Square One Community, Inc., a local charitable project dedicated to helping adults whose housing situation is chronically insecure, announced June 10 that they have hired a Special Projects Co-ordinator to provide leadership for the non-profit's initiatives. 

Maxton Eckstein, originally from Ontario, will help co-ordinate future Point-in-Time Counts, create and maintain a service map for all the Moose Jaw- and area-based agencies that serve vulnerable populations, and help organize a Community Housing Advisory. 

Eckstein and his wife and children have lived in Moose Jaw for the past seven years. He has an educational background in human justice and non-profit sector leadership and nearly 10 years' experience in the human service field. 

"I hope to help foster a culture of contagious hope and a spirit of collaboration as we partner together to provide supports to our most vulnerable citizens," Eckstein said in a media release. "I am looking forward to working with you all." 

He will be based out of William Milne Place, which the city arranged for Square One’s use in winter 2023. 

“There are a few items that are priority tasks for him,” explained Mary-Lee Booth, chair of the Square One board. “One of the things we know is that in Moose Jaw, there’s lots of individuals and organizations and church communities that provide services and support to people that are unhoused. 

“What is lacking is the mapping of where they are, what they provide, and how to access that. And so, that’s called system mapping, or some people might call it asset mapping.” 

Booth said Eckstein would create links to facilitate collaboration and the efficient care of Moose Jaw’s vulnerable. 

When asked about possible future uses of William Milne place itself, Booth said it is possible. 

“Right now, we have some foundational things that we need him to take care of,” she said. “Down the road, I think what we would love to see, whether it’s Square One doing it, or we work with another organization to do it, what we would like to see is a continuum of care support for people who are housing insecure.”