For the past month, Rev. Allen TysickB次元官网网址檚 booming voice has been missing from the breakfast program at Our Place Society.
Tysick often helped out behind the counter, telling jokes and singing songs to help lighten the load for the people waiting in line for eggs or oatmeal.
On April 15, Tysick quietly wrapped up his duties at the drop-in centre on Pandora Avenue B次元官网网址� almost three months ahead of his official last day B次元官网网址� and departed with a small gathering with his staff and no media fanfare.
B次元官网网址淭he finances arenB次元官网网址檛 great,B次元官网网址� Tysick said of his reason for leaving early, by taking his accrued vacation. B次元官网网址淚t just gave me that time when income is coming in to set up a new society.B次元官网网址�
As executive director of Our Place, Tysick worked long hours to balance his high-level duties and still maintain a personal connection to the clients by handing out coffee and doughnuts to people sleeping in the street, and helping out during the breakfast shift.
ItB次元官网网址檚 this love of personally connecting with the poor, homeless and vulnerable that will guide his next ministry.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 looking at a ministry downtown that would really be with the men and women who are the most destitute on the street,B次元官网网址� he said from his home in Sooke.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of them have been barred from various places B次元官网网址� including Our Place B次元官网网址� for good reasons. I want to be able to visit them in jail, making sure they donB次元官网网址檛 go from jail to the corner, from hospital to the corner.B次元官网网址�
At this time, the details of this new ministry are scant. He wonB次元官网网址檛 share his ideas for a name and specific mandate until approved by the United Church of Canada. But one thing he knows for sure: B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want to do something that somebody else is already doing.B次元官网网址�
Operations at Our Place are also evolving.
Early this week, the board of directors announced it hired a new executive director.
Sandra Danco will be leaving the helm of the Edmonton WomenB次元官网网址檚 Shelter to replace Tysick. She takes over her new duties July 4.
Danco, who has an education in social work and theology, brings 20 years experience in the field.
As executive director of the womenB次元官网网址檚 shelter in Edmonton since 2001, she expanded services to include the first shelter for immigrant women in Canada.
B次元官网网址淥ne of the things weB次元官网网址檙e going to be working towards is having (Our Place) open seven days a week, and longer hours, 12 hour days, to meet the needs of the people,B次元官网网址� Danco said, from her office in Edmonton.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 unfortunate that right now, thereB次元官网网址檚 no place for the family to go on weekends.B次元官网网址�
This expansion has long been TysickB次元官网网址檚 mission. Despite tirelessly advocating for more funding, however, the operating grants never materialized. A 7 a.m. breakfast program, launched in 2010, is under threat of closing June 30 due to a lack of operating dollars.
But a new strategy is already in place.
Since TysickB次元官网网址檚 departure, interim executive director Gail Snider has introduced a more diversified fundraising strategy.
B次元官网网址淭here has been a shift to a bit more of a professionally-based direct mail-out model B次元官网网址� mirrored after a fundraising model from the Union Gospel Mission in Vancouver,B次元官网网址� said Snider. B次元官网网址淗ow that all plays out depends on how our new executive director chooses to follow that path.B次元官网网址�
Danco said sheB次元官网网址檚 prepared to examine fundraising opportunities when she arrives.
B次元官网网址�(IB次元官网网址檒l) look at ways to encourage the people to open the doors literally,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淧eople can see a concrete need and they can address that need. And thatB次元官网网址檚 the most exciting part about this B次元官网网址� this is a concrete day-to-day life need B次元官网网址� ThatB次元官网网址檚 been my experience working in womenB次元官网网址檚 shelters. People just get such satisfaction from being able to fill a gap, to make life better for a person or more people.B次元官网网址�
rholmen@vicnews.com
