“I should have been successful, but I wasn’t.

When I was nine or 10, I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). That led to other diagnoses: generalized anxiety and depression.

Growing up, I was in the gifted program at school, but I got into shouting matches with my teachers. Things like that happened a lot. Teachers were constantly telling me to leave. Eventually, I did — I’m a high school dropout. I pretty much stopped going to school in Grade 10.

My depression was so bad that it manifested as suicidal thoughts. By the time I was 18, it was way too much for me. I had no money. I had no education. I ended up leaving home. I would stay in the hospital for a 72-hour hold, or I’d go to a homeless shelter. I didn’t want to go home.

Eventually, I was connected with a social worker through a program that’s supported by United Way. The social worker helped me get provincial disability support and access a range of services, including counselling, housing, peer support and skill development that made me feel more hopeful about my future.

The Summer Snack Program originated in 1988 when two teachers realized that although children had access to lunch programs during the school year, they did not have access to this critical service during the summer months. They approached the Saskatoon and District Labour Council (SDLC) with this concern and the Summer Snack Program was born.

The SDLC Summer Snack Program currently provides lunches at six core neighbourhood parks as well as Agriculture in the Classroom Program sites.
Each summer the SDLC hires staff to coordinate, prepare, deliver and serve lunches, 7 days a week, during July and August. A typical lunch consists of a
whole-wheat sandwich, fruits and vegetables, a drink and a healthy snack. Often it is more than bringing lunch – the kids look forward to the friendship, leadership and stability that the coordinators provide.

“Shortly after my daughter started her PhD in psychology in 2001, I noticed that she had become very anxious all the time, and was getting worse. I remember one incident in particular when she called me, paralyzed with panic, and I had to go pick her up. She was hospitalized, and after months of tests, we got the diagnosis: bipolar disorder.

I was shocked and in disbelief. I had no idea what to do. When my daughter was in a manic state, she wouldn’t sleep. She walked around constantly and lost weight. As a health care professional—I’m a retired speech-language pathologist—I knew I needed to ask for help right away. But when it comes to your own child, you feel completely powerless.

Today, my daughter is doing much better. Bipolar disorder will always be part of our lives, but now we know how to live with it. I have been on the agency’s board for six years. After hearing the stories of the families of people with mental illnesses, I see how invaluable this assistance is for them.

As a parent, you wonder if your child’s problems are your fault, but you have to let go of the guilt and ask for help. Once you feel better, you can help others.”

In 1975, my late wife Doreen was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Over a 15 year period she went from having a very slight limp to being totally disabled. As her health deteriorated, my caregiving duties increased.

The first time I sought outside support was when Doreen needed a wheelchair. I went to purchase one at a local store and the sales person said, “Dick, I’d love to sell you a wheelchair but why would you buy one when you can get one for free?”

He then explained how I could access a wheelchair for my wife at no cost to me. Once I was able to track down all the services and fill out all the paper work, I received a wheelchair that same day.

This was the first time I had to navigate community supports.

When I heard about 211, I was amazed. There are 5,000 programs and services listed. It would have been a godsend to me or anyone in my same situation to know that you can easily access information with this service.

I can’t even describe what a blessing knowing about 211 Saskatchewan would have been to me or to any caregiver in the community. A 211 Saskatchewan phone service would be a real help. There are still a lot of seniors who don’t have a computer, don’t have access to one, or don’t know how to use it if they do.

To just be able to dial 211 – It would be wonderful. There are some people who are still inclined to pick up the phone for information.

A significant barrier for individuals and families to accessing the services they need is the complexity of finding the information they are looking for.

Jeff grew up in Saskatoon, in a middle class family with two sisters. After completing high school, Jeff moved on to earn a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

As a new graduate Jeff celebrated his accomplishment by backpacking with two friends through Europe and this is when Jeff’s life changed.

Overseas his thoughts became jumbled; he was hearing voices and became extremely impulsive and reckless. Once home, he struggled to keep relationships, a safe place to live, or employment. After being arrested in a psychotic state, Jeff was diagnosed with Schizophrenia.

“I played every sport when I was growing up. As I got older, I decided to focus on basketball. It was very exciting and allowed me to learn life skills. I was a social butterfly. One coach kept coming to my games and eventually, he offered me a scholarship. I transitioned from high school basketball straight into college and it completely changed my life.

My father died when I was seven, so my mom was both a mother and father figure for most of my life. But even though my mom was there, she was working hard to support us so that we could live in a decent area. Really, I raised myself.

When I was 18, my mom went to live in a different country. I had to live with my sister, who I didn’t know well. I had to become an adult quickly.

When I got out, it was very hard. I struggled to find full-time work. I thought, “How can I get involved in my community? How can I prove to myself and show society that I have something to contribute? How can I show that I’m not a bad person?”

A girl who lived in my halfway house told me about the coffee shop where she worked, a social enterprise funded by United Way. Social enterprises are businesses fuelled by profit and purpose, and they help people like me get back on my feet. I told myself that if I got the opportunity to work there, I would use it to make a change in someone’s life.

“I was born in Syria, but when I was four, my family had to leave because it was too dangerous there. So we went to Jordan. I liked it there because my grandparents and aunts and uncles would spend summers with us. When I was eight, we moved to Canada because my parents thought we could have a better life here.

Our neighbour told my mom about a United Way after-school program where I could get help with homework and do activities. I was so excited to go there! I have fun, and all the new people I meet are really nice, like my friend Reema. I love her because she’s kind. My favourite part of this program is when we have circle time. That’s when we can play a game, draw or colour.