Tannis Chartier, University of Lethbridge student. (Photo: University of Lethbridge)

By Justin Goulet

U of L student develops recreation opportunities for vulnerable population

Feb 9, 2024 | 12:57 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – February is Therapeutic Recreation Month, and a University of Lethbridge (U of L) student is helping out in the community.

Tannis Chartier is a third-year student in the Therapeutic Recreation Program.

She is behind the ‘Resilient Rec YQL’ program, which offer opportunities for unhoused people to enjoy activities like bingo, watching movies and karaoke. Chartier was inspired to create the program when she began volunteering at the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen in 2020.

She said, “I saw this huge need. We were filling the physical needs of the people — giving them some shelter and food. But we weren’t giving them meaning and purpose and we weren’t giving them an opportunity to move up and fill their needs to socialize.”

Initially, Chartier conceived the ‘Resilient Art YQL’ program and approached the soup kitchen’s director about implementing the concept. It received the thumbs up and the soup kitchen provided some funds to buy art supplies and offered their space so that once a week, people could visit the soup kitchen and create art. The finished pieces were posted on social media and offered for sale, with proceeds going to support the various needs of the artist, like a new pair of boots or a new backpack.

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Chartier said this program ran for about a year and the following summer, a day in the park event was held. She explained, “We went to Henderson Lake and kayaked a little bit and played lawn games.”

Despite the success of the art and day in the park initiatives, Chartier believed more people would attend if the activities had a broader appeal.

She stated, “Some people hear the word ‘art,’ and they freak out and don’t come because they think they’re not artistic. So, we changed our name to ‘Resilient Rec YQL’ and we started running things like bingo nights, movie nights, karaoke nights — all sorts of fun events. Recreation is absolutely for everyone, but art might not be everyone’s forte.”

The program operates out of the local soup kitchen.

Chartier commented, “We wanted them to feel comfortable and at home in an environment where they feel safe to have fun. People need to feel like someone cares about them and that they have a name and are not just someone in the line at the Soup Kitchen.”

The U of L student has created a presentation about the program and passed it along to Lethbridge College and a couple of other schools.

She said, “Working in health care for years, I saw a divide in the way we treated people when they were experiencing addiction and homelessness.”

Chartier added, “I think this is only because people don’t truly understand that addiction is a disease and that there are so many factors that contribute to addiction and homelessness.”

She has created a course for her co-workers at the health care facility where she works, in order to provide more information about addiction. Her course is part of the required orientation for new staff.

For 2024, Chartier hopes to see the number of participants grow. She scheduled three events in January and is aiming to plan a dance in February. An arcade night is set for Sunday, February 11, 2024 at the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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