Building Connection

It’s really great to see that people, who three or four years ago, you would say, “Fuck, that guy, he’ll never get a job” or, you wouldn’t bet on it. [Now] they’re actually engaged and committed to showing up to these shifts, and actually very enthusiastic about what they’re doing. It’s wonderful to see.

Since I became a harm reduction worker, I’ve seen my positive energy, or my positive work, spread throughout the community. Where there’s people that come to me every week saying, “Hey guess what? I started working at South Riverdale [Community Health Centre] next week. I got into the Hep C program”. It just goes on and on and on and on… and even up to last week, there were three people that came to me and said, “I’m starting here. I’m starting at St. Steven’s [an organization]. I’m starting in South Riverdale”.

That part of it makes me feel really good – that people are actually… the work is showing-off in that way, where people are actually getting on board and actually getting reconnected to community in a positive way.