Helpers, plain and simple

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This article was published 26/02/2022 (1510 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nestled beside the Seine River there are two 16-storey apartment buildings whose top floors are connected via walkway. The St. Vital structures are not average apartment buildings. They provide shelter for a steady source of organized generosity and kindness, a group called Community Helpers, aimed at helping a wide range of organizations in different neighbourhoods across the city. At their heart is founder Ann-Marie Sellers.

Sellers grew up in Winnipeg. The retired special needs teacher and mother of two daughters has three grandchildren. She suffers with fibromyalgia but that hasn’t stopped her from making good things happen for her neighbours in the building and for countless people in the community.

Since 2015, she and a group of 30 to 50 residents from both buildings regularly meet to crochet, knit, weave on looms and a whole range of other activities to create gifts and collect donations for those who could use a hand.

“For people who are new to the buildings, it gives them a sense of belonging,” Sellers says. “Everybody gets along. Most people are really quite happy to help out.”

Sellers’s interest in making a difference was fuelled when a few years ago she visited a local mission to make a food donation.

“I went down to Siloam Mission with my granddaughter who was six or seven at the time. There were homeless people lined up outside. It was -42 that day. One of the men had a cast on his foot and his toes were exposed. My granddaughter was upset and she said his toes were going to freeze,” Sellers remembers, realizing the need to get more involved in finding solutions.

From then on, Community Helpers became a force of giving in the community.

“We became involved with Bear Clan, and started making plastic bag mats for distribution to people on the street,” Sellers says. “Safeway gave us a lot of plastic bags and people in the building were saving them for us. We cut the bags up into strips, connect them, put them into balls and crochet. It’s a lot of hard work. It takes 600 or 700 bags to make one mat.”

From hundreds of mats to thousands of hats, Community Helpers has made donations to the Broadway Community Centre, Koats for Kids, Salvation Army and numerous other community organizations, including food for the breakfast program at Hastings School.

“During the pandemic it gave people a purpose. They weren’t just stuck at home doing nothing. One of my colleagues puts up posters to let people know what’s coming up.”

Robbin Roussin, one of the group members, is happy to be part of something that makes a positive difference for so many.

“It’s a group of passionate, giving, service-oriented people. Ann-Marie is a real firecracker and great at getting people organized,” she says.

The residents tend a large rooftop garden and share some of the harvest with those who may not have the resources to buy fresh produce.

“It’s up on the 17th floor and it’s gorgeous,” Sellers says. “People can wander through and have lunch with family. We have 19 raised flower beds, and extra so we can grow peas, beans, etc. to give away. For some people to get garden fresh tomatoes, it’s a treat. We were growing food and realizing that a lot of seniors have to make a choice between medications, rent and food. We started giving fresh garden food.

“Different people do different jobs. There’s a team of us. We have a lot of support. We got organized. We have the Diabetes Association coming regularly, so people can donate gently used clothing. We have a team of ladies who loom, knit or crochet. We do fundraising for money to buy the wool. One man collects pop cans to recycle for money for wool, which help us out.”

Last year Community Helpers committed time to collecting food donations and were heartened by the outpouring of support.

“This past year our food drive was quite successful. We took produce and groceries to Agape Table. They were just so appreciative. We had over nine shopping carts of groceries. The one-ton truck was overflowing with groceries. They were just thrilled to have toilet paper, they were thrilled. We take it for granted; they don’t take it for granted. There’s so much appreciation.”

Though the pandemic has affected the ability of the group to meet regularly, members continue to work from home. Whether they’re making mats or hats or planning the next community fundraiser, food or water drive, Community Helpers is a year-round giving machine.

Sellers is well connected with the people in the apartment buildings and with the community organizations, often finding donations at her door for distribution.

“I know a lot of people. Some people drop off knitting all the time.”

Sellers enjoys and appreciates the opportunity to make deliveries to the various organizations supported by her team.

“There’s a group of people who do the food drive. We deliver. Feedback comes when you’re in contact with the people. I just truly believe that giving someone else a hand up takes your thoughts off yourself; it motivates you to help others.”

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca