There are many reasons that I chose to pursue a career as a Social Service Worker (SSW). In addition to the fact that I already work in this field, I think that this decision is best for me, considering the care that I have for the community that I live in. As a mother, a Black woman, and a resident of Brampton, I think it's very important that I build upon the skills that I already have in order to make my community and home, the best place it can be. This means thinking of not only myself but of the people who also reside here and those that will in the future.
The intersections of my experiences have been my main reasons for my choice to go into the Social Service Field. I am a single mother of four children. I have a 14 year old daughter, and three sons who are ages 12, 10 and 9. I am an immigrant to Canada, and I moved here at 26 years old in 2013. I am a survivor of 8 years of domestic violence and some of the instances of abuse that I have experienced included being beaten until my mouth, nose and other parts of my face and body were busted and bleeding and bruised. My abuser would go as far as to lock me into a bedroom and refuse my right to exit for any reason. For quite a long time, I had been denied financial support, social support and even access to a telephone.
After enduring years of violence, It became clear to me that the reason my abuser was so adamant about keeping me from certain resources and from my family, was in order to isolate me. I was completely dependent on my abuser toward the last years of our relationship as I had no family in Canada other than my children. I was isolated, and there were many reasons why I kept my reality a secret from others. Some of these reasons included shame and guilt, but another huge part of my secrecy was wanting to prevent the alarm my elderly parents or family. I was also afraid of getting authorities and Children’s Aid Societies involved in my home life, since for many years, I lived without status in Canada. My partner threatened over and over to use institutions such as Children’s Aid Society (CAS), Police, and immigration services against me, so I continued to endure the physical violence and his regular use of mental, emotional and financial abuse to his advantage. The scariest part of it all was thinking that I would lose my children. Having no status in Canada, I was so afraid to lose them. I was just as afraid of being taken from them, as I was to have them taken aways from me,
I have role models and people that have helped shape my decision to become an SSW. One of my greatest loves and role models is my father. Throughout my life, he has constantly reminded me of my intelligence and helpfulness, and how proud I make him. Watching him be a thoughtful person throughout my life, exhibiting selflessness on a daily basis, even when there is no return for his kindness, I learned how to exhibit the same traits. I know that what I am doing means very much to me and to him as well. I have learned from him to be spiritual, and to trust in my beliefs that there is a reward for my work. At times, I can see this reward first hand as I am thanked by someone I have helped, or when I hear my children or their friends repeat a life lesson that I have shared with them. Other role models that I have are friends of mine who have overcome numerous adversities such as homelessness addictions, feelings of isolation and powerlessness. I have a friend who struggles with addiction to alcohol, and though she may not believe it. She is a role model of mine, because no matter how many times she falls back into the cycle of addiction, she always does her best to rehabilitate and pull herself out of it. Even if it is only temporary, she never gives up on trying to make her life better for the sake of her children.
For inspiration, I often look to people I admire. Some of these people I know very well and others I do not know at all. Some examples of people who I look to for inspiration are artists, and writers, as well as survivors of domestic violence who have overcome their circumstances and have shared their stories. I also look for inspiration in community members who have overcome various struggles. And those who have done amazing community and advocacy work.
In my everyday life, I often turn to my CEO at Hope 24/7 for encouragement and inspiration. I am a former client of Hope 24/7 and I am now in a management position in this agency. and knowing this, she always has kind words for me, highlighting how well I am doing, especially considering how much I have faced and still continue to deal with everyday, I learn quite a bit from her and often use what I learn as a model for the execution of my own plans, initiatives and projects at work.
Being the sole financial supporter of my children, and coming from a place of relying on donated clothing, toys and food banks to survive, I realized that I wanted to spend my future assisting people who might face similar adversities. Before I was eligible to work in Canada I began volunteering at a local community center teaching art to children and their families. I became an employee of this centre almost immediately after my permanent residence in Canada was approved and finalized. A year into working part time there, I received a full time opportunity at Hope 24/7 (Sexual Assault Rape Crisis Centre of Peel) doing social change and community work. After changing roles at Hope 24/7 in 2021, I realized that social service work was my calling. At Hope 24/7, service users are survivors of sexual abuse, gender based violence, and intimate partner violence ages 12 and up. My role in the agency is to liaise with other community serving organizations to explore and develop alternative approaches to the prevention of Gender Based Violence in our community. At The Journey Neighbourhood Centre, we provide resources to residents of wards 1 and 5 of Brampton. People in these areas have lower income and access to resources compared to other areas in the city.
The population that I would like to serve in our community are people who have experienced violence at the hands of abusers as well as the justice system and various institutions. I want to advocate for people who have been treated unfairly by their partners, Children's Aid Society (CAS), police institutions, shelter and housing systems, and other areas of our society that perpetuate violence whether physical or through systematic practices. I want to serve people who feel forgotten and overlooked. I want to help them feel supported and secure. I want people who are at their lowest moments in life to be able to access support and opportunity, reminding them that their path toward personal success isn't over and that they have not lost. I want people to feel strong, but more importantly I want them to feel wanted, appreciated and safe.
I have experience working with the population that I choose, and I am still a resident of the community that I serve. Some of the reasons why I want to continue working with this population include the impact that gender based violence and intimate partner violence have had on my own life. The impact of GBV is generational and It is my hope to do my best at making sure that my community is one in which cycles of violence are broken. Kimberle Crenshaw explains that “Intersectionality came about as a tool to unlock many of the misconceptions and erasures surrounding the social justice demands of Black women before the law” (Bello & Mancini, 2016) Intersectionality highlights how having different characteristics and identities can result in numerous experiences of marginalization, and it is a term that I know very well as it is my experience in life in Canada, as an immigrant, black woman, single mother, mature student, who lives in a low income community. Systemic racism is something that I have experienced and witnessed first hand and as a mother of 1 young black woman, and young black men, it is my intention to do all that I can to create a sustainable, self determined, equitable place for them, and others in our community.
In order to complete my program and become a registered social service worker, It is important that I complete the SSW program, use the experience that I have to optimize my practicum options with my program advisors and coordinators and use practical methods such as reading about this work in order to expand my skills.
Eventually, I would like to continue in the Community Development Honours program at Sheridan, and I would like to gain more certifications in the field. Currently I have a life coaching certificate and I have completed trainings on peer support and suicide prevention, and working with seniors who have been victims of crime.
I see myself continuing in the field that I am already in and creating space for more women like myself to join in this work..
Some areas that will require personal growth are my ability to say no and limit the amount of tasks and work that I take on. I aim to grow my self care practices in order to prevent burnout so that I can provide the best service possible. A few of my biggest personal accomplishments have been, leaving an abusive relationship that lasted 8 years, and subsequently winning sole custody of my 4 children after a 5 ½ year custody battle which caused me to doubt myself in many ways. Some of my biggest professional accomplishments have been the growth of my art career and position in the social service field within the past 4 years.
When I am faced with challenges, I approach them by considering whether there is a way for me to mitigate a challenge without the process having a huge impact on the other areas of my life. As a parent and a person that manages a team, and works to facilitate group work with clients and coworkers, I like to address challenges before they become overwhelming for me. I have many responsibilities associated with my present life and future goals, so I find it essential to my well-being, to be proactive about easing the impact of challenges. This enables me to be the best person that I can, and also the most productive person that I can. This year one important lesson that I learned was that I cannot handle too much, and that it is important for me to make choices and to be proactive about them . As a graduate of the Art Fundamentals program at Sheridan. I chose not to move on with art and to commit myself to the work that truly feeds my soul and reminds me that I am doing my part to leave a mark in society and in the lives of others.
Without a doubt, the thing that I am most proud of is my children. I am proud of how successful we have been as a team, despite the struggle that we have faced. My daughter continues to impress me everyday with her grades, her helpfulness, respectfulness and talent. She plays the violin, and is a part of her school orchestra, the city youth orchestra, and has recently been offered a position in the Royal Ontario Conservatory of Music. My sons continue to excel in school and to make their teachers and I proud each year. Today, I am an independent contractor still working with the Journey Neighbourhood Centre, Manager, of the Feminist Collective Led by Hope 24/7, I hold a seat on the Board of Directors at Beaux Arts, which is an artist run gallery in Brampton. I do my best every day to live as an ally to the Indigenous People of Turtle Island where I live, the LGBTQ+ community, and as a Black woman striving to make my ancestors proud.
References
Bello, B. G., & Mancini, L. (2016). Talking about intersectionality. interview with Kimberlé W. Crenshaw. SOCIOLOGIA DEL DIRITTO, (2), 11–21. https://doi.org/10.3280/sd2016-002002
Campbell, C. (n.d.). Art. The Outlet By Carrie. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from http://www.theoutletbycarrie.com/
Free design tool: Presentations, video, social media | CANVA. Canva. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.canva.com/
Home. Hope 24/7. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2022, from http://www.hope247.ca/
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