C.J. Sanderson arrived in Moose Jaw over a year ago to become sober and began volunteering with an outreach group to show appreciation for the help she received.
Sanderson is from the Muskoday First Nation near Prince Albert and moved to The Friendly City in 2023 to beat her addiction. She attended a treatment centre, connected with Turning Leaf Support Services and began attending Victory Church, where she learned that community is important.
Taking this advice to heart — “I love my church” — she began volunteering last summer with Community Connections, which provides support, fellowship, food, clothing and hygiene items to anyone in need.
The group — co-organized by Crystal Harvey, Tammy McCleary and Jen Silzer, who all work in the social services industry — initially provided meals to people on statutory holidays when other outreach organizations or meal programs were closed.
“I think God brought me here … . I (also) found these ladies and they just keep me clean and sober and happy,” Sanderson said. “And it’s a good community. I love it here and they love me and I just feel loved. It’s just a lot of love.”
Volunteers needed
Harvey explained that she was looking for volunteers to help serve meals on statutory holidays last year — she started serving in 2022 — when Sanderson answered the call. From there, the latter began messaging McCleary, often asking if the group needed support.
“She’s always looking for help on Facebook, so I’m like, ‘Why don’t you ask me? I want to help,’” laughed Sanderson.
Sanderson began volunteering more with Community Connections after the organization formed a partnership with St. Aidan Anglican Church in December.
Since the church serves lunches on the weekends from 10 to 10:30 a.m., the outreach group was allowed to meet in the parish hall from 9 to 10:30 a.m. so clients had a warm place to eat and socialize. This service recently expanded to Sunday afternoons from 2 to 5 p.m., with hot meals — and sometimes bagged lunches — served between 4 and 5 p.m.
Besides food and coffee, the group also offers clothing, footwear, toys, hygiene products, household items and other necessities. It can also connect clients to resources and supports in the community.
With how full tables are with donations, Sanderson usually folds and organizes items to keep the space neat.
Giving back
“For me, it’s giving back to my community. Like, because they’ve helped me when I first came to Moose Jaw, so I just want to help and give back,” she said. “Because I know how it feels to have, you know, to be in need … .”
Sanderson added that life can sometimes be overwhelming because she never had these supports on her reserve or in Prince Albert, which is why volunteering plays a “huge role” in her life.
Harvey acknowledged that Sanderson is always smiling and cheerful and creates a welcoming atmosphere.
Building partnerships
Meanwhile, she explained that she teamed up with St. Aidan because she used to work as an outreach worker with Turning Leaf and regularly visited on the weekends when lunches were being handed out.
She noticed the relationship the church was building with residents and believed an opportunity existed to open the space so clients could eat more comfortably. That suited the church as it was also looking to enhance its lunch program.
“(It’s) a space just to relax, which is important,” said Silzer. “… we always have food, lots of coffee (and) lots of laughs. We do a lot of laughing.”
A gap in services
Harvey explained that she started serving meals on statutory holidays two years ago because there was a service gap in the community when those days occurred. Normally, there are three to four meal options on weekdays and one on the weekends, but there was nothing on days like Christmas or Family Day.
“When you’re unhoused and you’re outside walking around all day, you are consuming a lot of energy … ,” she said. “So then we saw a need, especially through the winter, to provide another food option.”
The number of clients attending meals started at 30 but has grown to roughly 70, while the people who attend vary from young families to seniors to others looking to socialize over coffee.
“It’s going really great. I would say that it’s kind of one of those things that really fill our cup,” Harvey said.
Community support
The group has been lucky because several organizations faithfully offer support, while many people volunteer or donate items, she continued. Moreover, this program brings joy to everyone and gives residents a place to belong.
“Our guests have been really good at helping mop and sweep … ,” said McCleary. “We were short volunteers one day and they all picked up the slack and stayed until the end to make sure everything was done.”
It’s “absolutely essential” that these outreach services remain downtown because the residents who need them congregate in this area, especially on the weekends, said Harvey. Conversely, if such services were near Walmart, some people — like seniors — would be unable to walk that far to access the food they require.
Community Connections is already delivering meals to clients who can’t physically make it or are ill, she added. So, while the group can deliver food, it would become a glorified delivery service if it was forced to move out of the downtown.
Anyone who wants to volunteer with Community Connections can contact the three co-organizers on social media.
