What is life like after exiting prison? Starting over isn’t easy. Those who are released from prison face all sorts of challenges as they work to reintegrate back into community. This can be difficult for individuals, as they navigate a system that doesn’t always set them up for success. Most inmates will return to their communities. So we have to decide. Do we want them to succeed, or are we satisfied with the status quo?
In part one of this series, we examine housing and homelessness after incarceration through the voices and stories of frontline workers and those with lived experience. Listen up and learn along with us!
CONTENT WARNING
This episode contains discussion around suicidal thoughts. If you not in a place to listen, please consider skipping this episode.
The fine folks at Kal Tire graciously gifted us a $1,500 gift certificate through their non-profit grant program to get new tires on one of our program vehicles, along with a $250 gift basket filled with goodies! So grateful for this generous support to help us drive our clients from place to place.
Kal Tire Store #703, Regina SK
Thanks to Derek MacIsaac and the whole Kal Tire team for their generous support!
Shout out to Jason, Kim and Hazel from The Loyalty in Saskatoon! They generously donated $4,000 worth of PUMA basketball shoes for the youth in our social programs! It’s an incredibly generous gift and we are so grateful for their support.
The Loyalty is a community minded business and they wanted to give back to the community. They know basketball has been important to several of the youth in our programs, so they wanted to help fuel their passion for the game while building up their dignity and self-worth with a beautiful new pair of shoes!
Many thanks to Jason, Kim, and Hazel of the Loyalty crew and to PUMA for their generous support of these youth in our Saskatoon programs. Visit theloyalty.ca to learn more about their business.
As we get close to the end of John Howard Society Week, we’re continuing to recognize our staff by announcing winners of the Leadership Award. This award goes to staff members who show strong leadership qualities. Through times of crisis and with a steady hand, those nominated show their ability to support the mission and vision of JHSS while supporting their co-workers in a positive way.
We had several names come forward and it came down to a tie. Both winners were nominated more than once.
The winners are:
Gordon Fox
Irene Yanick
Gordon Fox
Irene Yanick
Leadership Award Winners
Below are some notes from the nomination letters they received from their peers:
Gordon Fox “Gord maintains a strong sense of humor and dedication to working within trying times. He consistently shows up and supports staff and youth when they are struggling, and when they are not. He is a joy to work with and he can be seen engaging youth playing cards, listening to music, going to get coffee, or just being a friendly ear. He listens with patience and offers strong example of how to face adversity with action and commitment. He is a leader who inspires and he builds a team atmosphere with those he works with by encouraging discourse and consistency. As a co-worker, I never have to guess what Gord is thinking, expecting, or if he is going to actually help out with the work (as he always does).”
Irene Yanick “Irene is one of the best people in a stressful time. Through all of COVID-19, she has been a vital part of running many different programs. She is someone that you can explain a broad concept to, and she will make the vision come true. Irene is organized, and stays more on top of things than anyone else.”
“We are so lucky to have Irene on our staff, as it makes us all better.”
Congratulations to Gord and Irene! We are stronger because of you.
Today, we’re continuing our celebration of John Howard Society Week by announcing staff winners of the Client Engagement Award. This award goes to nominated staff members who have gone the extra mile in engaging their clients. Supporting vulnerable individuals is hard work, and we want to recognize those who go above and beyond to engage and support their clients.
We had several names come forward and it came down to a three way tie again! All winners were nominated more than once.
The winners are:
Ryan McCorriston
Abdikadir Warsame
Marilee Brown
Ryan McCorriston
Abdikadir Warsame
Marilee Brown
Client Engagement Award Winners
Below are some notes from the nomination letters they received from their peers:
Ryan McCorriston “Ryan is consistently going above and beyond for our clients in terms of his level of engagement and interest in our clients lives. He takes time to get to know them and has been a rock in the residential programs during COVID. His calm demeanour is not only grounding to the clients he works with but transfers to the staff as well.”
Abdikadir Warsame “Kadir is the best at being fully present with the youth. He dedicates his time to picking up any new hobby he is presented with. I’ve seen him watch tutorial after tutorial to learn card tricks, board games, and new skills. He takes the youth skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and skating. Kadir doesn’t just pretend to be interested, he dives in with real enthusiasm.”
Marilee Brown “Marilee always brings out the best in our youth, and is nurturing, I have learned a lot from her as a new staff.” “She is always trying to do the best for the kids.”
Congratulations to all three of you! Your hard work and efforts towards supporting the youth and clients in your care is so important, and we are so grateful for your efforts.
We’ll be back tomorrow with the Leadership Award announcement. Cheers everyone! Have a good day!
Did you know that it’s John Howard Society Week? It’s a time each February when branches of John Howard across Canada advocate for various justice issues and share their work with the public.
One thing we’re doing here in Saskatchewan to celebrate this week is handing out awards to staff who were nominated by their peers. Today, we’re announcing winners of the Team Player Award. This award goes to staff members who have worked well within their team. Whether it’s through supporting other staff members or doing things before they are asked, these employees embody the team mentality, working for the good of everyone they work with.
We had several names come forward and it came down to a three way tie! Each person listed was nominated more than once.
The winners of the Team Player Award are:
Maddison Osmak
Dominic Savior
Taylor Chikukwa
Madisson Osmak
Dominic Savior
Taylor Chikukwa
Team Player Award Winners
Below are some notes from the nomination letters they received from their peers:
Madisson Osmak & Dominic Savior “Each of these individuals are always on time, they usually finish their tasks and don’t pass them on to the next shift. They work well with the other staff members and don’t complain about things.”
Dominic Savior “Dominic is one who can be counted on usually when staffing is down and we need someone to fill a shift.”
Taylor Chikukwa “She is easy to talk to and helpful when you need it. Sometimes, she does my day shift task when she has free time and that gives me more time to engage with the youth.”
Congratulations to all three of you! Our staff are what make John Howard Society of Saskatchewan such a great place to work. Stay tuned for more award winners throughout the week.
“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” -Albert Einstein
Is change possible in the Canadian prison system? If so, it starts with changing our way of thinking. Then, we must put our new knowledge into action. Systemic change isn’t easy, but it is necessary, and it is possible.
There’s nothing quite like a mother’s love for her child. It’s fierce. Protective. The perfect mix of strength and softness blended together. On today’s episode, two mothers share their stories about what it’s like to have a child in prison and the lengths they will go to support them. We explore the impact of incarceration on families, specifically in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak and the love a mother has for her son.
There’s nothing quite like a mother’s love for her child. It’s fierce. Protective. The perfect mix of strength and softness blended together. On today’s episode, two mothers share their stories about what it’s like to have a child in prison and the lengths they will go to support them. We explore the impact of incarceration on families, specifically in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak and the love a mother has for her son.
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