A New Narrative

I started work at The Mustard Seed in January of 2012 and met with Jim the very first week. He sat across from me and told me that one year prior he had a full-time job, allowing him to move into his own apartment. With all his bills paid for that month, he was under no financial strain for the first time in a long time. Better yet, he was clean from alcohol after an almost lifelong battle with it. Sober, financially secure, and housed independently, Jim had achieved a level of stability. Jim sat back, looked around at his furnished apartment and then asked himself, “Now what? Is this all there is to life?” He proceeded to buy some alcohol, drink it, get drunk, and slide back into alcoholism and eventually homelessness.

Jim has been in and out of treatment for years, and since I first started working with him, he has gone from sober to being completely dependent on alcohol several times. I have met with him consistently over the past 9 months and have at times hit a wall in my ability to hope for him. Our goal was to find him permanent, sustainable employment, but we were always thwarted by his dependency on alcohol. I never stopped caring about Jim or wanting to see him succeed, but there were moments in which I wondered if he could succeed.

I have thought about and tried to understand Jim’s story often. What was lacking in this story? What might have kept him from throwing it all away? I do not know the answer to that question. The causes of addiction are complex, as are the impulses that sometimes cause us to choose that which hurts rather than helps us.

We seek to support our guests and to provide resources that will enable those guests to change for the better. However, that change does not always occur on a clear, linear trajectory that makes sense to us. One of the major challenges in doing the kind of work we do at The Mustard Seed is to keep a positive, hopeful outlook when faced with so many setbacks and daily obstacles. This challenge is faced by everyone doing this sort of work. 

The question for us as front line workers remains: how can we have hope for those who appear destined to fail?

In Matthew 11:28-30, we read, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”.

Jesus tells us to come to Him and let Him lighten our heavy load. Without shedding that load at His feet, our backs get so tired that we can barely walk, and so we can barely walk alongside those who need us to lend an arm and help them on their way. We have to hear a new narrative, a new story, in order to keep ourselves from losing hope.  We find that new narrative in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. He overcame the grave and put death under His feet, effectively making null and void death’s power. If that same power lives in us, what do we have to fear? We do not have to fear the worst outcome for our guests; we can rest assured that though we have trouble in this life, Christ has overcome the world.”

We do not always see physical evidence to demonstrate that the redeeming power of Christ is at work around us, but by faith we can rest in the Truth, which is that nothing can separate us from Him, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons…” We carry this hope and share it with everyone we meet, and though we cannot carry all the brokenness we see around us, Christ can.

--Laura U, Employment Coach, The Mustard Seed

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The Mustard Seed's Calgary Employment Centre is currently in need of work boots, especially men's sizes 10-12. If you would like to donate, items can be dropped off at:
  
102 11 Ave. SE

Hours: 7am-7pm

The Mustard Seed Shelter

7025 44 St. SE

Hours: 7am-9pm

The Mustard Seed Resource Sorting Centre

Bay 27, 4216, 54 Ave. SE

Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm

Hope in The Eyes of a Summer Student

Hello, my name is Walter. I'm the summer student in the Employment Centre here at the Mustard Seed.

Recently Desiree, my neighbor, and I had an interesting discussion about hope, the topic of which has been a recurring theme for me this summer.  She told me of her encounter on the previous day, on the streets of Calgary where she had witnessed humanity in its most savage, and depraved form.  Two men had, without reasonable prompting, proceeded to pummel another man in the face. The police eventually arrived to break up the crowd, but with tempers flaring, their arrival only seemed to make things worse.

These kinds of angry street scenes seem to be common occurrences during my stay.    From my open window downtown I regularly hear bouts of drunken rage, nicely garnished with horrific swear words and slurred threats.

Many of our guests have had traumatic life experiences, witnessed brutal and inhuman acts of injustice and lived in a violent world where alcohol is seen as the only logical form of escape.  After living in such overbearing circumstances, I wonder if there ever comes a point in which a person can no longer be helped with his or her burden.   When is that point reached in which they’ve almost lost their defining traits of humanity and simply become instinctive rage-induced beings?  Many would argue that there is always a glimmer of hope in every human.  Yet time and time again we seem to have visitors at our door who never change.  They keep coming back where they erupt into explosions of rage over minor things, inflict unnecessary physical and emotional pain on others, and they seem to have withdrawn completely from the consequences of their actions.  Can someone reach that point of no return?  Or will there always be a glimmer of hope?  I don’t claim to know the answer; I don’t think humans can know the answer.

What seems to matter though is the way we react.  I can’t judge the reactions of those on the scene that weekend.  Yet I strongly believe that harsh reactions go against everything the Mustard Seed believes in.  We convey hope in our actions:  if we are disrespectful to guests it may be interpreted that he or she is a hopeless cause, and when we show love then we project hope. 

Maybe the question of hope doesn’t lie in whether or not humans can reach a point of no return but, instead, whether or not the people around these “hopeless causes” will act in a way that cultivates hope in their souls. During my time here I’ve realized that The Mustard Seed is on the forefront of projecting hope to the hopeless, yet there is always room for improvement.  We should never stop wondering whether or not we’re growing hope or tearing it down with our actions. 

Ask yourself, in your daily interactions are you being hopeful and loving with the people who least deserve it? 


- Walter

The Gift of Change

The other day I was observing a poverty-related discussion that was happening within a group of my friends. I do this frequently in the hopes that they forget I work where I do, have an honest conversation, and then I can give them my two-cents at the end of the discussion. This particular chat was about panhandling, and how they respond to being asked for money on the street. One friend said that she’s always a ‘sucker’ when she’s asked for change, and will give it to the asker. Another said she will never give to the asker because she’s sure it wouldn’t go towards food or bus fare, and that it would go towards drugs and/or alcohol. I believe this to be the most common view on panhandling. A third friend stepped in with something I hadn’t heard before: “If you give them money and it goes to drugs or alcohol, you’re helping them reach rock bottom and, therefore, recovery, sooner.” I’m sure she was quoting something she’d heard elsewhere, but I'd literally never heard that before and was surprised by it.

Anyway, one question I’m often asked is

 “What do you do (personally) when someone asks you for money on the street?”

Now, I can’t tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but I’ll tell you my own, personal thoughts on the issue.

Generally, I just say sorry and don't usually give out any change. Why? Probably partly because I’m aware of the services available in our city, all within 2km of where I’m often asked, and partly because I don’t know where the money will go - and sometimes I’m not okay with that. I’m not saying that folks who ask for it are lying to you, but there’s a chance of that. Some might just see it as survival.

Sometimes, I am okay with that. And that’s the key. Each individual needs to decide for themselves if they are or are not okay with what happens to their money after it passes from their possession. If you aren’t, you should stick to donating to an agency you trust. If you are okay with not knowing, then give away! On occasion, if my hand is in my pocket, jingling some change around, I’ll pull it out and hand it to someone. I don’t think about where my money could go, or what rock bottom could or could not be reached because of my paltry contribution. Once that money passes out of your hands, you have to truly let it go. You need to make the decision when you give them the money that you’re truly giving them the money. A gift – and, like any true gift, they receive it and are grateful, and don’t owe you anything.

And maybe, just maybe, by giving them the gift of change, you’ll be giving them … the gift of change.

How do you decide whether to give to a panhandler or not?

- Sarah
Follow Sarah on Twitter @ispeakcanadian

Clothed In Confidence

Hi, I'm Laura U. I'm an employment coach at The Mustard Seed in Calgary and this is my first time on the blog. I was assigned as Sandra’s Employment Coach a few weeks ago and met with her for the first time soon after. She sat with me in the intake room, and I asked to hear her story.

“Oh, my story is sad, sad,” she whispered. ”In my country there is too much war”.

I left it at that, sensing she would rather not go further. However, I did learn that Sandra is from Uganda and came to Calgary to find work.

“I need to find confidence to interact with people in a job”, she told me. “Can you help me find confidence?”

I told her I would try.

One of our first steps toward confidence is being taken today. We are going to Making Changes, a not-for-profit agency that outfits women with professional clothing for the workplace.

We arrive in the afternoon and Sandra’s eyes widen as she takes in the place, which is set up like a clothing boutique. Racks of clothing fill the room, one corner is stacked high with shoes, and a standing coat hanger dangles with purses. Another shelf is covered with brand-new cosmetics.

We are paired with a volunteer stylist who leaps to action, handing Sandra dress pants in eggplant and khaki. Then shirts in bright colors and soft fabrics are brought out. Sandra receives each item with stunned graciousness, her eyes full of light. She says little, but she is beaming.

Sandra steps into the dressing room, and our stylist looks at me and says, “She is wonderful.” She is awed, as I am, by Sandra. She shines.

In a world torn by war, oppression, and violence, Uganda is no exception. It would seem that the brutal reality of war would harden one’s heart. Often, however, as I and others in the Employment Centre have seen, it has the opposite effect. In some individuals, the need for God grows stronger. Sandra had told me in the car on the way to Making Changes that she prays a lot. She has to pray a lot, she says. It is a means of survival. Sandra has kept the hope planted by Christ, and it shows.

We prepare to leave Making Changes. Sandra fills out a survey, and when asked if she is now ready to enter the workplace with confidence, she checks “strongly agree”.

In the car on the way home she tells me that she has read in Scripture that God has good plans for His children. A few more times she whispers it: “Good plans”. Her confidence in God’s goodness has renewed my own. And with that, we ride back toward downtown Calgary - clothed in the confidence that comes from trusting Him.

Terry

Photo by Susan Brandt

You know Terry. I know you do. But you don't yet know that you do. Terry was, as a friend states, "as much of the Calgary landscape as the tower itself."

How do I know you know Terry? Well, if you work, live or have ever been downtown, I bet you've seen him. Wait, you probably don't know Terry. But you should have.

Terry was the man who you might have seen on 1st SE or on 1St SW in his wheelchair. You might recognize him as the man who has the prosthetic legs with the Calgary Flames' logo at the top. He doesn't look like the type of person that people ever want to get to know. Ever. And the majority of people make zero effort. At first Terry would always remember me, and then he began to forget me a bit and eventually just asked me for change - but if I said "Hi Terry" in the morning as I walked past, the response was almost radiant.

A couple of years ago, I fell into stride, as you might say, beside Terry as he wheeled to his usual place and I walked to my bus stop after work. I chatted with him for a few moments before, daft as I am, realizing that he was struggling. "Can you help me out?" he asked, and I agreed and moved in behind his wheelchair to give him a push. And boy, it wasn't easy. I'm glad he asked because I am apparently so ridiculously clueless that I wouldn't have realized he had needed help with it. But pushing that chair in my dress coat and cowboy boots opened my eyes. Most people think Terry ended up the way he did because he was weak. It was clear that he was struggling, and was probably the type of "homeless" person that parents warn their children about. But Terry was anything but weak, and he was anything but scary. He was, hands down, one of the strongest men I've ever met. To push his chair for 3 minutes left me breathless. I can't imagine the persistent breathless feeling that his tumultuous life left him with. Terry was a strong man with a life full of struggles. I mean FULL of struggles. And as I struggled up that gentle incline, pushing his wheelchair and hoping I didn't lose my footing, I couldn't help but wonder how many times Terry had perhaps lost his footing, maybe even daily - and how important it is to have people to pick you up when you fall.

Last week I learned of Terry's passing through a colleague on Facebook. I watched the comment thread as many Mustard Seed staff and volunteers left their verbal respects for Terry. If you know him or saw him every day, this is your forum to perhaps leave him a few kind words. And remember Terry when you see someone alone and struggling. Don't be afraid to ask if they need help up the hill.

- Sarah

Igniting Passion, Bringing Change

This past week we’ve had the privilege of hosting a DemoCrew group from Prince Albert Alliance Church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. DemoCrew is an urban exposure experience that we invite youth across Alberta – and sometimes from as far as B.C. or Saskatchewan – to take part in at The Mustard Seed in both our Calgary and Edmonton locations. It is a way that we can demolish stereotypes about the urban poor and homeless communities, and demonstrate the love of God for those living in poverty. It’s one thing to recognize poverty as a reality, but it is something completely different to decide to journey alongside those whose lives are being affected by this reality. This is what DemoCrew is all about.

Some of the activities we run as part of this program are small work projects, preparing and serving a meal in our drop-in, a walk through the neighbourhood to encounter various social issues in our community, as well as the agencies that are addressing these issues, and teaching sessions that give practical direction to addressing poverty in our everyday lives.

To give you a better idea, this is what our DemoCrew week looked like…

We made bagged lunches and handed them out on the street on Family Day. We sorted through mountains of clothing at our Personal Assistance Centre, and for the first time served lunch in our drop-in. We stood in meal lines with our community members. We listened to stories over cups of coffee, and shared our own stories with the hope of building mutually respectful relationships. We shared about social justice, what it means to be a part of community, and what the world could look like if we all treated each other as neighbours – as family – instead of seeing people as strangers.

It can be a long, emotional, and exhausting week. In fact, it usually is. There are moments of heated discussion, moments of anger at the needs that seem to go unnoticed in the inner city, and there are moments when hot tears stream down cheeks in frustration accompanied by fatigue. But at the end of the week, there is always consensus that every victory and lesson learned far outweigh any trial that may have come.

As we say goodbye to the group from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan today, we pray that the passion for justice, equality, and community that was ignited in their hearts this week would not be stifled. We pray that God would give them a continually deepening love for the marginalized, for the unloved, for the forgotten. We pray that people met and stories heard would not be wiped from their minds, but that these new friendships would be what encourages each of them to continue bringing the kingdom of God to the earth.

Let us know if DemoCrew is something you might be interested in – we would love to have you!


- Kat
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You can follow Kat on Twitter at @katcardinal

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.

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

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

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

Mustard Seed Shelter

Hello, hello there!

My name is Lacey and I’m one of the overnight team leaders at The Mustard Seed Shelter. This month marks my two years working at this lovely place. I’m very excited to share some of my experiences with you through this blog.

When I was 17, I went on a trip with my church to East Hastings in Vancouver and God drastically changed my attitude towards homeless people, and along with it my life. I went from crossing the street for fear of someone who looked homeless to approaching and offering a greeting.

Our shelter has capacity to serve 370 people a night. We offer food, a place to sleep, access to clothing, showers and a locker to store belongings.

It’s hard to describe what I do at the shelter because it’s so much more than the basic services I mentioned above. Staff are actively involved in building relationships with guests; we do our best to support them during crisis and as they move towards better choices. Sometimes that means discussing a struggle with addiction, a referral for a mental health assessment, directing someone towards the employment center or working with a guest towards housing or it can be as simple as verbalizing that this guest is cared about.

"Remember that the poor are people with names," writes Bryant Myers, author of Walking With the Poor, "people to whom God has given gifts, and people with whom and among whom God has been working before we even know they are there."

This is one of my favourite quotes and I look forward to sharing with you some of the ways I see God working among the homeless at The Mustard Seed.

A day on Street Level

The sun slowly rises over the tops of the downtown towers, colours spearing from the heavens as the city begins to wake. As God shines down, the front doors of Street Level open and those who have slept outside shuffle forward to the doors where they know they will be welcome, where they are missed if they don’t show up, where they know that unconditional caring and empathy await. Those who are heading to work but need razors, a washroom or just a morning greeting soon begin to enter, knowing that they will work a full day and still not have enough to pay the exorbitant rents that Calgary demands.

The staff on Street Level never know what the city will bring them. There may be a fight on the corner. A guest who has been using the supports of The Mustard Seed for years may share the story of one of their friends dying on the streets last night, and the staff and guest mourn together for a friend who has been lost. The busses arrive from our shelter bringing guests back downtown so that they can begin their days: working, connecting to resources, surviving.

The stories are as diverse and unique as each individual who enters the doors of The Mustard Seed downtown. The needs that brings these people to the doors are not just met through the provision of food, emergency services and programming but through relationships, respect and the knowledge that whatever this day holds for those without housing in Calgary and for those living in poverty, there is someone out there who cares, there is a safe place to be and they know in their hearts that, when the time is right, hope will turn into reality.

Volunteer groups support formerly homeless individuals

Imagine you’ve been living in a shelter with a community of 300 roommates. Then you find housing and suddenly you’re on your own! Lonely, isolated, and bored. Chances are good that you’ll fall back into unhealthy habits.

Aftercare at The Mustard Seed works to house clients who have been living in our shelter, and part of helping them is encouraging a healthy lifestyle and getting appropriate supports in place.

We believe that, as human beings, we were created to live in community with one another, and unfortunately, not everyone has a healthy community. That’s where volunteers come in.

Groups of volunteers are coming together with the Aftercare team to form a supportive network for a client who is transitioning to the freedom, independence and responsibility that comes with having an apartment of their own. This looks different depending on the client and group of volunteers, but examples are: going out for coffee at the local Tim Horton’s and talking about how life is going, going out to the bowling alley, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a picnic at Princess Island park, etc. The possibilities are many and volunteers have the opportunity to get creative!

Volunteers in these supportive capacities will have the opportunity to work as a team and support one another. This is really an opportunity for those in the Calgary community to come together with The Mustard Seed and intentionally help their neighbors get back up on their feet!

If you would like to learn more about volunteering with Aftercare, please email kristyferguson@theseed.ca

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?