Rossbrook House turns 50

City Centre

Rossbrook House will hit a major milestone when it celebrates its 50th anniversary on Jan. 20.

Established in 1976 by Sisters Geraldine MacNamara, Marylyn Gibney, and Lesley Sacouman, the non-profit resource centre at 658 Ross Ave. has always aimed to create a safe place for youth in vulnerable situations. Somewhere they can learn, play and engage with their communities, powered by a small team of staff and volunteers. Its doors are open every day of the year — for 24 hours on weekends and school holidays.

For many people in the surrounding community, such as Sheila Chippastance, Rossbrook House has been nothing short of a family affair.

Chippastance first stepped through the doors of Rossbrook House when she was 11 — a result of her mom’s constant volunteering with the organization. When the kitchen table in their family home on Elgin Avenue was covered with bannock, young Sheila knew an event involving the neighbourhood kids was coming up.

Her second experience with Rossbrook House came after she dropped out of high school.

The organization hosts three off-campus schooling programs, offered by the Winnipeg School Division: Wi Wabigooni for elementary school students; Eagles’ Circle for junior high; and Rising Sun for high school.

School didn’t feel accessible to Chippastance at the time, but she eventually “worked up the courage” to visit Rossbrook House’s co-founders when she heard they hoped to launch a school program — but had no willing students.

“I was their first student,” she recalled. “Rossbrook was a lot of firsts for me.”

After graduation, Chippastance became a member of the junior staff at Rossbrook House, and remained on the team as an educational assistant with Wi Wabigooni for 30 years. She eventually retired and limited herself to volunteer hours. But that retirement was short-lived, as she eventually returned and now works as volunteer co-ordinator, sharing an office with her daughter, Justine, the operations manager.

“Rossbrook is so important,” said Chippastance, 61. “When you come to work here, you want to give kids happy memories like we had.”

“We try to help as much as you can, and we don’t turn people away,” she continued, adding that not only does Rossbrook acknowledge the children who use its services, but their whole families, too. “We’re equal, we’re not judging you.”

“Once Rossbrook gets into your blood, there’s no leaving it,” said Patty Mainville, Rossbrook House executive director.

A former participant herself, Mainville graduated from Rising Sun with Chippastance. “You see the impact on your life, the rippling effect it has in your family… you always want to give back.”

Alongside mentorship, education, accessible food, and a safe place to sleep, Mainville credits Rossbrook House for creating and maintaining a safe, supportive environment. If a youngster arrives late for school, for example, they’re greeted with “It’s good to see you,” rather than “Why are you late?”

“(Me and my siblings) were what were considered ‘bad kids’,” she continued, with a laugh. “But they gave us a safe space.”

“Having the career I had, I attribute that to the seeds they planted… We have so many stories of our past participants’ successes, but we have to understand that success looks different for a lot of people. (However), they can still be honoured and celebrated,” she said.

Mainville said her motivation to return to Rossbrook House came from the drive to give back and provide for children so they ultimately receive the same care and love she received at that age.

“That’s what I hope to leave as a legacy,” she said. “Helping the kids understand the legacy of their own lives, giving them the skills to move forward… giving them that space to be children.”

For more information, visit rossbrookhouse.ca