GC&E Reflection Paper for ECEP-232 Understanding and Communicating With Families

Visiting my agency Good Sheppard my eyes were opened to a lot of different reasons for why

people go to homeless shelters. One specific element that had a major impact on me was that

being at the agency made me feel so sad. Because talking to the priest he explained to me that

not only homeless people come to this shelter. People that come to this shelter can have homes

but are struggling to make ends meet. An example he gave us of people that might come into the

agency are seniors, and people with children, but the agency is for men so if women of people

with children come in they are re-directed to another agency that could help them also given

information on that agency. Seniors who are retired aren’t getting enough pension to provide for

a roof over their head plus food so they have to make a decision on either keeping their houses

and mortgage or food so that is how they end up at the agency. This really impacted me because

I have grandparents and I wouldn’t want my grandparents to be struggling and not tell I and my

family anything about their struggles because I would want to help my grandparents as best as

possible. Also when I look at my life I realize how lucky I am to have 2 parents who can provide

for me and give me everything I have ever wanted and it makes me sad to know that there are

people with families who cannot afford to feed their children and sometimes even go days

without eating.

I learnt a lot about 2 specific agencies from other group presentations for example Birkdale

Residence and Variety Village. I never heard anything about these 2 agencies before I learnt that

Birkdale Residence is for teens who are pregnant and have nowhere to go when families, friends

and even partners turn their backs on them. The agency gives a homes to teens who are 16 and

pregnant also they provide them with money for their financial situation and give them

counselling for them to get back on their feet for example get a job, and a place of their home.

The agency also provides school age program for the girls to be there and get an education, the

girls can attend a workshop about parenting and life skills about jobs and the building is wheel

chair accessible for girls with disabilities. Also I would’ve never thought that being a Residence

like that you would have a curfew but the girls do after 1 they must be back and not allowed boys

after late evening hours. The agency called Variety Village at first hearing the name I thought it

was a place where you can donate clothes like good will but then I learnt that it’s a place for

people and children with or without disabilities to go hang out and workout. The agency is

created with everything accessible to people with disabilities and people without disabilities for

example the workout machines they have can be transformed into a workout machine for

someone in a wheel chair. This center is in Whitby and I learned that people with disabilities its a

bit of an incontinence because in order for them to get down to that center they need to book a

public wheel transit at least 42 hours before and I never knew that I thought you could call

whenever you want to go somewhere and they will come immediately, also if you’re not waiting

on the bus an hour before and they come they will leave without you. I really enjoyed learning

about Variety Village because I think it’s a really good idea to have a center for people with

disabilities to go and a place for them to feel safe and can be around others who they can relate to

and have counselling. Financially people with disabilities don’t have to pay hst but they are

assessed to 6% of their income.