EDMONTON- What started out as a small soup kitchen has turned into a huge support system for the community of Hobbema.
In August 2011, Janet Swampy and a group of volunteers opened the soup kitchen after noticing many people from the community were attending soup kitchens in Wetaskiwin.
“We saw the big lineup and the majority of our people were there,” said Swampy. “So we just kind of decided from there that we were going to get together and do our own soup kitchen.”
When it opened, approximately 40 people showed up to receive a hot meal the first week. Now, over 200 people attend the soup kitchen every Wednesday.
“I come in here at times just to visit, have coffee. There’s books here. I’m a reader, I come bring my books, trade books, that type of thing and we get, sort of like a support group, we get to talk,” said Joyce Tootoosis, an elder in the community.
The soup kitchen has been so successful, MP Linda Duncan recently recognized the women in the House of Commons.
“I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the women of Hobbema for this commendable volunteer initiative,” Duncan said on March 6.
As more and more people began lining up each week, the women noticed many of them were there because they have nowhere else to go. As a result, services at the soup kitchen will be expanding.
Beginning next month, the Healing Life program will be available for community members, to offer them much needed counselling services, Swampy said.
“We’re going to provide anger management, grief recovery, parenting skills, creating a new norm.”
Swampy says many people in the community face struggles on a daily basis and need somewhere to go and someone to talk to.
“We need to enable them to have the tools that they need to be more productive individuals in society.”
“I honestly believe the community needs that,” added Tootoosis.
They hope it will be the positive change many people in the community need.
“I think that it’s time that we started focusing on the positive things that are happening here,” said Tootoosis. “We just need to be more caring and more supportive.”
With files from Laurel Clark.