As digital filters have become part of our everyday lives, it’s good to remember that true beauty is intrinsic: it resides in reality and doesn’t need retouching. And if they give an appearance of perfection to the images and make it possible to hide certain defects, the filters will never be able to create from scratch these essential elements of beauty which are authenticity and sincerity.
It’s the time of year when I go into the field, to meet community organizations located in the four corners of Greater Montreal. I am in listening and learning mode in front of their expertise and their commitment.
These are beautiful inspiring moments. The leaders of the community sector present their issues and their perspective to me. They describe their reality to me and allow me to have a glimpse of their daily life.
So far, my tour includes organizations working with families, seniors or people experiencing homelessness.
These organizations met share several challenges, starting with the fatigue felt by their leaders and stakeholders. The last three years have allowed no respite.
Yet, I only see smiles during my visits. I think that speaks to the relevance and resilience of these organizations. Those who work there feel useful, while others find the support they need, whether to manage a complex daily life, to learn new things, to create a network or even just to chill.
The first wish that organizations express is to be able to pursue their mission without exhausting themselves. The difficulty of obtaining long-term financing is one of the main causes of fatigue. A leader told me that she was tired of spending her days struggling with barriers that she had to overcome so that her organization could continue to offer its services, including, among other things, numerous calls for projects and administrative follow-ups. “We have been around for decades, and our impact is recognised. Why do I feel like I have to tell the same story all the time? »
A street worker spoke to me about “potentiating” the expertise of her organization, of developing its services to their full potential. She noted in passing that, although underfunded, her organization is receiving attention from France because of the innovative aspect of its approach.
Besides, I must say that street workers fascinate me. Those I meet seem to have a spring under their feet, their gait almost light, never letting themselves be beaten down by the situations encountered. I think I may have understood a small part of this attitude when one of them confided to me that the creation of the link with street youth was more important than the intervention itself. Everything is based on the bond of trust, and therefore on the human relationship.
In some neighborhoods of Greater Montreal, there are fears of an increase in armed violence. The workers see things they have never seen in neighborhoods that are said to be safe. For them, it is essential to increase the number of socialization activities, because young people are too often isolated and disengaged from their community.
In another organization, it is the kitchen activities that play this role somewhat, but so much more at the same time. While these very popular activities are primarily aimed at learning to cook, they also allow young people to leave with a few meals for the rest of the week. But I should say allowed, since that is no longer the case: with the increase in the number of participants (and food insecurity), the food is entirely eaten the same evening since for many participants, it often represents the first balanced meal in two or three days. It’s not uncommon, moreover, to see the older ones leave the kitchen to feed another member of the family, and then come back to finish the workshop… and their meal.
true benevolence
It seems to me that one of my columns would not be complete if I did not talk about housing.
All the organizations I met told me about it. A leader indicated that the seniors supported by her organization “no longer have a housing problem because they have stopped moving. No matter how clean their current accommodation is, they don’t even try to find anything else”. Same story in homelessness, where the glaring lack of social housing is pushing more and more people into the street.
But the problem, as serious as it is, is not what will discourage the workers who work in our community organizations. They have a job to do, and they know it is essential.
To see life without filters is to recognize the value of every experience, even in difficult or dark times. It is to consider existence in all its diversity and all its complexity.
People who run organizations tell me about humility and the need to take good care of the people they help, because they are the ones who show us true humanity, true benevolence.
I leave the final word to a leader of an organization dedicated to families: “Two children, even if they do not share the same language or the same culture, are able to comfort each other. It is beauty in its simplest form. »