“My name is Blue. I’m the Day Team Lead at Emergency Shelter Services. I was looking for a job with a little bit of meaning in it. I flirted with the family business for a bit. But I’m young, and I just wanted to do something different. Then I found this job.
This job is not for everyone; that’s for sure. One of my favourite things about our shelter is that we’re not institutionalized. We claim no authority. We don’t have defensive measures that will harm anyone. We’re just here to engage with everyone with our words, with our hearts, and we’re here to listen.
We don’t just give out food and clothing every day. We change lives. It’s a small change in a big picture but it’s a change. I really do believe that. Otherwise I wouldn’t do it.
There was this person who used to frequent the shelter. They shared with us that they had gone to school and had a degree. But some things had gone wrong in their life which led to substance use and homelessness. One day, they came to a breaking point, and I kind of took initiative and called the hospital. From there, we all worked together through detox and long-term treatment. After nine months, they came to visit us in the shelter. They were looking super healthy! They’re employed now, and they’re housed. They’re reunited with their family. If it weren’t for their courage and someone to believe in them, this may not have been possible.
Homelessness is a man-made issue. It’s a systemic problem. A lot of people are trying their best, but when you’re pushed away from society, there’s this vast loneliness and a feeling of not belonging anywhere. It’s hard not to lose hope.
A lot of good people and great minds were failed by the system and ended up here. Everyday I come to work and learn something new from them. They call this place home, even though we’d like to change that. They call it home because they trust us.”