For many of us, our bed is our sanctuary. It is where we cozy up with our loved ones to read bedtime stories, or snuggle together on a lazy Sunday morning. It is where we rest our bodies after a long hard day in order to recharge for the next day ahead, and it is also the one thing that most of us take for granted. At Mamas for Mamas, mattresses have always been in high demand, and during this Covid-19 crisis that is no exception.

 

In the past two month we have seen a steady incline of families coming to us for help for the first time. There have been jobs lost, and many circumstances have changed dramatically. Because of Covid-19 families are seeking out basic essentials to get them through these uncertain times, and if it wasn’t for the support of our community coming together we wouldn’t be able to help so many families.

 

With the help of Sleep Country Canada, and their generous donation of $30,000 in mattresses, pillows, and linens to our Vancouver chapter, we are now able to help get families who were sleeping on floors and couches, into comfortable beds so that they can get a good night sleep.

 

“One of the queen mattresses is going to a new mom who had to flee her partner due to domestic violence. She was pregnant when she arrived at the home where they sheltered her. She has now had her little one and will be moving on to the next stage where she will move into an independent living space. She has had a c-section and is still healing. This mattress will make that healing easier for her and will make it so she will not be sleeping on the floor.” -Anna Carr, Vancouver Resource Coordinator, Mamas for Mamas

 

Sleep Country Canada has made a commitment to donate up to $1.5 million worth of mattresses and bedding essentials to communities across Canada impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis through their Sleep Country Cares program, and we are extremely grateful for their help. The company’s giving program aims to provide at-risk and vulnerable communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with safe and secure sleeping environments in this unprecedented time. Sleep Country’s donations will help improve the challenging conditions faced by homeless shelters, community living programs and other organizations that are under severe strain to limit overcrowding and implement physical distancing to fight in the spread of the COVID-19 virus. If you would like to learn more about what Sleep Country is doing to help communities across Canada, please head over their website Sleep Country Canada.

Mamas for Mamas is a national charitable organization that supports mothers and caregivers in crisis by providing ongoing support to individuals and families facing various poverty-related struggles. Our mission is to change the landscape of poverty through innovative approaches to financial barriers faced by struggling families. We envision a future where no Mama or child is left behind. The most recent statistics from Citizens for Public Justice reports that a staggering 5.8 million people in Canada (or 16.8%) live in poverty ( https://cpj.ca/poverty-trends-2018/). We are committed to giving a hand up, not just a hand out to those struggling by providing them with essential needs. We are actively engaging with multiple levels of government and non-profit agencies; together we are working to change the systems that contribute to the vicious cycle of poverty, mental health issues, housing, and food insecurity and have recently expanded digitally across Canada. We provide a space where our Mamas and their kids feel safe and comfortable when they come in for poverty relief support. We refer to all existing community programs when available and fill the gaps in service when the need is higher than the resources available. Unfortunately, this is often the case, as evidenced by the need for our rapid program development. At the head office in Kelowna, BC, we offer a beautiful Karma Market where struggling families can access anything they need at no cost; the only currency we request is, kindness to your fellow neighbor. In our free store, we provide clothing, shoes, seasonal wear, and through our intake process Mamas can also access formula, diapers, baby furniture, and gear. We also offer individualized help navigating the available resources for food security, affordable housing, education, and access to our in-house mental health team where counselling is available at no cost for those who qualify. Community-based sharing economies are available for families not in Kelowna, with a resource coordinator available for preventative and intervention based poverty relief. It’s hard enough being a parent without the stress of clothing or food insecurity, lack of appropriate mental health care, and everything else that can easily fall through the cracks in our busy society. Mamas for Mamas is there for those parents who need help navigating eligible resources, applying for social supports, and getting direct intake support while joining this Mamas community that genuinely looks after each other. ( https://cpj.ca/poverty-trends-2018/ )