The 500 Stephen Community Centre is looking to raise both funding and awareness with a new campaign.
It recently launched an initiative called 500 Friends for 500 Stephen with the hope that it will help build a broader base of ongoing support for the centre in Morden.
People can become a “Friend” of the facility and support its work with a donation of any size, though they also hope some people will consider recurring monthly gifts.
“We’ve set ourselves a bit of a bold goal,” said executive director Kevin Driedger. “We’re just looking for people who appreciate our work and see that we align with their values.
“I like to say it’s community caring for community,” he added. “500 Stephen Community Centre is a small organization with a big impact on our community. We provide space where everyone in the community can come for connections, resources, and support. The activities that happen here support and improve the well being of the people of Morden.”
The centre originally started as an initiative through and with the support of Westside Community Church, but they now need to build up more broad-based community support.
“We’re a community funded, community supported organization,” Driedger said. “We can only do our work with the support of the community. We don’t get funding from other sources like the city or the provincial government. It’s all community-based.
“We also know, with 500 Stephen, its identity is sometimes uncertain for people in terms of who we are and what we do. Many people think we’re the food bank, and while we house the food bank, we house Many Hands [which runs the food bank], and we love having them as a partner … we want the community to understand who we are and why they might want to support our work.
The centre offers space and support to many programs including Many Hands Resource Centre, Workplace Employment Manitoba, Segue, Genesis House, public health, Pembina Valley Local Immigration Partnership, Truth and Action Working Group, Raising Morden, Regional Connections, Child and Family Services and many others.
Providing a well maintained and resourced space, organizing training, and building collaborations across organizations means these services do not need to worry about those details, efforts, or expenses, Driedger noted.
A gift to 500 Stephen ensures they can continue to provide space and resources for many non-profits and agencies to meet with and serve their clients, for community groups to gather and host events, and for anyone to drop in for a cup of coffee, to visit with friends, or simply to get out of the cold.
“We host a pretty active and busy schedule of organizations,” Driedger noted, “and we have a few organizations that are sort of permanently based out of our facility.
“We need to develop a sustainable funding model for our work, and we are fortunate to get some funds from local groups like the thrift store and United Way and things like that … it is a huge help, and we are grateful for it,” he said. “We also want to build up a stronger base within our community of individuals and businesses and churches.”
Driedger was encouraged by the initial support that has started coming in since the launch of 500 Friends earlier this month.
“I’ve been pleased with the response so far,” he said, explaining that everyone who takes part will receive an ‘I’m a Friend of 500 Stephen’ sticker.
The campaign will end with a Friend Fest at 500 Stephen on May 29. The agency is also partnering with Rendezvous Eatery & Taproom April 14 to host a community conversation about housing. Learn more at 500stephen.ca.
