Gardening, cooking and teamwork all skills gained by clients of Waypoint’s HERO Centre
A little fresh air. A chance to learn gardening skills. The
satisfaction of a job well done. And, oh yes, a crop of delicious and
nutritious vegetables.
These are some of the benefits clients of Waypoint’s HERO
Centre reap from their volunteer work on the Karma Garden at the Martyrs’
Shrine.
“I live for it,” said Andrew Moreau, a client and volunteer
for the past five years. “I know that I’m doing something that’s affecting
other people — not just now, but hopefully next year and the year after. You
know you’re doing something worthwhile and beneficial.”
The HERO Centre provides a slate of rehabilitation services,
including employment, recreation and education programs. The goal is to work in
partnership with clients on their mental health recovery by building on their
strengths and skills. Clients set the pace, supported by a team of
professionals, to help accomplish the plan, which can mean finding work or a
meaningful hobby, making connections in the community, or simply
self-discovery.
Recreation Therapist Tamara Burke started the garden project
in 2019 as a way to help clients improve their quality of life while assisting
others. Working together in a supportive and social environment, they grow
green peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, carrots and other vegetables, as
well as some herbs. The produce is given to The Guesthouse Shelter, where
clients like Moreau volunteer as cooks in a program called HERO Helpers.
“A lot of time when people come in for our services, they’re
looking for meaning and purpose,” said Burke. “These types of volunteer
programs allow them to feel empowered and to give back to their community.”
Jonathan Dyer spent time receiving care at Waypoint as an
inpatient due to some mental health issues he was experiencing. The HERO Centre
was recommended to him to continue his healing journey, and volunteering in the
garden and at the shelter has been a welcome activity.
“I like the work. It brings my mood up just to be outdoors,”
he said. “And it’ll be nice next year to see the crop come up.”
On a recent fall day, Burke joined Moreau and Dyer in
constructing raised garden beds on the site. These will allow people in the
community with mobility issues to participate in the project. Getting their
hands dirty imparts skills — gardening, cooking, teamwork, leadership — that
could lead to employment. Burke said one client has actually been hired to work
on the Martyrs’ Shrine grounds as a direct result of the good job he did on the
Karma Garden.