Working Provincially

My name is Jeff Dyer, and I'm The Mustard Seed's Chief Operating Officer. Growing up in Alberta, I never really dreamed that Calgary and Edmonton could work together. Even more difficult to imagine is the notion that if they did, the whole province would be better for it. The reality is, over two years ago, the Edmonton and Calgary Mustard Seeds joined together to create the Alberta Mustard Seed and the belief at that time was that if they worked together, they could make a more profound and lasting impact on the lives of men and women who were homeless.

At that same time, people were done with managing homelessness and wanted desperately to see an end to it. This shift created the perfect opportunity for two cities to think provincially, to pool their collective wisdom, expertise and resources to participate in this remarkable movement. The journey has been both fascinating and frustrating. Shifting the approach from managing to ending homelessness required a commitment to new thinking, shared learning, intentional listening and co-discerning strategies.

So far, the results are 300 formerly homeless individuals have found their way home; over 350 new housing units are being created; emergency relief has translated into sustainable life; hope has grown in the shadows of despair; and community has formed out of isolation and loneliness. The Mustard Seed is delivering basic services, housing and employment programs to those in need, partnering with the community to address the root causes of poverty across Alberta. These are still very early days in this One Mustard Seed and, to be candid, we still have so much to learn.

So, if you were advising our leadership team, what would you say are the keys to unify vision and strategy while remaining committed to honouring local nuances and grassroots leadership?