The saying goes any port in a storm but Prince George's AiMHi hopes to offer more than a makeshift shelter to those in distress or experiencing discrimination.
The organization that serves individuals with developmental disabilities recently became Prince George's first Safe Harbour certified organization. An initiative of the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Services Agencies of B.C. (AMSSA), the program aims to provide an immediate, temporary refuge as part of a network of over 1,000 Safe Harbours across B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland.
On a practical level, being a Safe Harbour means just that, said Keith Dennison, director of human resources for AiMHi: lending comfort to someone in distress if they come to AiMHi, be it providing a quiet room, something to drink or a ride somewhere. Past that, it's aim is somewhat more aspirational: to provide an environment that opposes discrimination in all its forms, be it centred on gender, race, ability, age or sexual orientation.
"It's somewhat philosophical because it's not every day that you'll have someone come through the door shaken up by an act of discimination or racial hatred but it is nevertheless a way of presenting yourself as an organization that cares," said Dennison, who is a past board member of AMSSA. "Then all management and employees embrace that and that kind of spreads out through their familes and the community to help create a better understanding and tolerance."
Dennison said AiMHi earned the Safe Harbour: Respect for All designation by completing a half-day workshop and then undergoing an evaluation.
"It fits really well with AiMHi's mission and what we're passionate about because it is really about trying to reduce discrimination in a community by making people more aware of the harm that that does," said Dennison. "(AiMHi) puts a lot of energy into being an inclusive organization and making an inclusive community. Often we're fighting discrimination against people with developmental disabilities."
The Safe Harbour designation also contains a workplace component, said Dennison, in which the applicant vows to be inclusive in its daily operations. AMSSA cites Statistics Canada data that says 36 per cent of visibile minorites in Canada experienced unfair treatment due to "ethnicity, skin, colour, language or religion"; of these incidents 56 per cent occurred in the workplace.
He added he's hoping other businesses and organizations in Prince George take up the cause and become Safe Harbours.
