Enabling!

This topic is brought up a lot in our community. We are blamed for enabling those who are unhoused, in active addiction, struggle with mental health, and families who need snacks for their children.

The first step is to know what enabling is!

Enabling can be in programs if they are mismanaged, but enabling is mostly seen within family and friend units with those who struggle with addiction and mental health.

What enabling looks like:

Denial                                                     

Covering up

Financial support

Rescuing

Taking on responsibilities and then feeling resentful

Lying to cover for someone

Covering bills

Taking over some of the person’s responsibilities

and so much more.

Here is a link to what we do. This link shows what we do, what other services do in town, and what we do that is similar to other programs (highlighted in green).

In our community, certain people like to lay the blame for homelessness and addiction at our feet. We did not create the current problem in Sarnia; however, we are working to fill gaps, keep people alive, and create meaningful, lasting connections.

Our program evolves as the needs of the person change, such as when they go from unhoused to housed but still need the supports to keep them housed and learning life skills.

Yes, we meet every single person where they are, and yes, we are 100% judgement-free. Why? Because the stigma that comes with poverty, addiction, mental health, etc causes enough guilt, trauma, and just supports the cycles that need to be broken.

For some, it is the first time they have felt truly cared about.

We do not encourage any form of substance use, but we encourage safe supplies, Narcan, and never using alone!

We don’t want to see them in encampments; we want to see them housed, but we also teach how to winterize tents, cook safely, and heat safely.

We are one of the ONLY programs that are called enablers. We are one of the only programs blamed for the crisis in our city.

Where should the blame sit? Municipal governments, provincial governments, federal governments. Programs that remained broken for years, with no one speaking up.

Our program enables only this: Connection, Support, Love, Understanding, Survival, and Access to other services.