The Advocacy Office Helping Our Clients Through Our Connections in the Community
We had been working with Carl on his Disability Application following an injury at work. He was finished with EI and was now on Social Assistance. We received a call from his housing provider that they were concerned about his rent getting paid and could we assist in arranging for it to be paid directly from Social Assistance so he wouldn’t lose his housing. We have developed a good relationship with this group over the last 15 years. We have also been working with WorkSafe BC in regards to his Disability Application, and they called us to offer any assistance they could. WorkSafeBC doesn’t work with many non-government groups. Recently, another Housing provider we know called to ask for our assistance to try and get a rent subsidy for one of their tenants who is struggling financially. They called us because they respect the work we do even though we end up assisting tenants against them in a tenancy hearing. We also call on them when we need housing help. These community relationship are very important to our work and it takes a long time to build this respect and these connections.
Writen by Ellen Silvergieter, The Advocacy Office Directory @ St. Paul's Anglican Church.
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