Aboriginal mums' place provides meals and more

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Canada's first and only Aboriginal Mothers' Centre may have just turned a year old, but it is growing fast and strong.

The brainchild of founder and executive director Penny Kerrigan, the centre was built according to best practices from mothers' centres in Europe, and it is unique in its sophisticated sustainability development plan.

Kerrigan, who used to work for the Department of Foreign Affairs, learned about mothers' centres in Germany and the Czech Republic. She spent three years working with the Indian Homemakers' Association of British Columbia to develop a program that speaks directly to the needs of Aboriginal mothers and their children.

Now a fully incorporated society, the Aboriginal Mothers' Centre offers hot meals twice a day and serves breakfast to women and children who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. It also offers counselling, a mental wellness program and workshops on traditional parenting skills, nutrition, HIV and diabetes.

The centre is also equipped with computers for women to work on their resumes, and it offers a computer training program for Elders and children.

"We're offering women an opportunity to build their self-esteem, to become independent and not reliant on the system," said Kerrigan. "It is a place that provides them with new opportunities, including a sizable volunteer system where women get small incentives to volunteer at the centre. Many women want to help out because they've benefited from our hot meals program, and many have gone on to get great jobs after working with us."

Kerrigan says the centre is also unique for its sustainable development plan.

"We have developed a knitted blanket and knitted wears factory, which is ready to open in June," said Kerrigan, who is also looking into purchasing the building that currently houses the centre for significant cost-saving and revenue-generating reasons.

"Since last July, we've served over 13,000 meals, and currently offer about 1,000 counselling sessions a month," said Kerrigan.

The programs are running so well that Kerrigan hopes to duplicate the successful operation in other parts of the province and across Canada.

Originating in Germany, the mothers' centre movement is an international grassroots initiative that helps women "organize without being clientized," explained Kerrigan.

"We have women's collective meetings bi-weekly where everyone at the centre comes together and decides what we are going to do next. They do all the organizing and raise the money for programs."

Thanks to a grant from the HRDC Homelessness Fund, renovation to the centre's kitchen, eating area and daycare centre will be completed by Sept. 1. An early childhood development program and a catering service are also being developed. Kerrigan predicts the centre will be fully sustainable in 5 to 10 years.

The Aboriginal Mothers' Centre is located at 2019 Dundas Street in Vancouver. For more information, call 604-253-6262.