Hope Ministries, Square One Community looking to fill gap left by Riverside Mission in Moose Jaw

A determined group within Moose Jaw has stepped up to provide assistance to those in need – following the closure of one of the city's shelters.

"We pulled together a small core team of people that were just interested in doing this, and we started feeding people at different locations, different churches, stepped up, different organizations that we could utilize their space, we were feeding people lunch and supper," explained Rachel Mullens, acting executive director of Hope Ministries.

Hope Ministries is a new non-profit organization, which is offering permanent meal programing for the community and soon, a day space for those needing a place to warm up as temperatures drop.

Riverside Mission provided several services to the community, including feeding up to 100 people twice a day in addition to shelter space. In August, it was announced that Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, which operated the shelter, was withdrawing from the location.

This prompted one of the existing non-profits, Square One Community, to look into ways to help those who would no longer have access to those services.

"With the closure of Riverside Mission, [we] identified food security as the number one issue in the city. We also identified supportive housing being a gap and day space, especially during those winter months as a gap," Square One General Manager Maxton Eckstien.

“Now, Square One community has moved in the direction of supportive housing. but those other two gaps were glaring. And from a community members perspective, that might look dire from somebody who's been studying empirically the evidence of the continuum of support, it's a catastrophe for the community."

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In the months leading up to this official launch of Hope Ministries, the two organizations had been working with one another while they made plans for permanent solutions.

With Square One Community focusing on supportive housing, and Hope Ministries taking on the challenge of food security, the two organizations plan to continue working collaboratively.

While providing a place to keep warm is certainly a priority for Hope Ministries, Mullens explains that they hope to do much more than that once a location is secured.

"We have unhoused individuals that have nowhere to go, and it's so important for them to have a nutritious meal and also a space to get out of the cold. But not just any space,” Mullens explained.

“We want to create a space that where they feel safe, where they feel a sense of belonging, and where we can help them to reach other resources in the community that they might need."

Scott Elger is a board member for Hope Ministries, and he expressed a hope for the community to lend a hand as the city experiences their first winter in years without Riverside Mission.

"It's very important for a community to have the ability to show that it cares. I mean, we're a far, far richer community when we look after those who are disadvantaged among us,” Elger said. “Because somebody pulls out, the need still continues. People still are struggling to eat. People are still struggling to find a place to sleep."

Elger went on to say that those who experience housing and food insecurity also face a stigma which creates additional struggles.

"These are people that we don't need to be afraid of. Just because somebody is homeless doesn't mean that they're a thief or a corrupt or anything else,” Elger added. “There's some wonderful people out there who just need a hand."

Sharon Oberding is also a board member of Hope Ministries. She explained that the demographics of those in need of the non-profit’s services are very diverse.

"We see a lot of people who just are hungry. They are food insecure, they are not all housing insecure,” she explained. “A lot of them are seniors. There are families that bring children, young children. So we're just happy to feed them."

The outreach group has gotten to know many of the people who use their services. Putting a face on the issue is particularly important, according to Oberding.

"They always say ‘Thank you.’ They're very polite. They're just happy to have a good, nutritious meal in their bellies … I just think it's important for people to realize that that these people are somebody's mother, brother, sister, cousin, whatever that they have families that love them,” she added.

Hope Ministries is actively seeking volunteers and donors as the group continues to grow the organization.

Currently, Hope Ministries does not have a specific timeline to move into a permanent location. However, its members are hoping to have one in the near future.