The Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbors (SIGN) in Yorkton is celebrating an anniversary and the organization wants to say thanks to the community for its long years of support.
SIGN will mark its 45th year in 2015, explained executive director Andrew Sedley. He said the organization was started by a group of four clergymen who started in response to needs brought forward by people in their congregations.
The initial annual budget was $7,000, which has grown to near $5 million annually now, said Sedley. SIGN also started with only a couple of staff, and today has 106 who work with 20 different programs.
In 2013 2000 people, most from within the city, used SIGN services, and Sedley said he expects “similar numbers this year.”
The list of programs has changed through the years, evolving to meet changing community needs, said Sedley, adding SIGN is often an incubator to get a program on its feet and growing it until it can be self-sustaining, and then it is turned over to others in the community. As examples Accent On Kids Daycare was started by SIGN, but now operates independently, as is the case with Meals On Wheels, and the Mental Health Drop In Centre.
Sedley said programs are created “based on what need is in the community.”
Often that need is recognized when something walks into SIGN and makes a program suggestion.
“That’s something common that still happens here,” offered Sedley, adding it’s a near monthly occurrence someone brings an idea forward.
Sometimes the solution is simply pointing the person toward a program which already exists which can help them. Sedley said SIGN has always looked to work collaboratively with other groups to serve needs so they have connections they can draw on.
Other times, it takes a longer look at the possibility of meeting a need in a new way, said Sedley.
Sedley said that is one thing about Yorkton as a community, it has a reputation of working together when required.
“It’s a real special quality we have in the city,” he said.
For 45-years “the community of Yorkton has really supported us,” said Sedley.
So in the months ahead Sedley said SIGN wants to give something back to the broader community for its past support.
The first example of that plan came when SIGN partnered with Browns Socialhouse in the city. The restaurant chain has been involved in the Reece Shelly initiated Pajama Drive for the past three years.
The Christmas Pajama Drive was started in British Columbia by Shelly, whose dad owns and operates a number of other Browns Socialhouse franchises. He started collecting pajama’s for underprivileged children back in 2010 and in the last three years this endeavor has grown to now involved members of the chain across the four western provinces,
The local franchise contacted SIGN to help this year, and Sedley said it was a perfect fit for their plan to give back.
“We collected just under 400, and they’re still coming in,” he said.
The pajamas will now be distributed to children of families already using SIGN services, but will also expand to include children recommended through the local school divisions and Sunrise Health Region.
It’s a way to make sure every child receives something at Christmas, said Sedley.
SIGN has also been holding a food drive competition between its two buildings in the city, with staff collecting food. The food will be made into hampers and distributed to the many clients and families of SIGN, said Sedley, adding food will also be donated by Soup Haven and Salvation Army.
Again, with a focus on the holiday season, SIGN has had a tree with decorations which have the age and sex of a child. Staff take a decoration and purchase an appropriate gift for the child.
In addition to the internal effort of SIGN staff, Sedley said the Yorkton Regional High School has dropped off a truckload of gifts for the Christmas present tree.
The goal had been to collect 220 gifts “for children that attended SIGN programming.”
Sedley said in the new year staff are also going to be encouraged to help around the community in whatever way they can. That may mean volunteering for other organizations, of simply lending a helping hand where needed.
“It’s a whole year, 12-months of giving back,” he said.
