"Candace House gives families glimpses of humanity in the face of a system that often lacks it"

amber2393
2 days ago
2 min read

Community Partner & Donor Reflection

Hello! My name is Tobi Jolly, and I have been a Candace House community partner for the last five years in a variety of different roles — from my work with families at Ka Ni Kanichihk, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, and Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata. My current role is less directly connected to the work with Candace House, so I have had to be creative to find ways to continue working with them.

Candace House staff have been my colleagues for several years, but more importantly, they have become some of my closest friends. I have weathered many a storm with my Candace House family, both personally and professionally.

A few years ago, I became a monthly donor of Candace House. It is a small amount that hopefully covers the cups of coffee I have drank there over the years, and keeps providing coffee to family members using their services. Coffee is one of the most critical ingredient to systemic change - ask any of us.

There are two main reasons why I donate to Candace House: the first is that I want my friends to know I believe in them — in what they are doing, and in what they can accomplish. That even when my partnership is less direct and obvious, I fully support them and the work they do.

The hardest part of having a less directly connected role is feeling separate from the work that I love so much. However, I want to contribute to the folks that I trust to keep doing the work for the families.

The second main reason I give to Candace House is that I have seen the lifesaving power of a cup of coffee, a sandwich, kleenex, bottles of water, and snacks.

When I go to Candace House, I like to set up shop at the kitchen table, eventually joined by family members and partners as they arrive. We drink coffee, eat pastries, and engage in the sacred act of visiting.

Court days are long. The entire day, we hear about how a family’s loved one died. For those few brief moments at the kitchen table in the morning or during lunch or after court, we talk about how they lived — learning how they loved fried chicken, how they would steal their grandma’s shoes so she couldn’t leave their house, that they loved listening to the Weekend, that she became a mom only when she was ready to, and that their sister laughs just like them.

Candace House gives families glimpses of humanity in the face of a system that often lacks it. And I am confident those mornings have saved someone’s life — I know they have been my lifeline during some dark days, and will continue to be for many more people to come, with you as their community behind them.