Kamloops, B.C. – Two local organizations who worked in collaboration with The Mustard Seed Kamloops and its Extreme Weather Shelter (EWS) have received international recognition for their efforts. The Communitas Awards recognize companies, individuals, and organizations worldwide dedicated to excellence in community service and social responsibility, and Kamloops Alliance Church (KAC) and Amplify Consulting Inc. (Amplify) were both recently recognized with a 2023 Communitas Award.
"We put forward nominations for both Kamloops Alliance Church (KAC) and Amplify because of the outstanding work of their collective teams to help us prepare for, and run, a very successful Extreme Weather Shelter this winter season,” noted Kelly Thomson, Government Relations Officer for British Columbia for The Mustard Seed.
“The team at Amplify guided us exceedingly well in our efforts to meaningfully engage with the community and build a comprehensive strategy to collaborate and communicate well. KAC not only hosted an excellent shelter, but their team went above and beyond to help us coordinate volunteers and collaborate with other local social agencies. It was a team effort and we’re so proud that both Amplify and KAC have received this recognition.”
KAC and Amplify are among the 2023 recipients of the Excellence in Community Service award in recognition of their efforts in supporting The Mustard Seed Kamloops in its delivery of care and support services to people experiencing homelessness in Kamloops.
“We are very honoured, not only to be nominated for this recognition from The Mustard Seed Kamloops alongside KAC, but to receive this recognition,” said Aleece Laird, CEO of Amplify Consulting Inc. “Our passion is to amplify the impact of remarkable organizations like The Mustard Seed, and we’re proud of how they bravely engaged community to gain their perspective and communicate well throughout the duration of the shelter operations.”
Also honoured with the recognition is Chris Throness, Lead Pastor at Kamloops Alliance Church.
“I was surprised to learn that we won this award when Kelly first told me,” noted Throness. “We as a church saw a need in our community and believed there was something we could do to help, which is what we did. We are so thankful to The Mustard Seed staff and the 52 volunteers who made this shelter a good news story for so many people.”
The Extreme Weather Shelter was open from December 14, 2022 to March 31, 2023 and opened for a total of 21 nights when temperatures dipped below minus 10 degree Celsius. In total, 510 guests were provided safe, warm shelter and 52 volunteers gave 497 hours of volunteer time. To effectively carry out a project of this magnitude and mitigate concerns, The Mustard Seed Kamloops engaged community members prior to opening the shelter, communicated throughout the operation of the shelter, and hosted a wrap up community information session to gather feedback.
“The community of Kamloops came together to support vulnerable neighbours during this winter’s extreme weather, and we are grateful for our many partners, staff, neighbours, and community members,” said Thomson.
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For More Information:
Aleece Laird, Amplify Consulting Inc., 250.574.0221 | aleece@amplifyinc.ca
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