Moose Jaw Families for Change received another generous donation from the Kinsmen Club in Moose Jaw, so they can assist individuals with varying abilities.
The donation was received on June 28, and amounted to $15,000. Families for Change has stated that the funds will be directed toward their Kinsmen Café and Kinsmen Inclusion Garden, all of which rely on donations and community support such as this.
Families for Change is a local non-profit organization and was founded in 1998 to provide vocational and residential support for people living with disabilities in the community.
In 2018, they were able to partner with the Kinsmen Club of Moose Jaw and achieve significantly more.
As Families for Change program coordinator Mariah Horsnall explained: “We were looking to start as a team. We wanted to see who is heavily involved in the community and might be willing to partner with us.” The Kinsmen Club turned out to be that ideal partner.
The Kinsmen Club has been an active member of our community for around 80 years and operates with the motto of serving our community’s greatest needs.
By 2018, Families for Change was able to open a new restaurant on South Hill, with the help of the Kinsmen Club. The building is located at 431 – 4th. Ave. S.W. and is right across from the Maple Leaf Bakery.
The goal of the café is to help certain individuals participate in society.
“The Kinsmen Café was opened for the sole purpose of providing job readiness skills, job (experience), and employing individuals living with various abilities.”
Especially for those who have been out of the job market or have not yet entered, many valuable skills can only be earned by working in a place such as this.
The café is also geared toward people who may be working with a disability, and through earning work experience, they can have both a solid reference and the skills necessary to thrive.
“The goal is to have any participant… graduate into full-time employment that is meaningful to them.”
In 2022, Families for Change was able to open a community garden, thanks to a partnership with the Kinsmen Club and other local partners. Today, that garden is known as the Kinsmen Inclusion Garden. The garden aims to be accepting to all and is barrier-free.
The Kinsmen Club continues to help support the garden and other Families for Change initiatives in the community.
“I think the donation and the partnership with the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Club made an impact and a difference in our participants every day. The smiles on their faces, and the experiences… watching them flourish into active community members — that’s what the donation money has done for us," Horsnall said. “It’s not just that we have a building; it has changed the lives of the participants.
“We’re making sure that we break down barriers in the community and educate the community. Just because someone has a disability, it does not mean that they are not capable of something."
Moose Jaw Families for Change said they really want to recognize the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Club, not only for their support but also for their very active involvement in the Moose Jaw community.
Families for Change is a local non-profit organization that seeks to transform the lives of people living with a disability, and to focus on their abilities.
As Horsnall stated on behalf of Families for Change: “Everybody deserves a happy life.”
Families for Change can be reached at 306-693-2271.
