The Mills is More Than the Sum of Its Services
Submitted by The Mills Commu... on August 26, 2010 - 9:37am
We’re used to seeing organizations such as the Mills portrayed as brochures which list programs or in “departmental “ structures so that it’s easier to understand what a combination of staff, volunteers, building and funding is supposed to do. In this article, I want to take a somewhat different look at the Mills. I’d like to introduce several themes which I believe “weave through” the work that we do.
The Mills’ “tag line” is “People Helping People” – Although I think there might be a couple of other organizations who use this line too, I’d hope that we are able to see ourselves not as a “vending machine” for services, but as a network of caring people who support each other. It’s a challenge, but I hope that your experience of the Mills is that we are compassionate, person-centered/family centered and trustworthy.
Whether it’s through the provision of affordable housing, support services, activities and programs or public education there are some common themes in what we are hoping to accomplish and how we work together:
Connecting People – help people to be connected in their community (community presence) and support people to be active members of the community (participation)
Inclusion – people of all ages and abilities to belong and to be accepted; we support people and families at various life stages
Relationships – we help people to form and sustain relationships. We support families (e.g., to support loved ones to stay together - via housing)
Transitions – support people with transitions in life/lifestyle – e.g., many from institutions in life – moving from institutions (have been doing this for 30+ years); supporting people to “age in place”
Good Life and a Safe Life
· Promoting healthy, active lifestyles (holistic health)
· Promoting a safe community and safe living environments
Community Capacity Builders
· Mills has a network of community resources and partnerships
· Support/engage volunteers to contribute and to grow (community engagement)
· Not “THE Government” – we are a voluntary organization – we are part of the community – the Mills needs community support to be sustainable and to grow (volunteers; friends; advocacy; trust)
The Mills “engages “with over 1000 people in Lanark County. What’s important about this number is that it reflects a caring community, characterized by “People Helping People”.
Mike Coxon
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