Main Street Project is a non-profit charitable organization that is dedicated to helping some of Winnipeg’s most vulnerable community members. They run an emergency shelter available to anyone who needs a roof over their head, which also serves as an addiction detoxification center. They provide necessities such as food, water, clothing, and hygiene products, as well as harm reduction supplies to whoever requires them. For 50 years now, Main Street Project has been providing care and support without prejudice or judgment, and they have become an indispensable part of Winnipeg’s community.
In this interview, we sat down with Raj Sidhu, the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Main Street Project. We were able to discuss some of what Main Street Project does, their efforts in providing security and safety through their shelter and harm reduction efforts. We also discuss some of the challenges they face while doing their work, and how people can help them out.
To support Main Street Project, visit there website at: https://www.mainstreetproject.ca/
And if you want to support both Main Street Project and LITE, check out our buy-to-donate water bottle bundle. You’ll not only be getting one of our Spirit of Community bottles, but a second water bottle will be donated on your behalf to Main Street Project. The bundle is available on our shop here: https://shop.lite.mb.ca/products/spirit-water-bottle
Full transcript of our conversation with Raj Sidhu is below.
Raj: I’m Raj Sidhu. I’m the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at MSP, or Main Street Project. I’ve been working there for almost half a year now, and it’s been an amazing journey. A lot of the stuff we do is helping a lot of people deal with addictions, substance abuse, and a lot of people experiencing homelessness, we try our best to get them off the streets, get them help. But then again, that is difficult. We are a low barrier nonprofit organization, so a lot of stuff we do is actually extremely inclusive and connective and really good for our community members in terms of entering a shelter, detox situations, and all that.
LITE: So do you mind sharing, just briefly kind of how you got involved with the organization?
Raj: So, how I got involved with the organization. So basically, I saw an opportunity on LinkedIn. I’ve done volunteering in the past with the Main Street Project and other nonprofit organizations in Winnipeg. A lot of the stuff that makes you probably does I really find essential to the community because it is, like I said, a little barrier organization. And basically, they invite people from all walks of life, and they put a really strong emphasis on helping the enforcing Truth and Reconciliation, especially in Winnipeg and Canada. So a lot of their values, I really appreciate it, that’s what made me really interested in the opportunity for working for MSP.
LITE: Okay, so you mentioned a sort of low barrier. I don’t know if you’ve heard, at LITE, one of the things we describe the way we do our work is basically helping people who are facing a lot of barriers and trying to lower that. So would you like to comment a little bit more on specifically that aspect and how Main Street Project actively enforces or actively lowers barriers for people?
Raj: Yeah, like I said, Main Street Project has a very low barrier. So a lot of people dealing with substance abuse, we welcome them with open arms, because we do have withdrawal services for men, women and non binary individuals from all walks of life. So that’s definitely something that in terms of a low barrier, that’s something that Main Street Project definitely deals with. It can deal with all types of addictions in terms of seasonal ones like in the winter or the summer, especially in the winter, when it’s very cold, people want to stay warm, but that leads to more substance abuse so they can stay warmer. At that point, we do see more people in shelter and more people trying to stay warm. In terms of a low barrier, I think that’s definitely what MSP stands for.
LITE: Yeah, thank you. That makes sense. So you’ve mentioned substance use and substance abuse and harm reduction is a term that is mentioned quite a few times on your website. So could you maybe tell me what harm reduction means to you or Main Street Project as an organization?
Raj: So to Main Street Project, harm reduction means providing individuals the tools, services or programs that they need to safely consume substances. Our end goal is to help people fight their addictions, but to get there we have to help them reduce their harm by providing clean tools. Like we provide clean needles in terms of when they’re consuming the substances and perhaps other tools, that’s mostly what our services provide that we need to help our individuals with.
LITE: Thank you. I guess I just wanted to ask a little bit about what are some of the challenges that Main Street Project is currently facing, if any?
Raj: Especially during the summer, we find a very strong need of helping individuals find hygiene products and always clothing, clothing isn’t seasonal. Clothing is always needed, we always need that, especially during the warmer months. Winnipeg is extremely hot during the summer. We need fresh clothes for individuals, we need hygiene products because there are certain diseases that you can inherit during the summer that people need to fight with clean, cleaner hygiene products and clothing. And like always in the summer, we need water. It is a great thing that LITE provides which helps us a lot. Yeah, so I would say those two things for sure.
LITE: Yeah, I’m glad you brought up water bottles. I guess when people think about donating water bottles aren’t really the first thing that comes to mind. Could you maybe elaborate a little bit on the need for reusable water bottles or how they’re helpful for the community and the individuals that you’re helping?
Raj: So water bottles, especially water in the summer. Like I said, Winnipeg is an extremely hot environment, like very, very hot in the summer. So whenever we receive these heat waves, especially in shelter, we see a lot of people suffering from dehydration, suffering from the intense heat that Winnipeg provides. So reusable water bottles, especially since we provide water fountains, showers and washrooms at our shelter. The reusable water bottles are extremely helpful for our community members and individuals. And any type of water, even if they’re plastic, anything that can get people hydrated, anything that can get people healthy. That’s really, really helpful at this time of the year.
LITE: So just a little bit of a different question. Is there something that you wish people knew about Main Street Project that isn’t common knowledge?
Raj: Yeah, it’s a low barrier. Unlike a lot of the nonprofit organizations in Winnipeg, Main Street Project is one of the few that offer low barrier services. I’ve said this time and time again, but we do accept anyone that needs help. We don’t turn away, we don’t close the door on anyone. We have an outreach support program that helps people 24/7 with food, harm reduction supplies, and we also have a shelter that invites anyone. Anyone needs help, anyone that needs roof over their head, especially during this time of year. So it’s a low barrier for anyone that needs it at any time of the day.
LITE: So yeah, if you could please talk a little bit about the 50th anniversary and what that means.
Raj: So the 50th, it’s more so recognition than actual celebration, because the work that we do, we want to complete it. Our goal is to end homelessness, our goal is to help people fight their addictions. And we want that to be solved in Winnipeg. So it’s a recognition more than a celebration. So the 50th anniversary, we’ll be running a lot of programs throughout the year, a lot of events that will be directly helping MSPs programs and services. We’ll be selling merchandise, each item will be dedicated to a decade that Main Street Project has been active, all proceeds go to MSP and you just have to be looking out for that.
LITE: Great, when and where might these items be available?
Raj: I’d say within the next couple of months, we’re in the process of working, we’re in the process of creating them. We’re in the process of brainstorming, and they will be available soon.
LITE: That’s great to know. So I guess you just mentioned that the proceeds will go to Main Street Project. Are there any other ways people can help and support Main Street Project?
Raj: The main thing that we need right now, like I said, is donations. 75 Martha Street, we’re open Mondays from 12 to 3, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 to 3. At this point, right now, we need hygiene products very badly, and clean clothing, because our community members are in need of those. And we need water bottles, reusable water bottles, especially. That would be at the top of our top right now.
LITE: So you kind of mentioned some of the items that are needed right now and when and where to donate them, which is great. I’m wondering, do you also have volunteer opportunities? Is that another way people can get involved if they can’t donate?
Raj: Yeah, that’s definitely something that we always welcome. Especially, now we are looking for volunteers. We’re always looking for volunteers, because we do have events happening throughout the year. Like Hope Grows Here, that’s the event gala that we just had. We also have Into the Cold, which happens every March where people can walk and they can raise money for MSP. We also have a bike event coming up in a month or two. Volunteers are always, always needed at MSP no matter what, and it’s also a great way to give back to the community. Like it’s not just helping MSP, you’re also helping the community. So volunteers are always needed.
LITE: Could you just briefly tell me how people can sign up to be volunteers?
Raj: It will be on our website and you can also email MSP as well.