Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

I got up this morning asking myself the question, where does someone who is vulnerable go these days in our communities in northern BC?  I travel widely in northern BC and I can tell you that there are sparse resources for these individuals in our communities.  The varied groups still working in these communities appear to be swamped by work downloaded from government programs that have long abandoned these communities. 

1-800 lines have replaced core government services like welfare and Service BC offices stand in their place with little or no human support.  Out of curiosity, I visited a couple of these offices in small towns.  I tried to visualize myself, over 15 years ago when I and my two infants and needed welfare, going into one of these offices with my children to apply for help.  Computer kiosks greet welfare recipients/applicants who, if they choose to apply, are forced to sit out exposed to the public who line up to renew their driver's license and so on.  I am an opponent to the residual model of welfare, and it was a shaming experience back when I needed it 15 years ago, but there was a person I could meet with and talk to.  And, there were groups in my community that I could turn to for empowerment.  I learned from a neighborhood house program about my right to return to university, and responsibility as a citizen.  My children and I were able be a part of a community kitchen, a clothing exchange and other support groups at this non-profit service.  With these encouragements and supports I got a degree and have been gainfully employed, able to pay taxes, buy a house, a car and most importantly support my children independent of government support since then.  What a blessing these programs were for our family. 

I don't see much left up here that supports people this way.  Workers in many of these small non-profits are too busy advocating for basic needs, cowing to government accountability structures for disparate and short-term funding to spend much time dreaming up ways to empower the poor, let alone set in motion the resources to manifest these dreams. 

I am a great admirer of your work Mr. Dobbin and was not surprised to see my early morning thoughts mirrored in your article.  Thank you for your good work.  Soul searching is an important part of the recovery for the left, however, action is needed.  I encourage my fellow social workers to roll up their sleeves and get out in their communities and get to work.