What I’ve learned in a year at the Food Hamper Program

After almost exactly a year of working here, today is my last day at the Food Hamper Program. I am sad to leave the staff and volunteers here as I’ve formed some great friendships and learned a lot about the KW community, but I’m looking forward to new adventures, including travelling this summer and going back to school in September.

I’ve learned a lot in the year that I’ve been here. Here are some things I’ll take away from my time.

There is no one kind of person who needs food assistance

I’ve learned that there is no one kind of person that comes to a food bank—there is a huge diversity of people who need food assistance, and they have taken many paths to get here. Many people face barriers to finding work and thus having an adequate income due to discrimination. Perhaps they identify as transgender, are a recent immigrant or refugee, or have a disability. I’ve learned that no one is on social assistance because they’re simply ‘lazy,’ but that there are a multitude of reasons people live in poverty, ranging from the kinds of jobs available to a lack of affordable childcare to health problems. Each person has their own story of why they are at the food hamper program.

The way we treat people living on low income needs to change…now.

I’ve learned that the way social assistance is set up helps no one, and a dollar added to social assistance is more than a dollar saved in other areas. I’ve learned that poverty and health are so closely intertwined that I’m not sure you can talk about one without talking about the other.  Most importantly to me, I’ve learned that eliminating poverty is the logical thing to do, not only from an ethical but from an economic standpoint. It makes far more sense to give people an adequate income and save money elsewhere in the system, especially in the health care and justice sectors. I have hope that others think this way. Though there is a long road ahead when it comes to poverty elimination, there are a lot of dedicated people making very good cases as to why poverty should be a priority for all levels of government moving forward.

I’ve learned all about foods I never knew existed

We receive all kinds of food donations. Before working here I had never seen chayote squash, bitter melon, chinese long beans, or lychee fruit. Now I could tell you what their main nutritional qualities are and how to cook them!

I am disappointed to leave the House of Friendship because it’s an organization I believe in. I’m proud of that the organization has decided to speak up on important issues, and advocate for a more just society. I decided to work here in the first place because, though I don’t believe food aid should have to exist, the program’s philosophy was in line with my own. I believe people coming in for food aid should not be policed, or asked invasive questions about their household finances. I’ve been lucky to be able to visit other House of Friendship programs and learn about the community building and advocacy that goes on at our community centres and residential programs as well.

I’ve been so privileged in the past year to work with dedicated staff and volunteers who believe in the program like I do, and who are working every day to create the kind of community they want to be a part of. I’ll miss it here.

Strategic Planning (or, why we need a House of Friendship road map)

This year at the House of Friendship we developed a new strategic plan for the whole organization, including new mission and vision statements, and new organizational values. Visit our website to read our full plan (its not long, I promise!) Over 400 people were consulted in the development phase of the strategic plan, and over one third of those consulted were past and present program participants. This is the first of a series of blog posts that will explore these new statements in relation to Food Hampers and other House of Friendship programs. Before I get into how the strategic plan shapes our programs, I want to go into the importance of having a strategic plan.

This article on strategic planning starts with a quote from Wayne Gretzky, who once said “I skate to where I think the puck will be.” Similarly, the House of Friendship needs to not only be aware of current social realities (poverty, disability, troubled neighborhoods and communities for example), but anticipate future social realities in order to grow to meet the needs of our community.

Think about each House of Friendship program as a person. Together, the programs form a group of people who are navigating obstacles as they try to support people through housing instability, isolation, poverty, addiction, and food insecurity. Picture this group of people travelling on a journey, where they have agreed on an end point—a city, for example. They also agree on how they will travel to this city; by foot, by car, by bike, or by transit. They know it is going to take them a long time—probably years—to reach their end point, so they decide on a set of guiding principles to help them work together as a group, and to determine how to act should they run into problems.

In real life, a strategic plan works much like this. For the House of Friendship, the end goal of our work is our vision: A healthy community where all can belong and thrive.  Maybe this will be unattainable in our lifetimes, but this is the work we have set for ourselves throughout our history. How we get there is our mission statement: House of Friendship strengthens people and communities by being there when needed, speaking up and working together. The shared principles about how we act and how we treat others on our journey are our core values. Going back to the hockey analogy, Wayne Gretzky doesn’t play hockey with a copy of the team’s mission, vision, and values out at all time, but he does pay attention to the coach’s game plan, while taking into account the immediate realities of his surroundings. In the same way, the House of Friendship has a game plan, or strategic plan, which helps individual programs deal with new situations as we travel down the path to a healthier community.

In the long-term, a good strategic plan should shape every operation of the organization. Each program should fit into the organizational mandate and operate in line with the values. In an organization like the House of Friendship where there are many programs in different places around Waterloo Region, it can also be a unifying force; although I rarely see our community centres in action, because I work at the food hamper program, I know they are working towards the same common cause.

In upcoming posts this summer we are going to explore how our programs are thinking about and living out our new strategic plan in their day to day work. We have a really diverse set of programs that each contribute to creating a healthy community in their own way, and we share common values that bind us together. I’m looking forward to explore the impact of the new plan on all of the work we do at the House of Friendship. Stay tuned!

Not so different after all

Today is the day before Christmas, a day when many of us will be exchanging gifts with friends and family and coming together.  Today we thought it would be timely to share a few words from Michael Hackbusch, the Chaplaincy Director at House of Friendship about the local faith community, and the many gifts they share with our community each year.

Good Deeds with Carlos

Is is easy to volunteer?  How much of a difference can you make in an hour or two?  Is it worthwhile?

These are all questions that Carlos, a local radio host with 91.5 The Beat, decided to answer.  As we mentioned previously (here) he is out in the community doing a different volunteer job with a different agency each day for 30 days.  This last Saturday was day Deed 23 and he was helping the House of Friendship distribute turkeys

Today is day 10 of our 12Days campaign.  Tomorrow is the final day of turkey distribution and by that time the last of the Christmas Hamper should be safely stashed away in people’s cupboards.  As of this morning, the final count for Christmas Hampers is 4081!  The 600+ volunteers who have helped accomplish this amazing record have touched the lives of thousands of people.   As Carlos demonstrates, you can make a big difference to someone in the space of an hour or two.  This is something that people never forget.

Have you decided to volunteer yet?  Let us know!  Comment, tweet @HOFKW or post on our facebook wall.

What the House of Friendship does to Pitch In

Trent, Christine and Colin get ready to Pitch In and share the first Turkey of the season

In the last 5 days we have been sharing stories of people who are getting involved this December and tips for getting your own volunteer journey started. (Read it here)

Today, we want to share a few more stories and ideas from House of Friendship staff.

At the House of Friendship (HoF), volunteers work closely beside us in virtually all our programs.  Did you know that HoF staff also volunteer and pitch in outside of their own jobs?  They do!  For some of us, (myself included) volunteering is what got us interested in the work that HoF does.  For others it is a natural extension of our desire to see the community be a better place and to continuously learn.

Christine told me:  “I volunteer with several local groups, with interests ranging from heritage preservation to my parish council. I have volunteered since returning from university some 20+ years ago, and remain grateful to the many talented and generous people who have taught me so much along the way.”

Have you considered that helping out can include things like preparing a meal for friends and reminding people that you’re there for them through difficult times?  Taylor at Charles Village shared with me: “My wife and I, and our friends are all making an extra casserole this week to give to a friend who has injured their hand. Because of a past personal experience we are aware of how difficult it can be to get by without the use of one hand. There is something profound about sharing food that you prepared with love. Any time of significant change or challenge is a great time to offer meals. It is a way that you can contribute something tangible during a time when things seem otherwise out of our control.”

At the Kingsdale Community Centre, staff person Fanny, volunteers  on the Board of Directors of MT Space and is the Artistic Director for Voices del Sur (a Spanish children’s choir) and Ecos del Sur (a Spanish adult choir).  She told me that she volunteers ”because I have 3 passions, my language, music and children. I volunteer because it joins all these passions together. “

And Bethany and Matt, co-workers of mine at the Food Hamper Program, have a long volunteer connection to the Christmas Hamper Program.   The brother and sister duo take time in the evening and on weekends to pitch in and help where they can, enlisting friends when possible and making it a family affair.  Matt told me “people come to volunteer with Christmas Hampers for many different reasons, but all of them seem to share the same excitement for helping people in our community during the holiday season.”

In previous years Bethany was able to spend more time with Christmas hampers, but the busy schedule here makes that difficult now.  She told me that “although I am not able to spend as much time at Christmas Hampers, I am still making an effort to deliver some hampers to people in our community. Volunteering at Christmas Hampers is a wonderful experience, where people come together every December, some who have been volunteering for many years, and others who are looking for something to get involved in during the holiday season.”

This is just a sample of some of the ways we at House of Friendship try and model the change we want to see in the community.  For us, volunteering and volunteers are a rewarding part of our lives and we hope that you’ll consider at least one way to make it a part of your life as well.  Let us know as we continue on our 12day journey of helping Kitchener Waterloo to get out there and volunteer.  Send us a shout out to @HOFKW on Twitter or post on our Facebook wall.  How are you pitching in?

United, we are stronger

You may have recently read about the United Way and its struggles to reach its campaign target this year. What does this mean for our community?

Through the House of Friendship (HOF), United Way helps thousands of people in our community living on low-income, people just like you and me.  Each year, HOF programs:  Emergency Food Hampers, the Charles Street Men’s Hostel, Live and Learn and four community centres benefit from the United Way funding thanks to the  many gifts and pledges that community members make through their workplace campaigns and individual donations. In short, thanks to United Way our community has a much stronger social safety net, which is important, especially through tough times like these.

House of Friendship staff support United Way; to date we have pledged $9,400 to HOF’s 2011 United Way Workplace Campaign.

Why do we support United Way?

At a recent internal United Way Workplace campaign event we asked this question and this is what staff had to say:

“I remember”

“I see the impact in the work I do every day”

We remember the people we serve, we remember the people who need a hand up.

“I’ve received”

Like everyone in this community, many of us have had difficult times that we have had to struggle through.  We remember what it’s like, and why the work we do is important.

“I can”

“I care”

“I have been given so much”

At the moment, we have the resources to share, we know it is important and because…

“It is love”

“It’s not mine to keep” and “I feel compelled to be inclusive”

Many of us do the work we do because we feel a strong sense of duty to make the world a better, more welcoming place, and to share our love for our neighbours.

The people we serve feel similarly.

It may surprise you to know that throughout the programs that receive funding from United Way program participants regularly volunteer.  As one program participant and volunteer at the Charles Street Men’s Hostel said during the recent United Way Day of Caring, “I’m volunteering to give back.”

And isn’t that what community is about?  Giving. Receiving. Sharing in the good times. Supporting each other through the tough times.

The United Way has shared its concerns and hopes for this year’s campaign.  As a community and individuals we have a choice about how we respond.  House of Friendship staff have chosen to step up. Join us.

Think about YOUR reason for giving and support United Way and our community. We all benefit.

The ART of Caring

On Friday evening local art show & sale, BOX11, hosted a Curator’s Reception.  This year, the Guest Curator is Jim Erb, who also Chairs the Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club’s annual Turkey Drive in support of House of Friendship’s Christmas Hamper program.  

Like HOF’s year-round Emergency Food Hamper program, Christmas Hampers aims to share the gift of food with families in need, but this program is specifically for December when holiday lay-offs and the pressures and expectations of the season can break an already stretched budget.

The Turkey Drive is the official Charity Partner of BOX11.  A portion of the proceeds from art sales will help bring the gift of food to families across our community.  As the Guest Curator, Jim had the opportunity to share some comments. 

Through my work and community involvement I attend a fair number of events and hear probably far too many speeches, but Jim’s words caught my attention.  In the Rumpel Felt Factory amidst the art, chatter and food, Jim stood in front of us all and  reminded us:

This weekend is also about acknowledging that there are too many people in our community who will probably never be invited to a reception such as this. For many of us, tonight begins the “season of Christmas parties”.  For many others in our community, there will be no invitation to a multitude of Christmas parties.  Over the weekend, the generosity and resources of people like you and me will be able to purchase this beautiful artwork for our homes and offices. For many in our community, the little money they have will not be for art, but for basic food for their family.

Food for thougt no doubt for the coming Holidays.