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For 33 years, Lil Boese supported her brother Richard who suffered from a chemical imbalance. Twice a year, she would take him to a gathering for single adults, which he enjoyed. Boese realized people like Richard needed a place where people could care for them.
Boese is a member of the Manitoba Mental Health Concerns Committee, which was formed last year after Mennonite Central Committee Canada handed over the mental health mandate to the provinces.
Irma Janzen has been assisting grassroots programming through the transition, particularly in Manitoba and Alberta. This fall, MCC Canada's role will become one of resourcing and networking, explain Janzen.
The new Manitoba committee, comprised of representatives from Eden Health Care Service, MCC Manitoba, MCC Canada and the constituency, builds awareness about mental illness and mental health.
"I'll be happy when we can support and offer blessings and prayer for mental illness the way we do for cancer," said Ken Loewen, director of Eden Health Care Services in Winkler, Man.
The committee has developed a list of people who are willing to tell their stories, speak at worship services or lead workshops.
"Our aim is to encourage every church to have a speaker on mental health once a year," said Boese.
A one-hour credit course, "Mental Health/Mental Illness and the Church" was offered at Steinbach (Man.) Bible College last fall, and is currently being offered at Canadian Mennonite Bible College.
"The response to these courses has been really encouraging", said Janzen, whose sister had schizophrenia. "The church didn't understand, and so I'm always looking for ways to educate."
The committee also established a drop-in centre for people living with a mental illness. This was of particular interest to Boese.
"When I first talked to MCC about it, they said there was no money for that. `People don't give to that kind of thing' ", she said. When she shared her vision with the committee, they told her to make it a reality.
Boese is excited about the one-afternoon-a-month drop-in centre that began in McIvor Ave. MB Church. Gym activities, table games, crafts, a devotional, singing and coffee fill the afternoon. Boese said they have between 11 and 16 people, including volunteers. The attenders are often followed up with a phone call.
"Band-aid responses to crises generally draw more attention than prevention and education. If it's not a crisis, the dollars are scarce," said Loewen. --Evelyn Rempel Petkau, for Canadian Mennonite
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