Summers’ light shines at Spence centre
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/11/2017 (2884 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Ursula Summers credits her grandson with helping to change her life.
She and her husband, who is legally blind from diabetes, have four grown children who all found jobs and partners. When one of the relationships turned sour, the grandparents ended up obtaining custody of two-year-old James.
But now, with her husband unable to do chores due to poor health, Ursula needed help and turned to the Spence Community Care Site. The Spence community centre is an agency under Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre and receives funding from the United Way.
That was five years ago. Fast-forward to today, and Ursula has gone from being served by the Spence centre to serving others. She is now a paid staff member and a leader at the centre.
“I am blessed to be a part of Ma Mawi to give back God’s love to the community,” she said.
The Spence centre’s help to Ursula was relatively simple. It regularly provided a few hours of child care to give moms some free time.
Summers would attend the Spence centre, and soon she started helping the other moms, who were younger.
“Being a stay-at-home mom all these years, I just enjoyed working with the young moms,” said Summers, who is from London, Ont., and is Iroquois. “I showed them how to make pies and some cooking because I was the oldest (she’s now 52).”
She was eager to take on bigger challenges. Soon, Spence centre staff had her leading a seniors group on Saturdays, including cooking lunches and organizing crafts for attendees. She was then hired as a community helper, a paid position, and has worked her way up to lead helper at the Spence centre.
Her grandson “calls me ‘mom,’” she said. She calls him “a blessing in disguise” because he got her involved in helping others. A cleft palate has presented challenges for him, but at age seven he is in Grade 2, and Summers has obtained a tutor for him. Summers says her responsibilities at the Spence Community Care Site include “letting each person know they are cared for when they come to Ma Mawi.”
United Way Winnipeg funds Ma Mawi’s volunteer program, as well as youth programming and money management/financial literacy programs.
The Spence Community Care Site is one of 24 United Way-supported family resource centres, three of which are Ma Mawi’s. Winnipeggers who would like to help more people like Ursula reach their potential can donate to United Way Winnipeg online at UnitedWayWinnipeg.ca/give or call 204-477-UWAY (8929).
bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca