SIGN for the Times

The Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours (SIGN) first opened an office in Yorkton on May 1, 1969. To quote from one of the first newsletters that year, “SIGN hopes to produce the product called Community Unity, a community in which people care about people. So we promote co-operation between churches, service organizations and other agencies throughout the community.” 

Today, SIGN offers two dozen services not only in Yorkton, but also in other communities in east-central Saskatchewan. We spoke with two previous executive directors and the current CEO about the growth of the organization, the services it offers and how they were developed, and we look beyond today to see where SIGN may go in the years ahead.

SIGN, the Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours, provides two dozen important services to families and individuals in Yorkton and surrounding communities, including programs directly provided in Kamsack, Melville, Esterhazy and Fort Qu’Appelle. Some of our programs are delivered on behalf of various levels of government – municipal, provincial and federal – and we have contracts with governments that cover some or all of the costs, SIGN is also very dependent on self-generated revenue. Fees for services paid by governments cover about three-quarters of our total operating costs, and the remainder is money SIGN itself must raise so we can fully fund all we do.

Important sources of community funding are our donors. Without them we could not do what we do, because most of our programs are free, and others, like the Early Learning Centre and Senior Mobility, charge a nominal fee which falls far short of the cost of operating those programs.

SIGN Housing Support provides assistance with the challenge of finding housing in Yorkton. The program does not provide housing, but can assist by providing information and support when it comes to looking and applying for housing.

SIGN Housing support can be reached by email at [email protected], by phone at 306-783-0006 during regular business hours, or text 306-641-4421.

More about SIGN Housing Support can be found on the SIGN website.

SIGN Life Skills works with youth ages 12 to 20 to prepare them for the adult and working world. Services include one-on-one individual and group mentoring, opportunities to meet socially with their peers, and in all activities encourage them to utilize the 40 key internal and external assets that will assist them in their growth and development. In this podcast, we talk to Christopher Smith, the manager of SIGN Life Skills.

SIGN Chair of the Board Sheila Hintz and Executive Director Andrew Sedley talk about the support the organizations receives, both financial and donations of goods which are passed on to those who need them. Sheila donates the funds for the Elton Davidge Scholarships which SIGN presents each spring to a graduate of both the Yorkton Regional High School and Sacred Heart High School, and what motivated her to do that.

The SIGN Family Support program provides guidance, assistance and advice to up to 75 families in east-central Saskatchewan. Included is a program started in the fall to assist students going back to school to ensure they have the supplies they need to make the best of their studies. That program is now year-round, because, after all, students do run out of pencils, pens, notebooks and other necessities.

We revisit the work being done by Housing Support, a program of SIGN which assists people who are homeless or hard to house, and talk about World Homeless Day, which this year fell on Thanksgiving Day in Canada, Oct. 10. 

Sydney Leik, a college student working towards her social work degree, spent nine months working at SIGN in the Life Skills program. She provides her personal perspective on transitioning from studying to working, and her experiences at SIGN. Reluctant to take it on at first, she overcame her reluctance and found both support and confidence.

What started out as SIGN Walk-In Counselling in 2016 has now expanded to be a province-wide program called Rapid Access Counselling. People who need to talk to someone about their problems and concerns can connect with a counsellor at SIGN in Yorkton and Kamsack, or by phone or video with counsellors elsewhere in the province.

An update about a project of the Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours (SIGN) which started last fall, which encourages and enables youth to become more involved in the community, and helps promote their well-being. Youth Resilience works with youth ages 12 to 18 to build resilience and involve young people in activities and decision-making in Yorkton. The project facilitator provides an update.