARD SEED" in the most quiet of moments, simply because it's the fail-safe way to get people talking.

The conversations range from things like NIMBY (which I chatted about on Saturday) to what our services are, to the 10-yr plan, panhandling, bottle picking, why don't people just get jobs, how much does it cost the system for people to remain homeless etc. I also get people overwhelmed with emotion, repeating "bless your heart," as though they'd never thought people worked here and what an astonishing thing it is. Really, I want to tell them I work in an office and my heart actually isn't actually 9-sizes larger then theirs.

Anyway, the wealth of conversations I've had in the last 5 years (outside of work) is startling. My point here, with this post is - if you met someone for the first time, and asked where they work and they said The Mustard Seed, what would your next sentence be?

Follow me to Housing

Greetings! My name is Nic, I work with the Mustard Seed’s Rehousing department. My role is to advocate for housing on behalf and with the guests of the Mustard Seed. I’ve worked with The Mustard Seed for about 1 year, but was involved for 3 years prior to that as a volunteer.

In response to Calgary’s goal to end homelessness, The Mustard Seed has focused on three areas; basic services, housing and employment. These areas of support are addressed in order to guide people to long-term, sustainable housing. This work is justice, mercy and, I think, it’s restorative. Every month I see individuals ‘restored’ just a little and I see mercy extended to those in need. I see people find home!

Truly, this work of justice comes with its moments of disappointment and discouragement, but it is never-the-less an opportunity for restoration. I have this opportunity to see individuals and communities and even my city come together with passion to insure that there is always hope for recovering from poverty and isolation. Because of the work I do, I realize more and more every day that we are all unworthy and, paradoxically, worthy. Knowing my own unworthiness, I see the need to extend grace and help to those who need it most. Realizing my inherent worthiness, it becomes energizing to watch people get keys to their own home for the first time. The efforts to address homelessness belong to the community! For the first time in a long time we’re taking radical steps to change homelessness in my community (Calgary), we’re blessed with involvement from volunteers, staff, other agencies, property owners and landlords to make this work of justice happen!

Thank you!