The garden on the rooftop of our downtown support centre in Calgary has become a place of peace and pleasure for the residents living in the building.
In the summer, volunteers and residents work together to garden and take care of the plants, while also taking in a wonderful view of the city skyline.
The upkeep of the garden is led by volunteers and supported with soil and plant donations from Home Depot. Mia Veldhoen, one of the volunteers, is an architectural technologist. She received her diploma from SAIT two years ago and now has her own business, MIA by design.
“Volunteering is one of those things that, like so many people, I talk about but haven’t always found the time to do, so it’s an honour to help,” Mia says.
She is using her design skills to breathe new life to the rooftop garden. For her, she says being able to help in the vision of the rooftop garden while also expressing herself creatively is a win-win situation.
“Part of creating beautiful spaces is understanding that it’s a space for people to share,” she says.
Mia says she’s happy to be a part of a project that contributes a sense of ownership, responsibility and home to the residents of the building, who have all been previously homeless.
At The Mustard Seed, we rely on the support of volunteers to keep our programs going. From doctors and therapists who provide their services, to cooks and musicians who help our residents learn new skills, we welcome the individual abilities and passions of our volunteers, and we’re always open to seeing where they can overlap with needs of the people we serve.
