The Medicine Hat and District Labour Council presented three cheques to local charities in the city.( Tiffany Goodwein/ CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Medicine Hat and District Labour Council raises funds to support workers

Sep 6, 2021 | 6:43 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB– Parked outside Superstore on Labour Day was the Medicine Hat and District Labour Council who was raising money and collecting food to support workers.

“We want to make sure that we are standing up for workers, and we want to really promote and advocate for good jobs out there for people and get them into the workforce and give them a fair chance,” said Medicine Hat and District Labour Council member Clifton Campbell.

Campbell added that right now fairness is missing for a lot of workers in the labour force, and that is why it is crucial to support them.

“ We are seeing lots of labour unrest, whether it be in healthcare, or teaching, there is a lot fo unrest in the labour community, and as COVID-19 has gotten worse the people that have gone day in and day out and put themselves at risk, they are not reaping any sort of benefits for those risks that they have taken,” he said.

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Three local charities received a $1,000 cheque, including the Medicine Hat and District Foodbank, The Mustard Seed, and the Medicine Hat Woman’s Shelter Society.

Jennifer Ottenbreit, assistant director of the Medicine Hat Woman’s Shelter Society, said the funds will go towards ensuring services are there for the people they serve on a daily basis.

“It’s been a difficult year throughout COVID-19 for many families in our community and we are just happy that we are able to provide the supports that are needed and these funds will definitely help.

The woman’s shelter provides emergency shelter services for women, men and children. The organization also provides outreach services. Ottenbreit said they have seen higher demand for their services in recent months.

“Once everything opened up, it was like the floodgates opened for outreach services. People were calling just needing someone to talk to, just needing some support,” she said

Managing director of the Mustard Seed, Colette Eirich called the funding a true blessing and said the money will go towards their new health and wellness centre.

“Right now we have a social worker that we have hired and we are looking for an occupational therapist as well as two wellness advocates so that we are able to start the conversations with our guests so that we can advocate for them in whatever streams of life, whether it is IDs or employment or just building a life of independence,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Medicine Hat and District Food Fank was not at the event.

The Medicine Hat and District Labour Council was collecting food from 11a.m. to 4p.m.