“May the Christmas season bring only happiness and joy to you and your family.”
That was the message written on one of the many Christmas cards gifted to the Emergency Wellness Centre in Saskatoon by children attending schools in Outlook and Davidson.
That was far from the only thing given to the newly established centre ahead of the holiday season, as the board room was filled with gifts for families in need, and the garage was filled with donations like winter clothes.
“I just want to be very thankful and have the opportunity to tell Saskatoon we’re very proud of you for stepping up as a community to support people that are in need during a difficult time,” Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand said.
He said they’ve only been at the new location for about 22 days, but said it’s already a better environment than the downtown location.
“This community has stepped up. And they should be proud of that, and I’m proud of Saskatoon for making that initiative and that step.”
Arcand gave an example of a family staying with the wellness centre for two months, noting that they were now back with their own family, living on their own.
“This is far and bigger than Saskatoon, it’s reaching our rural communities and we thank them for their support.”
Arcand said anything left over from the donations will go towards other families in need through the Chums and Pals program.
It’s a comfort that many at the centre can’t afford, as Arcand said they were at capacity, but had 18 people looking for a place to sleep during the evenings, and that they had to sleep in the warm-up shelters and lobby.
“We put out cots here so they can actually get a good sleep and then we put the cots away during the day.”
He added clothing is an important donation right now.
Arcand said he wasn’t expecting the transition to the new facility to go as well as it has, but noted the importance of having space and respect.
“It’s really feeling safe in a comfortable environment.”
“They need to be shown respect, and I think that’s what we’re doing here, is providing respect, and giving them some honour and some hope and making sure they’re being safe.”
The announcement of the move of the wellness centre generated some concern among some people in the Fairhaven community, but Arcand said they’ve had a lot of support.
“The Fairhaven community has stepped up, I think it was a group of about 100 of them that made donations to the wellness centre, and right now we’re very thankful for them because they’re embracing us into their neighbourhood. And we’re going to do the best we can to keep their neighbourhood safe, but at the same time really work together to make sure that we’re helping people.”
He said there are many people and organizations looking to volunteer with the wellness centre, adding that they’ll be getting more people helping out in the new year.
Ally Hrbachek is the owner and baker at Ally’s Cake Creeations, and is one of the many people who raised funds for the wellness centre, as well as other shelters in Saskatoon.
Hrbachek is a member of Peepeekisis Cree Nation, as well as a mother of three, and said she feels she’s in a position to help those in need.
“As long as I am here, I’m going to continuously do all that I can to help better the lives of my people and our unhoused people in the city that I live in,” Hrbachek said.
She said she gathers donations throughout the holiday season because she had a tough upbringing, being the daughter of a single, teenage mom who was also a residential school survivor.
Hrbachek said her mother was constantly trying to break the cycle of abuse in the family, but she was very familiar with what it was like to have nothing.
“Christmas time especially, I always raise money. I fundraise myself and I gather volunteers.”
Hrbachek said she gathered $3,300, as well as $2,000 in gift cards, and hosted a dinner at the wellness centre, and used the excess to feed the Lighthouse as well.
“We donated over one hundred meals to Prairie Harm Reduction, and then we also gave meals to Salvation Army.”
Hrbachek said she got another donation recently, adding that she’s also putting together packs of warm clothing and food to hand out on Christmas Day.
“I just care about my relatives, and I want to see them safe and warm, not in danger, not freezing to death, not hungry.”
“We’ve all got to help each other as much as we can.”
Armond Standingready, one of the people staying at the wellness centre, says the experience at the facility has been good, especially considering the alternative.
“They treat you pretty good, with respect here. I can’t complain, considering where I came from out there,” Standingready said.
He says more places like the centre need to be open, noting that it’s safe and keeps people off the streets.
Standingready said the donations from people show that someone cares.
“It shows that people are actually caring, it shows people that have a heart.”
He said these gestures outweigh the bad.
Standingready said being outside, you have the words of others, but you still need to keep your guard up, adding that the centre is an opportunity to rest.
“Here, it’s a place to rest and a place to let your guard down for a bit and get some kind of direction in your life and meet others that are willing to help you here.”
“We’re people. And some of us go through different walks of life, and a different journey in our lives, and it leaves us here. And I don’t wish that upon anybody, because what I faced, no, it’s not good.”