Empowerment Through Unity: Brenda's Story

Born and raised in the area, Brenda is no stranger to Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Prior to joining Mission Possible's Clean Team, she was attending Bible college and supporting her community by sharing her faith. While in the area, she walked by MP many times but never paid much attention to what was being offered. That is, until she found herself in thousands of dollars of debt after an extended period of being unemployed, which began taking a toll on her mental health. A fellow classmate at her Bible college recommended our Employment Readiness Program (ERP), and she soon joined our Women's Track, a safe space for women and non-binary people to engage the program and succeed in a male-dominated field.

While on the Clean Team, Brenda was dedicated to getting the most out of the ERP despite previously having her doubts about working a physical job. "I had a lazy attitude towards physical work. Now, I want to do it. Even when nobody's looking, I want to do the best I can," she shares. Beyond her work with the Clean Team, Brenda has also helped our MP Maintenance Team by shoveling snow for our customers during the snowstorm in January! 

In addition to improving her confidence and employability through the ERP, Brenda has been working with her coach to improve other areas of her life as well. With the support of her coach, she has been able to budget her MP earnings and is now nearly debt-free! She has also been focusing on managing her time, and prioritizing getting good quality sleep.

Brenda also attended the annual Women's Track Personal Development Summit, where she was able to participate with other women in three carefully chosen workshops that focused on personal and professional growth. The Summit was an overall hit, and she expresses, "I liked it a lot! It was a really good experience. We came together in unity and it was very powerful. I felt very empowered leaving there. It was a beautiful experience." The event felt well-balanced and her favourite part was the intuitive vision board she made, which allowed her to use art to express her personality. Brenda is excited to see the Women's Track grow and continue to help the women of her community.

At her ERP Graduation in March, Brenda felt appreciated for her work with the Clean Team. This feeling was amplified when her coach asked her to share a bit about her experience in the program with the crowd. She shares, "It was really empowering to be asked to speak. I didn't even think I could get through the six months [on the Clean Team]." Now, she has the confidence and experience to continue with MP on one of our Business Improvement Area (BIA) routes, where she works independently twice a week on a set cleaning route. In the future, Brenda wants to continue cleaning the streets part-time so she can have time to study to become a street pastor and volunteer while maintaining financial stability. We are certain her compassion and hard work will help her go far! 

At MP, we are dedicated to continuously enhancing and growing our program to better support our participants. A significant takeaway from the last fiscal year (May 1, 2023 - April 30, 2024) was understanding the importance of safety and security for our female and non-binary participants. Moving forward, we will ensure that this is one of our top priorities.

Goals for 2024 - 2025 fiscal year (May 1, 2024 - April 30, 2025):

• Welcome 38 Women's Track associates to participate in ERP, marking a 25% increase.

• Successfully transition 11 associates to employment outside MP, achieving a 30% transition rate, reflecting a 20% increase in the number of transitions from last year

• Host 4 women's-only intake Employment Readiness Workshops

• Increase the number of women attending the personal development summit by 30%

• Support 12-18 women participants through our integrated health pilot program.

• Provide 3 women with certifications in recovery coaching