If you build it…

North End

Tucked inside an unassuming warehouse at 429 Dufferin Ave., volunteers at Oyate Tipi Cumini Yape are hard at work — engrossed in another bed build workshop at the North End furniture bank, which collects, refurbishes and builds furniture for those in need.

Since the beginning of the year, the non-profit organization has built nearly 250 wooden beds. The frames are sanded and assembled at the workshop by volunteers — some are regulars, some from corporate workplaces such as recent participant Canada Life — and mattresses are collected through IKEA’s mattress return program. Overflow mattresses or furnishings are donated to Centre Flavie, another furniture bank based out of 301 Archibald St.

Oyate Tipi has made great strides in the last four years, according to executive director Greg Georgeson. It receives funding from four different streams, including all three levels of government and donations from corporate entities, such as a recent sum of $20,000 from the Telus Manitoba and Saskatchewan community board grant, in addition to support from United Way Winnipeg, and the Winnipeg Foundation.

Oyate Tipi can keep paid staff year-round and co-ordinate volunteer programming year-round. However, as the need for furniture and affordable housing grows, so does the price tag.

“At the end of the day, $20,000 is a scratch in the bucket for the demand we’ve seen,” Georgeson said, pointing out that it essentially buys enough lumber for 200 beds. “We’ll build a couple hundred beds a year … to make sure every kid gets (one).”

Georgeson predicts Oyate Tipi will produce between 400 and 500 of these beds before its fiscal year is up in March — which means things have got to keep moving, and fast. While grant money can cover the lumber, it doesn’t pay for administrative costs.

“With all the programs we have here, the bed-building program is the only we have that isn’t funded by a particular stream … everything we’ve done to keep it running is donations (such as Telus) and the social enterprise,” he said. “When it’s all coming out of the social enterprise, you need to put money back in.”

“We would really like to get sustained funding for that workshop there, that’s our big goal this year. That’s what would help me sleep better at night — because lots of people have put blood, sweat and tears into the program over the last couple of years.”

Although much of Georgeson’s day consists of juggling the budget, he considers 2025 “a success,” and said plenty is planned for 2026.

“I can go to bed knowing that we, as an organization, helped a whole bunch of families (each) day,” he said.

Although the point of bed builds is helping those in need, it’s an important resource for volunteers, as well, said Deborah Huff, Oyate Tipi’s volunteer and service co-ordinator.

“It’s really important to have those resources for folks,” she said, adding that many who lend a hand are youth or people living with intellectual disabilities. “It doesn’t matter if you have a huge amount of money or no amount of money, as long as you have skills to share, we would love to have you here.”

“People just want to be seen,” she added. “They want to be heard and they want to be included. And we have volunteers coming in and getting that inclusiveness.”

Oyate Tipi is trauma-informed, Huff explained, and staff are patient and welcoming, which creates a comfortable, family atmosphere that aims to be as inclusive as possible — especially with those who may be learning something for the first time: “Volunteers are really good at being accepting of each other, and accepting people on where they’re at, and that’s a really wonderful thing.”

“We’re just really grateful for the volunteer program we’ve got, I’m grateful for the opportunity to help grow it … grateful to go to resource fairs and meet people, and give them a better opportunity to feel better about themselves.”

Anyone is welcome to take part. To do so, make a general inquiry at oyatetipi.com or call 204-589-2218.