September 10, 2026
Did you know that many of the beautiful murals, signs, and pieces of art that you see around 440 River Rd were created by St.Amant’s very own Green Team? From the bright yellow sun, whose smiling face welcomes visitors at the entrance to the building, to the winding snakes and ladders mural in the Buhler Gardens, the Green Team’s tireless work makes St.Amant a brighter, more welcoming place for staff, volunteers, visitors, and the people supported.
Each summer, the Volunteer Services department recruits for the Green Team, a group dedicated to bringing spaces around St.Amant to life through art and creativity. This is an opportunity made possible through Manitoba’s Green Team Grant, allowing St.Amant to hire youth in the community so that they can gain valuable employment experience over the summer months.
Many Green Team members first joined St.Amant as volunteers, building a relationship with the St.Amant family and the people supported before they were hired to the team.
“The Green Team really designs alongside the folks we support, taking their knowledge of their friends who are supported here, the people they’ve gotten to know over the years and building art around those relationships,” notes Sarah Van Mackelbergh, Supervisor, Volunteer Services. “It’s an opportunity to give our youth that first step into working at St.Amant. It’s also really beautiful because we’ve seen a lot of return staff in these roles.”
This year, the Green Team was made up of six members: Serah, Danica, Mahi, Jenna, Gabrielle and Aieshini. I had the opportunity to sit down with Serah, Danica, Mahi and Jenna as they completed their final mural of the summer, highlighting the cornerstones of St.Amant’s values. For the Green Team, art is more than a way to brighten a space. It can also be a form of advocacy, creating visible reminders of the importance of accessibility, inclusion, human rights and reconciliation. By bringing these values into the spaces where people live, work and visit, the team helps spark conversations about what an inclusive community looks like.
Between the four members, the group has over 12 years of shared experience on the Green Team, with this summer being Serah’s first year and Jenna’s fifth. Each member began their journey at St.Amant as a member of the Volunteer Team.
“What makes this team especially meaningful is that our Green Team members are also often volunteers in other areas of the organization,” Tracy Laluk, Manager of Community Connections, Volunteer Services, tells me. “They are so committed to giving back that we often work around their volunteer schedules.”
This year, the group was especially busy. They repainted the Snakes and Ladders mural in the Buhler Gardens, touched up the smiling sun on the sidewalk that leads up to the front doors of 440 River Rd, painted the stones that adorn the Reflection Garden, and created personalized murals of the Volunteer Team. Finally, they wrapped up the summer by putting the finishing touches on murals that highlight the core values of St.Amant, soon to be displayed around the building.
“Watching the Green Team develop over the summer, and seeing the art we create and how it impacts the people supported by St.Amant is pretty amazing,” Danica tells me. This was Danica’s second year with the Green Team, and a moment that resonates with her each summer is sharing the Team’s artwork with the children from River Road Child Care Centre.
“I love seeing the little kids lining up in their matching little raincoats and their little hats, and watching how excited they get about the artwork,” Danica smiles.
The Team views art as a form of connection, an opportunity to build community over displays of St.Amant’s shared vision and values. “I love to hear from the different volunteers or the different people we support who come by and chat with us as we’re painting. They share a bit of their own stories as well, it’s really beautiful,” Serah tells me.
Being a part of the Green Team can also lead to incredible opportunities in team members’ fields of study. Mahi has been a part of the Green Team for four years, working while they finished their diploma in video motion graphics.
“St.Amant is such an incredible place to work. I’ve been drawing my whole life, and the Green Team helps me tap back into my original illustration art skills,” Mahi tells me, explaining that painting murals at St.Amant has helped them find further employment in their field.
“Because of the experience that I have through the Green Team at St.Amant, I was able to take an advantage of an opportunity at school for Nuit Blanche. I will have my animated murals projected on the Saint Boniface Cathedral during the festival. I’m super excited.”
Though the Green Team’s summer season has come to a close, the group has made memories (and murals) that will last a lifetime.
“I’ve loved doing art. I love to draw as well. And it’s really fun getting to do it here and working with a good group of people. It’s a comfortable place, we’re all volunteers,” Jenna says. “It’s a great place to work and so welcoming and open to everyone being creative and getting to express themselves through their work.”
Serah, Danica, Mahi, Jenna, Gabrielle and Aieshini, thank you for all your hard work this summer. Your time, talents, and passion bring so much joy to the St.Amant community, inspiring conversation and connection on our journey towards a more inclusive Manitoba. Thank you for all that you do!
