As a teenager in Vancouver, I discovered my safe space in my high school library. I spent so much time there that the librarian allowed me to volunteer regularly as a Library Assistant. I loved helping my peers navigate the card catalogues, searching for information for their school assignments. Later, I continued to gravitate to books and information sharing as a career, first as a Manager with Chapters, and then as a Librarian in public libraries. I loved being with books, but I also enjoyed meeting people, hearing their stories, and helping them to access a variety of resources, including digital ones.
My life changed in 2021 when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness and was no longer able to work in the career that I loved. Already a single mother, I was forced into poverty with my son, joining the countless others who depend on government benefits to survive. It was a shock to learn how little we qualified for as recipients of provincial disability benefits. I was also dismayed to realize how little information was available about navigating the system. Everything felt like a secret, from how to apply for a crisis supplement, to the best way to apply for subsidized housing, to discounts available to disabled people.
However, in the last few years, I have been able to use my professionally developed research skills to locate and navigate a wide variety of programs available to low-income and/or disabled people in British Columbia. Maximizing use of these programs has significantly improved our standard of living and has made the difference between barely surviving and thriving as a family. I was able to share about these resources with other families in need while volunteering with other organizations in Nanaimo.
It’s a painful reality that even as a disabled single mother living in poverty, I am privileged to possess the life skills to dig up information about these supports. I am also privileged to have a computer, a printer, internet access, and a phone so that I can complete applications and navigate the administrative processes involved. Not every disabled person in BC is this fortunate.
At the end of 2023, I felt that the time was right to launch my own platform focused on promoting helpful programs and organizations to low-income people, and I launched Poverty Advocacy Nanaimo. My passion is to break down obstacles preventing low-income Nanaimo residents from accessing supports that could improve their lives. I want to use my website, as well as PAN’s social media channels, to communicate about the wide variety of programs currently available.