Mary*, an 82-year-old member of our community, started her journey with Wesley a number of years ago. After moving from China to Canada in 2006, her family began their Canadian life in Toronto, moving to Hamilton shortly after.
Despite being in a better place, Mary and her daughter were going through hardships. She relied on her daughter, who she lived with and who didn’t have a stable job at the time. Her daughter went through a separation from her husband, who she shared a daughter, Mary’s granddaughter, with.
Mary would collect cans and bottles on the street to return for money, often walking long distances to do so. She applied for a Permanent Residence card when she came but didn’t receive it until 2015 as her paperwork was lost after moving around. When she needed eye surgery, she needed to travel back to China to receive it because without her Permanent Residence Card, she was unable to do so in Canada.
One day, she noticed that those around her were going to Wesley’s Day Centre, which was open on Ferguson Street at the time. Curious, she followed them and discovered that Wesley had meals available, a relief as her family had very little money to spend on groceries.
Mary would go there for meals every day and listen in on conversations between other Wesley clients and staff. She used this as an opportunity to work on learning English. As she got to know people and build connections, others would ask her if she was able to receive her pension payments. She told them she didn’t even have her ID card. It wasn’t even something on her mind.
One day, she was introduced to Monica, a Wesley Housing team staff member who offered to help. Mary’s daughter was thrilled to learn that she had made this connection, and Mary was relieved that someone was able to help her.
At first, Mary was hopeful but not sure it would be possible to navigate a complicated system that was especially difficult for those with English as a second language. She didn’t want to get her hopes up about it. But once they started and she saw the impact of their hard work and dedication, she realized that there was in fact hope for a better future for her, her daughter, and her granddaughter.
Mary told Monica about her low-income situation, lost paperwork, and being unsure of where to start to get everything sorted out so she could receive the government support she was entitled to. Monica received authorization from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to speak on Mary’s behalf, which helped move the process along, and rain or shine, the pair would travel around the city together to apply for Old Age Security and her Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), support that seniors 65 years and older are eligible to receive.
The process ended up being more difficult than anticipated because Mary needed to obtain a Statutory Declaration – Separation of Legal Spouses to prove that she was no longer married. When this was finally done, Mary was able to get what she needed to support her and her family.
Throughout this journey, Mary found that Monica truly understood her, despite their language differences. Monica understood her hardship and pain and was warm-hearted in her approach to helping her. To overcome their language barrier, they would use Google translate to communicate and Monica introduced her to Michael, a Chinese-speaking Wesley staff member who agreed to help them with translation whenever possible. This ended up being more convenient for everyone, highlighting the importance of having a diverse staff with many languages being spoken and understood in order to truly help Wesley clients.
Today, Mary is very appreciative of Monica’s knowledge and dedication, and helpful she has been through it all. This support changed her life, and she is grateful for the large amount of time she spent helping her, even with such a busy schedule and other clients to support.
Mary is thrilled to finally have everything sorted out and the ability to help support her family with buying food, clothing, toys, and books for her granddaughter fills her with joy. She is no longer picking up bottles and cans, and thankfully she has the means to do so as she worries about her eyesight and risk of falling as she ages.
Mary says that from her heart, she is grateful for Wesley, and especially to Monica for her kindness and support, even considering her as part of her family now. Her story is a reminder that even if we don’t realize it, people in our community often face hardships that are complicated, and receiving the right support can be truly lifechanging.
*Client’s name and photo changed to protect privacy.
