BARRHEAD-The Ripple Connection Support Centre (RCSC) is hoping to re-open its doors to the public.
The not-for-profit organization, which opened in 2010, provides services for people who directly suffer from mental illness as well as their families and caregivers. However, since then they have expanded their services to include addiction issues, income and housing supports and community inclusion issues.
For the last six-months, the centre has been operating mostly remotely through telephone and Internet, in part due to the coronavirus, but the larger reason being that the not-for-profit society was in the middle of a large renovation project.
The renovations will allow the centre to not only expand the number of clients it serves but the scope of its programming. On a normal pre-COVID day, the centre serves between 20 and 30 clients daily.
Since the easing of restrictions and the province officially entered into Stage 2 of its economic recovery plan, in June, the centre has opened its doors, at least partially. About 10 to 15 people access programs directly.
RCSC assistant director Drey David said one of the most popular and awaited services for clients is its hot lunch program.
He said if the centre had not been fortunate enough to receive the opportunity to take over what is known as the Flower Lane building on Barrhead's Main Street and expand its space, the lunch program, under the new COVID restrictions would not have been a possibility.
He said often a large group of 10 to 20 people would have to crowd around a small collection of tables pushed together as one.
However, when the program resumes, the added space will allow them to have individual dining stations properly spaced out.
The added space will also help them fulfil one of the centre's goals of becoming a community centre where people can come and receive a wide variety of supports, whether it be those provided by the RCSC or another community group.
"Or just come and hang out in a non-judgmental environment," David said.
In addition to the extra space for their hot lunch program, which also serves as a supplemental food bank for their clients, the renovations also included the expansion of their washroom and laundry areas.
Meaning clients now have the ability to come in and take a shower and wash their clothes. The RCSC expanded these facilities in a prelude to a potential emergency mat shelter.
He said, although COVID was a mixed blessing, in that it gave them time to renovate, during a slow period, it effectively stopped their fundraising efforts.
He said that before the restrictions brought about by the pandemic and their renovations they were holding weekly garage sales and that is something RCSC is planning to resume.
But before they do, they need a place to have them.
"That is the challenge," David said.
Unfortunately, he said, now that renovations are complete they can no longer use the RCSC centre for the garage sales.
Ideally, David said they are looking for a separate location, close to downtown where they could set up a permanent location, similar to the Blue Heron Support Support Services Association has in its New To You storefront.
"We've looked into the possibilities, and except for finding the right location at a price we can afford, it looks like everything is straight forward," he said, noting they have already investigated what they need for a business licence. "Anything above and beyond the basic operating costs would go back to the Ripple to support and improve what we offer our clients."
When COVID hit, they were forced to stop their biweekly garage sales. At the same time they also stopped accepting new donation items. The plus side, this means they have a well-stocked backlog of items that have already quarantined and are ready to put on a would-be thrift shop's shelves. RCSC has also resumed accepting donations in preparation for the shop's opening.
When asked if RCSC is concerned about their abilities to operate a thrift shop given the necessity of volunteers to enforce COVID guidelines and restrictions.
"They really are not too onerous," he said, adding basically they would encourage people to use hand sanitizer upon entering and leaving and would provide masks to those who requested them. "They are the same that any business has to adhere to and what people are already doing."
For more information about the Ripple Connection Support Centre, call 780-674-5548, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.rippleconnection.ca.
