'So many more needs': Southern Alberta volunteers offer recreation for the homeless

Lethbridge, Alta. soup kitchen volunteers started the 'Resilient Art YQL' group several months ago, but that program has since expanded.

LETHBRIDGE -

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.