Kelowna's Unsung Heroes - Keni Milne

There’s no shortage of bravery or generosity in Kelowna.

From first responders to local politicians, all kinds of people are making waves every day by doing incredible things in our community.

But many Kelownians are also doing great things far away from the limelight.

Our new series, Kelowna’s Unsung Heroes, swings the limelight squarely on those folks, and highlights some of the people driving positive change in Kelowna who might not always get the credit they deserve.

Keni Milne of the Canadian Mental Health Association

For Keni Milne, “a typical day doesn't really exist.”

In the course of a shift she might go from helping a client navigate government bureaucracy, to hosting a housing workshop, to attending meetings or encouraging a sick client to see a doctor.

Sometimes the days are long, or the hours sporadic, but, as Milne says, “the job isn’t necessarily over because the day is over.”

Milne is a housing first case manager at the Canadian Mental Health Association in Kelowna. It’s her job to make sure CMHA’s clients have a roof over their heads and the support they need to stay there.

It can be a complicated job, forcing her to think creatively and wrangle together a support system from a loose network of desperate services in the city.

But for Milne, her number one focus is making sure her clients get the support they need, no matter what hurdles they have to overcome.

“I guess my job is finding loopholes, and finding ways to jump through them,” she says with a chuckle.

Milne works out of a small, cramped office that she shares with a coworker. Her desk is squeezed into a corner of the room, decorated with papers, drawings from her daughter, and inspirational quotes.

A big part of why she does the job, she says, is to help counter the stigma foisted on those who struggle with mental health issues.

“I think a lot of people, when they think about mental illness, they think about the extremes, and frankly the extremes are not the norm,” she says. “Most people that have a mental illness, you wouldn’t know.

Milne is a prefect example. She's struggled with her own mental health in the past, living with depression and anxiety, and has been thankful for support when it came.

She’s also had to tap into the social welfare system. When she was young she was fired from her job after becoming pregnant, and ended up on welfare for a spell. She says these experiences have made her so good at her job.

“When you learn how to do all those things yourself, and you care so much - because I do, I really care about the people I work with - it’s like, why wouldn’t I do this job?” she says.

Like pretty much everyone at CMHA, Milne has a full slate of clients, and has to work to squeeze enough time out of the day to help them all.

Not long ago, after noticing the monumental struggling for housing in Kelowna, she set up a workshop that allows people to walk in off the streets and get help finding a roommate or a cheap place to live.

Milne said the workshop is a way for her to help people in need, even when CMHA is at full capacity, and she can’t take on any new clients.

“It’s kind of my way of getting around the loophole of being full,” she says.

She’s also known to take time during her jam-packed day to help people in dire need: she will help someone contact the ministry who doesn’t have a cell phone, or take a few minutes to point someone who needs food in the right direction.

“If it’s a quick, five-second answer, I’m not going to make them wait,” she says. “If you’ve been going through this for two months and you’re in here in tears - if I know I can help you in a day, I’m going to do it.”

Milne’s colleagues are quick to point out her positive attitude and respect for her clients.

Jen Kanters is a colleague of Milne’s at CMHA. She says she’s always respected “how passionate and how loyal Keni is to the people we see here.”

Kanters says Milne always talks to people at a human level, no matter what circumstance they are in. That basic respect gives her clients a sense of dignity, something they aren’t always afforded out in the world.

“Keni has that ability to do that with absolutely every client she comes into contact with. It’s that authenticity that everyone can sense,” she says.

For Milne, treating people well is a no-brainer. Her parents fostered children throughout her childhood, and she says the attitude was “there’s always room for one more,” and that everyone deserved respect.

She says that by treating everyone with respect, we can make the world a better place.

“We can be powerful people in one way, and oppressed in another, and it’s not this Olympics of who’s hard done by. Something sucks for all of us, and I want to know how we can make the world better for everyone.”

If you know an Unsung Hero in Kelowna, and would like to see them recognized, email Trevor@KelownaNow.com.