Northern Lights recipient – MyCityCare

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Location: Lethbridge, Alberta

They are a team of dedicated volunteers and staff who take their service – and the name of their organization – seriously.

MyCityCare was already at work helping to meet the needs of Lethbridge’s less fortunate and vulnerable citizens when the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the community. Like so many nonprofit organizations across the province, MyCityCare took stock of the situation and retooled their programming on the fly to adapt to changing needs.

Recognizing that many of their neighbours, facing an increased risk from the virus, were forced to isolate for their safety, MyCityCare began delivering meal service to shut-ins. The program also included distribution of emergency hampers, hygiene kits, and infant and household essentials. With the pandemic taking a toll on the number of volunteers and staff available, to better meet the demand and to more effectively manage and maintain the effort, MyCityCare joined forces with several local agencies including the Salvation Army and local food banks.

Those partnerships proved vital in ensuring the continuation of one of MyCityCare’s most important programs. Through Mindful Munchies, a collaboration of MyCityCare and the Lethbridge Food Bank, students in schools throughout the city were able to access nutritious lunches. While students were forced to shift to online learning at home, the need for those meals did not cease. Volunteers stepped up to the plate, delivering more than 700 lunches each week to Mindful Munchies’ participating students.

The resiliency and adaptability of MyCityCare was most clearly seen in response to the pandemic, but dealing with challenges and supporting those in crisis is something the organization has always done. Residents of Lethbridge have benefited through initiatives like the Christmas Shop of Wonders and the Cinderella Project for graduating students. So adept has MyCityCare become at supporting the community that its work has expanded to include several regional centres, demonstrating that the boundaries of compassion are not confined by the boundaries of geography.