Yellowknife (Sep 15/03) - Salvation Army Community Ministries Co-ordinator Patricia Gervais talks about the challenges facing the Salvation Army and why she devotes so much time to helping the destitute.

Patricia Gervais is a the Community Ministries Co-ordinator at the Salvation Army. - Andrew Raven/NNSL photo

News/North: How long have you been working at the Salvation Army?

Patricia Gervais: Since October of last year.

N/N: What did you do before that?

PG: I worked on the reservation in Cold Lake, Alberta. I also worked with (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) patients and people with other learning disabilities.

N/N: So you have a degree in social work?

PG: No, I actually have a degree in accounting.

N/N: So how did you get into social work?

PG: I nursed my father who died of cancer. After that I nursed three other people who died of cancer as well. I thought (nursing) was a field I wanted to get into, so I began working with Alzheimer's patients.

N/N: What brought you to Yellowknife and the Salvation army?

PG: My husband works in the military and he was transferred here. When I arrived, someone suggested I apply at the Salvation Army and the rest is history.

N/N: What duties did you have when you first started working at the Salvation Army?

PG: I was on the overnight shift, from seven at night until seven in the morning. I worked with a lot of the men who stayed in the (intoxication) room.

N/N: What is the intoxication room?

PG: We have two rooms full of mats where men can spend the night. They hold about 12 people. One of the rooms is for men who have had too much to drink.

N/N: That must have been a difficult job.

PG: It wasn't easy.

N/N: What other facilities does the Salvation army offer besides the two mat rooms?

PG: We have a Productive Choice room where men can stay for three months, sometimes longer, while they take classes or go back to school.

We also have a correctional centre, which is basically a halfway house.

On top that there's the thrift store.

And of course there are the daily meals and church services.

N/N: Where do you get the money to support all these services?

PG: Some of it comes from Correction Services Canada, but the majority comes from donations and drives like our Red Shield Appeal.

N/N: What do you do if the donations aren't enough to cover your budget?

PG: We make do, somehow. Sometimes we work a little unpaid overtime. We stretch everything out, but we never turn people away.

N/N: What is the homeless situation in Yellowknife like?

PG: It seems to be a problem that is growing. Both of our mat rooms were full for most of the summer, which was quite unusual. That doesn't (bode) well for the winter, when we usually have many more men than during the summer.

N/N: Have you noticed any other trends in the homeless population?

PG: The number of young men, between 18 and 25 has gone up during the last little while.

N/N: Do you know why?

PG: One reason is the housing market. Lots of people who have just graduated don't have rental histories so they can't find a place to live.

They're coming in from these satellite communities and they can't get a place. And even if they managed to get an apartment they can't afford the rent, even if they're working.

N/N: So the rental market is one of the big reasons you see so many men at the Salvation Army?

PG: Yes. When a bachelor apartment starts at $950 a month and you're making $10 an hour as a labourer, there's no way you can afford it.

N/N: Can they get any relief from other social agencies?

PG: Income support helps, but they only pay about $750 a month. You can't live on that.

N/N: Where do homeless people go during the day?

PG: During the summer they go to the parks and out on the rocks. Many also sit on the benches along Franklin Ave. and just watch the people walk by.

During the winter, they spend their time in the library or in malls. The winter is a hard time to be homeless.

N/N: So what's the answer to solving the problem?

PG: A rent cap would be nice! I also think the entire community needs to work together and re-evaluate its priorities. Why have we let housing prices get out of control? These issues need to be addressed before there is a crisis in this city.

N/N: Are members of the community making significant contributions to the Salvation Army?

PG: Definitely. We have close to 140 volunteers who are the lifeblood of the organization. We also get a lot of corporate support. Companies like Diavik and the Co-op donate food ... and employees of the Bank of Montreal volunteer to work in the soup line during lunch hour.

N/N: Could you use more volunteer support?

PG: Oh yes, always. I think if everyone in the community donated just a little bit of their time, this would be a much better place to live.

N/N: Is this job ever depressing?

PG: It can be when you start asking "Am I helping you or am I enabling you?" Sometimes you need to take a step back to realize you are helping people.

N/N: Given the immense workload and high burnout rates, why do you work at the Salvation Army.

PG: Well, I'm a Bible-thumping Catholic. I believe this is my calling. I realized that I can make a difference, and that was my big thing.

Society takes away the dignity (of homeless people). We need to restore dignity and give hope to the hopeless.