This is the 19th in a series of columns written by staff from The Lighthouse to help the community better understand people experiencing homelessness and those who support them. This column appears every other Monday.
People often say it takes a “special kind of person to work in the homelessness sector.”
We agree that The Lighthouse’s staff are special; they’re empathetic, kind and generous individuals. Despite challenges they might face in their own lives, they’re willing to come in to work every day and prioritize the needs of people who are experiencing homelessness in our community.
What causes Lighthouse staff to work at an emergency shelter, in supportive housing, or outreach? To answer that question today, we’d like to introduce you to Michael.
Michael has worked at The Lighthouse for a little more than a year and half. He’s a frontline shelter worker, and his role involves supporting individuals who are staying in The Lighthouse’s emergency shelter.
His story relates to the challenges people experience around physical and mental health and the impact it has on housing.
“I was 15 to 20 days from being a participant myself,” Michael says.
Michael grew up in Simcoe and spent some time living in London. In 2015, he decided to go back to school and took a telecommunications course at Fanshawe College. When the course ended, he had nothing tying him to that area and decided to move to Orillia to be closer to friends.
He was working at a telecommunications company when his life turned upside down. On June 21, 2018, he had a moderate stroke at his workplace. His recovery process required him to take a six-month leave of absence from work. He struggled to re-enter the workplace due to the resulting health challenges.
Michael experienced post-stroke depression, fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He was also accessing physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.
“Who in their mid-40s expects to have to learn how to walk and talk again?” he asks.
By March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, Michael’s income was Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits, and he was no longer working.
The loneliness and lack of purpose he experienced in the early part of the pandemic had a major effect on his mental health.
“Getting up and making toast was the excitement of the day,” he says.
Feeling like he had little to live for, Michael began to explore medical assistance in dying (MAID).
“I met the physical requirements, and I kept wondering where I was going to be able to find employment,” he says.
In the height of the pandemic, Michael’s landlord tried to illegally evict him from his apartment. Michael needed to move, but with a fixed income and the increase in rental prices, it was no easy task.
“I wasn’t expecting to have to enter the housing market and pay double for half the space,” he says. “I was prepared to buy the supplies and go camp, and that would have been February.”
In the past, Michael had been admitted to the psychiatric ward at the hospital three times — twice voluntarily and once as an involuntary admission. Because of this, he had a worker who was able to support him and help him find a room to move into. While he was safe, he also abandoned about a third of his property in this process because he couldn’t mentally deal with it.
Despite feelings of hopelessness, Michael began working with Agilec, an employment agency in Orillia that suggested he apply at The Lighthouse. He figured “the worst thing that could happen would be that it didn’t work out and (he) would keep pursuing MAID.”
Michael had heard of The Lighthouse, and he started researching the organization. He spent three days reading the website, practically memorizing the annual impact report.
“I was so scared that I’d forgotten to take the sticker off my new pants,” he says when he talks about his interview.
He was offered a relief shelter worker role and then a part-time, overnight position shortly after that.
“I had sensory challenges with noise and lights, so I thought this could actually work,” he says.
Michael was seeking MAID even before he was on the verge of being homeless.
“It was predominantly due to the stroke, mental health and PTSD. I didn’t have a sense of self value and dignity,” he says.
When he began working again, things changed.
“Some agencies have mental health as a placard,” he says. “The Lighthouse actually means it.”
The culture is one in which people care for each other.
“It’s who we are as an organization and who we are as people. There is genuine concern and dignity for everyone — staff, participants and volunteers,” he says.
Michael still experiences ongoing effects from his stroke and brain injury.
“The Lighthouse has been great because they know there are times that I’m having a ‘bad brain day,’ and that’s always OK,” he says.
Neurological fatigue can also result in communication deficits for Michael at times, including expressive aphasia, anomia, and verbal apraxia.
“Nobody says anything other than to ask me if I’m OK, and you know that question comes from a place of serious and genuine concern,” he says.
At The Lighthouse, we welcome and accept people as they are, and this is true for participants, volunteers, students and staff.
“We meet people halfway to give them dignity. That’s the key I found here. I was given dignity, and people try to understand,” Michael says.
His work with participants who are staying at The Lighthouse is impacted by his experiences.
“I’m open with my mental health and stroke history,” he says. “I know what it’s like to have a doctor tell you your mental health isn’t real.”
He is now a full-time shelter worker and is passionate about supporting individuals in their unique housing journeys. His previous work history, including being part of the Canadian Armed Forces and working with child protection services and young offenders, has provided him with unique skills and perspectives to encourage people to access the necessary resources in the community.
“I want something better for them,” he says.
He is also involved as a patient representative on the Mental Health Care Team at Orillia Memorial Soldiers’ Hospital, where he lends his voice and experience to advocate for others.
Michael has experienced additional housing challenges, including when his landlord died last winter.
“My rights were limited because of the Innkeepers Act,” he says.
Although it was a struggle to find housing because of mobility challenges, he found a place to live.
Michael is no longer seeking MAID. He now has a purpose. He looks forward to his future as he continues to passionately support people who are experiencing homelessness in Orillia.
Linda Goodall is the executive director at The Lighthouse and can be reached at [email protected].
Rosemary Petersen is the assistant director at The Lighthouse.
