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?

The Mustard Seed Alberta

Last week, we introduced you to our Employment program area, a part of our Calgary operations. This week we're going to focus on the group responsible for leading The Mustard Seed's strategies across Alberta. This lovely crew operates from our headquarters in Calgary.

Here's a pic of the Alberta crew serving lunch at The Mustard Seed Calgary!



Stay tuned for more this week as we introduce some key members of our Alberta office.

Learn more about our executive here.

Meet Martin

Martin is one of the guests staying at The Mustard Seed Shelter. He was interviewed by Mark Horvath of Invisiblepeopletv.

Listen to Martin tell his story below, and check out the Invisible People blog for lots more stories of people experiencing homelessness.

Meet the team at the Employment Centre!

Greetings from the brand new Employment Centre! I’m Lydia Nutbrown and I’ll be the team’s friendly blogging nerd. I’m an Employment Developer, so I will be meeting with employers around the city talking about how we can create mutually beneficial employment opportunities for our clients. I’m always looking to meet new people and open doors to employment, so if you know anyone who’s hiring, let me know!

Next on the tour is Trina Frank, our Intake/Assessment Facilitator. Trina will use her natural sensitivity and inquisitive mind to help our clients assess their work and personal histories to determine their next steps to employment. She also builds relationships with other local service providers to ensure that we can refer our clients to whatever training they might need before starting a job.

Eric Shorten and Merrill Blenman represent our dynamic duo of Employment Coaches. They will work with clients throughout their employment, providing advice and support along the way. They will also be available to employers to help them learn how to best supervise and cultivate a positive work environment for our clients. Good thing they’re both former cheerleaders…just kidding.

Finally, our fearless leader and Manager, Jon Schiedel. He’ll keep us all on track and provide the vision for the program as we seek to serve our clients in their pursuit of sustainable employment.

Hopefully learning about our roles gives you an idea of how our program works. Questions are welcome, though, so feel free to stop by or comment on this post for more information. Until next time!

Employment Centre Opens

I'm on my way downstairs to the grand opening of our Employment Centre! We're really excited to be able to expand our Employment services. We'll still be offering resume help and interview coaching, but now we'll also be able to connect our guests directly with employers.

Not being able to find work or support yourself takes a huge toll on a person's sense of worth. The Employment Centre will help empower our clients to make positive changes in their lives.

When a guest arrives at the Employment Centre, Intake Facilitators work with them to investigate training and job opportunities that fit their interests, abilities and experience, and volunteers are available to assist with resumes and interview preparations.

Once employed, clients also meet regularly with an Employment Coach, who helps with any difficulties they might be experiencing at their jobs. Employment Coaches will also be available to address any questions or concerns from employers.

Cliff Wiebe is our Director of Support Services and the brains behind the new format. “So often, people think the solution to homelessness is for men and women to pick them selves up off the streets and go find a job, but it’s not that simple,” he says. “Our clients face significant barriers to employment, but The Mustard Seed is committed to helping them overcome those barriers and work toward greater independence.”

Have you ever been at risk of losing your home or your job? What kind of support did you wish you could have received?