Conscientious staff at Peterborough City Hall played an important role in a cascade of ideas-into-action moments.

 

    Three Peterborough residents, all strangers to each other, each had thoughts that our community needed a place where men needing shelter could be safe and cared for.

 

    In a profoundly familiar way, Spring tends to stir thoughts and spirits with awakenings of new life and new ideas, and brings with it, perhaps, an extra urging away from just the pondering, and an extra urging towards getting things done. And so it was, that these three individuals each journeyed to City Hall independently, to enquire about this idea.

 

    When two of them happened to show up within the same week as the other, these conscientious City Hall Staffers started to talk.... and it was suggested that the three strangers meet one another.

 

        In more ideas-into-action moments, the men met, and discussed their concerns, ideas and goals that they each had ruminated over in the previous months of cold and hibernation. In this sharing, they realized common threads and striking similarity in their ideas.

        Once strangers, they now shared a common enthusiasm and excitement focussed on serving other men who had particular and immediate needs.

 

    As their vision became more focussed together, they were soon out together viewing property. As more plans were made, goals set and means realized, Brock Mission was established. The choice of venue for serving was Kingan House, 271 Brock St., Peterborough, ON, and the first men moved in June 1987.

 

    Since then, Brock Mission services have greatly expanded to include Cameron House, providing shelter for women, Cameron House, Too!, a semi-independent living program, and a generous expanse of community services (as resources ebb and flow) including festive dinners, community meals and a variety of support services. Brock Mission has also been instrumental in the development of network with other community services and agencies, such as Kawartha FoodShare, FourCAST, Peterborough Social Services, Canadian Mental Health, and the Ontario Association of Hostels.

 

        What can stir the hearts of men can result in amazing ideas-into-action moments that last.