“We’re thrilled to partner with the Kinettes to support our community,” said Tara Jones, executive director at MJFS. “We’re excited, because we use this money for our visitation programs and it allows our family support workers to take visiting families out to City of Moose Jaw recreation facilities for free.

“These are families that are working with the Ministry of Social Services to develop stronger parenting and relationship skills. Some of them have been separated and are working to reunite, and the passes that we have allow parents and children to use the Yara Centre, the Kinsmen swimming pool, the outdoor pool, any of the city’s facilities, and it also helps us purchase snacks for the family from concessions, so it really is helpful.”

The cheque was presented to Tara Jones and Kandice Hebert, the counselling co-ordinator at MJFS, by Moose Jaw Kinettes incoming president Amber Betham and Michelle Duckworth, the service club’s secretary, treasurer, and vice-president.

“This money came from our Christmas fundraiser,” Duckworth explained. “So, when we heard that Moose Jaw Family Services was looking for money for this program, for families to be able to go swimming and visit the Yara Centre and stuff like that, that sounded like a good cause to put this money toward.”

The Kinettes service club has had a presence in Moose Jaw since 1945. They currently have eight members, Duckworth said, and are always looking for more.

“We’re a small group, but we’ve been around for a long time,” she added. “We raise money for the community, for causes like cystic fibrosis and TeleMiracle, but the main thing we do is donate our time to service projects in the area.”

MJFS is a community-based non-profit founded in 1977. They offer diverse family support options including supervised visits, active parenting classes for all ages, a resume program, and more.

Jones took the top job at MJFS in March 2023 after an extended search by the organization’s governing board and a long period of having an ‘interim’ executive director. She previously spent 15 years with the provincial ministry of social services and brings experience working in and supervising sectors such as child protection, income assistance, and probation.

The centre provides critical mental health support to Moose Jaw and the surrounding area. Certified, highly educated counsellors teach the kind of life skills that are essential for people to live happily and thrive.

Their program highlights include the Young Parent program for people between the ages of 13 and 21, the six-week Living Independent Skills course for 15- to 19-year-olds, the Nobody’s Perfect Parenting course, and the Rapid Access Counselling program, among others.

However, Hebert and Jones said the programs they provide are in response to the community’s needs, rather than a strict way of dividing clients up into boxes according to their circumstances. They can find a way to help almost anyone needing relationship or basic life skills.

“If anyone ever has any questions about how we might help them, we definitely encourage them to reach out and connect with us,” Hebert said in a previous interview. “That’s what our agency is about, is looking at what gaps exist in the community here and trying to find the right programs to … best support and build a stronger and healthier community.”

To learn more about the Moose Jaw Kinettes (and maybe even join them), email moosejawkinetteclub@gmail.com.

To learn about MJFS programs, email them at contact@mjfamilyservices.ca, or phone at 306-694-8133.