Dylan Eckes, co-founder of The Inner Man Project, at the group's community centre on Friday. (CHAT News Photo/Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

Coming together

The Inner Man Project moves to its community centre

Jan 22, 2021 | 2:43 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – When it was founded in September The Inner Man Project gave men in the community a virtual place to go for mental health support and to raise awareness of the issue.

Four months later, they have a physical place to call their own. The Inner Man Project has its own community centre at 6 941 South Railway St.

Co-founder Dylan Eckes says it’s huge for the group to have the space.

“On average we have 30-40 people coming into our peer sessions every week,” he says. “We have two or three counsellors now that basically show up to the peer sessions if anybody needs to talk. They use this space or one of the offices to do their appointments and a lot of these counsellors are doing it volunteer basis so we want to give the space to help each other out.”

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The group was using space donated by Ken Forbes at Six One Six Entertainment for meetings since September. The larger building allowed for 30 or 40 people at one time. Now they hold smaller peer sessions more often.

The space also has offices and private rooms for one-on-one talks.

“We want them to feel like they’re a part of the community. Like they don’t have to worry about you know being judged,” says Eckes. “They want to be able to come in here and get what they need. Whether that’s setting them up with the community resources outside ours, whether that’s our peer sessions or simply sitting down with one of our volunteer counsellors.”

He adds the centre is about bringing the community together and continuing to shine a light on a dark subject.

“2020 is behind us and we won’t forget the people we’ve all lost and the things that have happened in 2020 but you know this community centre, I call it a beacon because a lot of men are still coming in here. There’s a lot of new members that are coming into our program,” he says.

There are about 2,000 people on the group’s private forum right now, says Eckes, and his wife has started The Compassion Project where she has 500 women who support men’s mental health in that group.

“We’re making strides in the community and I’m putting this out there for people,” says Eckes. “If you guys want to work together, if you guys want to help each other out, whatever community resources you have, whatever opportunity you have for the men and women in the community just let us know.”

A grand opening planned for January has been put on hold for now and Eckes says they also will be more active in the community with fundraisers and barbecues when restrictions are lifted.

They’re also looking at personal development classes to start in the spring.

“We’re going to have basically a program where you come in and do one of your peer sessions a week and then we do classes,” says Eckes. “So the classes could be art classes, baking classes, mechanics classes. Whatever it is we have people lined up to volunteer their services for the men in the community.”

For now the community centre is appointment only.

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Their email is innermanyxh@gmail.com