A day in the life....

Working for a United Way is not just a career, a job or something to keep me off the streets, it’s living a life that means really always walking the walk.  It’s sort of like being clergy or a doctor, you’re never off the clock really.  No matter what the social situation, someone will want to discuss work with you.

 So it also means you tend to jump in with both feet, cape unfurled, hands on hips, ready to rise to the occasion to fight injustice everywhere.  Wonder Woman tends to be my super hero picture in my head – although my true alter ego is more Miss Piggy!

 And thus began Tuesday.

 Stopped to get gas.  As I waited for my turn in line, I saw one female customer stop and talk to another, more senior female customer, helping her out, which I thought was nice.  Then as I watched the younger woman pull away, I realized the older woman, was still lost.  So I pulled up to the pump, jumped out and came over to help out.

 Sure enough she was stuck on the pay at the pump process.  So I walked her through it.  She asked me if this was going to make me late for work, I told her I was the boss so no worries.  She laughed.  So I talked her through it step by step.

 She was grateful and explained that her sons usually fill up her car (I’m suspecting a recent widow here).  So I light-heartedly suggested that the next time her sons are helping, that she ask them to do it WITH her, not FOR her, explaining that as women, we need to learn to do these things.  She laughed and agreed.

 Next it was off to a small town to meet with some women who, despite living in deep poverty, wanted to change the world, both their own world, and that of their community. 

Their list of concerns: 

• Medical transportation. No one has let them know what’s available and while they get some money back from Ontario Works, they often need the money up-front which can be challenging
• No doctors in town are taking patients, so while they could possibly have a doctor in another town, they have no transportation
• With no doctor, emergency room doctors are reluctant, or flat out refuse to refill prescriptions for psychiatric issues, leaving people without needed drugs
• With no transportation they are stuck with small town grocery stores, would like to be able to get to Owen Sound once or twice a month for a grocery run
• One woman had a daughter who actually wanted a CAS caseworker, because her friends had caseworkers and they got to go to camp and participate in all these extra activities (ok that one just about killed me)
• Recreation subsidies – no one is telling them how or where to apply
• Are curious about Big Brothers Big Sisters but worried about wait times etc – told them to call and ask
• They are behind on telephone bills and want to reduce their bill costs but Bell won't reduce service until bill is paid in full, so they can never catch up (ok taking this one to a consumer advocate through newspapers etc)
• School issues - no programs for challenging kids or children with mental health issues
• Ontario Works requires chasing dads for child support.  Often when they do this the dads disappear, and the kids lose what time they had with their dads
• Constant breaching of confidentiality disguised as gossip
• Needing something for kids 8 to 16 to do
• Garbage $3 per bag, simply can’t afford it on low income (I have an idea in play on this one)
• A community clean-up needed because people are dumping garbage because they can’t afford the bag tags
• Is there space for community gardens? Yes – other community gardens are too far away, want something on site
• Need referral to orthopaedic surgeon for ongoing issues with child

I left with some tasks of my own to get to work on some of these issues.

What I need to do:

• They live in a gear to income complex, but it doesn’t have a tenant’s association, need to get one started.
• There’s community space there, so get the Health Unit in once a month or more with some programming
• Look at having a Babysitting course at that location for the kids that are there
• Check local library for teen programming
• Media - they want to change perception of "housing" and poverty in the community
• Look into solving the bag tag issue
• Speak with the mayor about some of these issues

 And that was noon!

 A couple of errands, and back to the office.

 Check in with staff on a few issues, fight a fire or two and make some tea. 

 Get confirmation that the Wiarton family that had no food, and couldn’t go back to the food bank as it hadn’t been a month yet, had gotten the food we’d picked up from a Port Elgin church. Love it when a plan comes together – hate it that we are planning such a support.

 Talk to potential client for utility assistance.  They are not too far behind yet, coach them on waiting for the next bill, as they only get one shot at the fund and it will pay up to $500, so make it count!

 Listen to them; they’ve just go really bad news from the Family Responsibilities Office, (them and many more).  By refusing to enforce child support payments the single dad will have to rely on Ontario Works a bit, as he only works part time. 

 So I try and figure out how I can fix FRO…and make more tea

 Stare at my desk and wonder how the 3 feet I cleared yesterday has become buried in paper once again.

 Finished up our 2011 utility report which I think I’ll release Thursday.  Thursday’s a good day for releasing reports.

 Got some new fundraising numbers in which puts our campaign at $727 000.  Did a little “I was right” dance – to which other staff want to know what I’m right about again (oh they suffer, they do so suffer).

 With a goal of $700 000 I figured we’d hit $730 000, and at best top out at $740 000.

 The day winds down with a donor visiting to update me on his latest project and I would share where we were with our latest fundraiser with his business…and tea.

 And that was Tuesday…Wednesday starts with a breakfast meeting at 7 am…