'So many more needs': Southern Alberta volunteers offer recreation for the homeless
For some Albertans, going out for a picnic, playing lawn games or hitting the water for a quick kayak trip may sound like an average summer afternoon.
But for the homeless community in Lethbridge, those opportunities don't come around very often.
"Some of our guests out here are probably 60 years old and have never had these experiences," said soup kitchen executive director Bill Ginther.
"I think it's nice and it's really important just to give people the opportunity to do normal things even if it's for half an hour."
That's where the Resilient Rec Program comes in.
What started an art program at the soup kitchen last year has since grown, and now the soup kitchen hosts movie nights, bingo events, card games and recreational opportunities.
It's all thanks to a local volunteer and Lethbridge College recreational therapy student Tannis Chartier.
"We were meeting the physical needs of people with things like food, water and shelter but, there are so many more needs like needing purpose and meaning," she said.
"As a recreational therapy student, I see that recreation is a catalyst for reaching those needs so I started some recreation programs."
Those rec programs have been well received by soup kitchen guests.
63-year-old Scott MacKenzie is one of the regulars at the soup kitchen and before Saturday's rec event at Henderson Lake Park, he had never been on a kayak, but he caught on quickly.
"It doesn't take too long to learn once you get out there, so it was a lot of fun," he said.
"I'm really glad for Tannis. She does a really good job and I respect her for what she's doing for all of us."
Richard Woslyng is another soup kitchen regular who's seen the benefits of the art program first-hand.
Back in December, he was able to sell enough colouring books containing some of his art to find his own apartment, and now, the rec program is helping to ease some stress.
"It's really good to have other things going on to get people's minds off of other things. It just puts a smile on people's face," he said.
Saturday's lawn games and kayaking excursion was just the first rec event of the year, but programs will be running on a weekly basis.
For volunteers at the soup kitchen, the goal is to see momentum continue to build and hopefully one day, get some more funding to up the ante and offer more experiences.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.