Greg Bott, Board Chair of Boyle Street Community Services, delivers a message of gratitude and encouragement to our staff and partners addressing the current COVID-19 situation.
Video Transcript:
Hey team. It’s Greg here, Board Chair of Boyle Street Community Services. As we continue to navigate our way through this beast called COVID, I want to communicate a thank you to the staff at Boyle Street, as well as the teams within our partner agencies. And recognize the resilience, recognize the strength, and most importantly to recognize the struggles. A know that a day at Boyle Street is not easy at the best of times. And that is a significant understatement. And I know that COVID has affected every facet of your lives. From how you interact with and support our community members and their families to how you converse with your colleagues. And this situation has further taken away a lot of your social and mental health outlets, like spending time with friends and family. But I also believe that a crisis can define the character of an organization and of a city. I am proud to see every organization in the inner city working together and placing the clients and the vulnerable population at the center of every single decision. Everywhere we turn we see fierce mobilization to the extent that could only have been achieved through collaboration. For example, who is providing what services and when, and the coordination of the Isolation Services at the Expo Centre. I want to say thank you to our partners in the C5. The partnership with Bent Arrow, EMCN, Terra, and Norwood has demonstrated how true partnerships work through trusting relationships with an unequivocal focus on the community. But I want to keep the focus of this video on the staff, both at BSCS and at our parent agencies. You dedicate your lives to the service of others. And I recognize that the profession often comes with great sacrifices; each and every one of you should be proud of what you continue to accomplish and for the impact that you have on our community members and their families each and every day. In these trying times, please remember to take time for your own mental health. This is something that is often forgotten when we, as a sector, and as an agency, exist to take care of others. We often forget to take care of ourselves. Take a pause and share some humor with your colleagues and recognize that they are also going through the same struggles. Remember that we have internal resources to turn to. Really, just reach out to someone and take care of your own mental health. I know our journey with addictions, poverty, with mental health and with intergenerational trauma is ongoing. And in this fight we will forever be walking side by side with our community members for as long as it takes. But COVID will have an end. And the virus will not win. And it won’t win and it won’t beat the inner city because of you, because of what you are doing to push back. I look forward to standing at the finish line to shake as many of your hands as humanly possible. You are truly remarkable people. Many thanks to you and your families for the sacrifices you make each and every day in pursuit of this mission and in support of our community members.