Today we were pleased to welcome Maura from the Aboriginal Mothers’ Centre Society. She is a Dene, born in Yellowknife NWT. As a proud mum of 5 boys, she is honoured and privileged to live on the Unceded Traditional Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nation. Maura directed herself into the AMCS via being brought up in a foster home, facing being a high-school dropout, and statements to her face that she had “no future” before her, she recently completed her Masters degree in Social Work, and thereby became devoted to keeping families intact and hopeful for the future. One can readily appreciate that this is a difficult enough task within that community by itself, but that the hurdles have escalated because of the pandemic almost goes without saying.
The difficulties that the Society face are obviously formidable, one of the first to be faced being a slide into dependancy that is unfortunately so characteristic in many small and remote communities. Maura has intimate acquaintance with the limitations of resources to assist the large number of persons who now cannot easily be assisted at all (the Society’s doors have had to be closed, she hopes temporarily, to seniors in obvious need) as the need is growing to render assistance in providing food to the needy, and to address the well-publicized desperation of those who overdose, a need often mollified by the rather simple expedient of simply spending time with those in need and those who have often given up hope.
The Society’s facilities have been put under further stress by the recent need for all of the case workers to have to spend two weeks in isolation as they are faced with 15 positive Covid sufferers, and yet have to provide over 200 meals a day to others who rely upon such assistance merely to survive. She made the point that probably needed to be made, this being that the Society now not only looks after indigenous clients, but actively assists in providing assistance to other groups and organizations that have become hamstrung themselves because of the pandemic hitting their helpers and staff. Fortunately, valuable assistance to the the Society has been provided by the Food Banks … although most of us are now quite aware of the difficulties that those centres themselves face a shortage of supplies and staff.
Upon being asked what items are most needed, Maura indicated that coats, blankets and socks (the latter of which always appear very high on the list of needs for those at the trail end of society, but which last so short a time for those who need warm and dry feet) are always in demand. The place to deposit such things, especially before the coming cold weather, is 2019 Dundas. A moving and effective talk.