the social outreach worker thread

[Odinson]

I generally have a low opinion of them..



Just that I know what kind of people usually apply for these jobs.

Liberal arts majors, who else.

I remember them from school times and their motivations behind their choice of profession..



They were being very witty in choosing a less demanding job and they often thought of construction professionals as idiots.





Very few of them chose these professions because they wanted to help people.

[Anonymous]

I generally have a low opinion of them..



Just that I know what kind of people usually apply for these jobs.

Liberal arts majors, who else.

Teach English in Asia, the civil service or barista at Starbucks. That's what they do. My boy did the second one.

[@realAzhyaAryola]

I am very pleased that there are those who would do this work because I cannot. My hats off to them. I am strong but not that strong. Every day of dealing with social outreach will probably depress me. Whatever their reasons are for doing this kind of work, they go there daily to do the work. Good. I'm too busy with my life I can't be bothered with what drives people to do whatever they do.

[Anonymous]

I am very pleased that there are those who would do this work because I cannot. My hats off to them. I am strong but not that strong. Every day of dealing with social outreach will probably depress me. Whatever their reasons are for doing this kind of work, they go there daily to do the work. Good. I'm too busy with my life I can't be bothered with what drives people to do whatever they do.

Their paychecks would depress the hell out of me.

[Gaon]

That would be Blurt. It must be a heart wrenching job.

Agree. Every day would bring new heart wrenching situations.

The underclass in Vancouver is really destitute.

True. Van has so many. I had thought Blurt worked in Victoria??

Maybe he does. I assumed he lives in Vancouver.

[Anonymous]

Bump

[Blurt]

Thanks for the bump, Fash.  ac_hithere  Hadn't seen this thread.



I live and work in Victoria. Came here in the falll of 2016 from la Belle Province. This is a return for me, as I lived here for a couple of years in the late 90's and for just over three years in the mid-80's. Montreal is my home. Victoria is my home, too.



Per capita, Victoria has a bigger problem with homelessness than does Vancouver. The weather here is much more clement than in Vancouver. It rains far less. They call this part of BC "Canada's South Pacific" for good reason. It's also the end of the line. No wonder those with no fixed address wind up here.



I would agree that there are many people who become social outreach workers for the wrong reasons. Then again, many people become cops or technicians or rig pigs for the wrong reasons, as well. That doesn't mean they're not good at what they do, though.



I was invited into the field by social workers and outreach workers who knew me and who believed I might have a certain talent for the work. I took to it like a duck to water. My enthusiasm for the work I do stems from the fact I feel a certain affinity for marginalized populations. Also, I'm a cool customer when under pressure; weapons, overdoses, psychotic rages, cops, brawls and rumbles, accidental deaths, ambulances, end-of-life dramas... bring 'em on, we'll sort this out right quick. I bathe in it every day and, as it turns out, thanks also in part to my experience as a security worker, I'm very good at de-escalating individuals and stuations, in calming things down and making sure cooler heads prevail.



As Leo himself has said elsewhere, people working closely with humans in crisis can, and eventually will, burn out. I avoid this by looking at human crisis not as proof of how ugly and savage we humans can be but as proof of how fragile we actually are. In that sense, I feel there's an element in my work that's akin to spiritual work for me. To remember, and even to honour, that fragility.



I don't know if I'm in this field for the right reasons. It certainly feels like I am..



About the money part, yeah, so it's not the highest salary in the world (anywhere between $20 and $28 an hour) but the incredible satisfaction I derive from earning a living in a way that coheres with my most deeply held beliefs and cherished values more than makes up for the low-ish wages.



Also this: the kind of work I do is almost at the bottom of the list for professions and occupations that are threatened by automation. I won't be out of a job any time soon.

[Bricktop]

Thanks for the bump, Fash.  ac_hithere  Hadn't seen this thread.

Hey, I started the trend!!!



You're welcome!!



 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Blurt, that clears the confusion about where you live..



I had a pretty good of what your job entails because I know volunteers who do it..



The pay is a little better than what I thought it would be..



I expected slightly higher than minimum wage..



That's good you can earn enough money to live doing something you enjoy..



And yes, Victoria has more homelessness per capita than any city in Canada I've been to.

[Anonymous]

Per capita, Victoria has a bigger problem with homelessness than does Vancouver. The weather here is much more clement than in Vancouver. It rains far less. They call this part of BC "Canada's South Pacific" for good reason. It's also the end of the line. No wonder those with no fixed address wind up here.

That is true. But, the homeless in Victoria seem less messed up and aggressive. I saw a lot able bodied young homeless people that didn't appear crazy or hooked on drugs. That is just a casual observation of a tourist like me. But, Victoria being a tourism centred city it would make sense that the homeless beggars are a little different too.

[Anonymous]

I became a rig pig because I really wanted to make a difference and help people.

[Bricktop]

I became a cop so I could get half price burgers.

[Blurt]

You guys!  :001_tongue:



You're so... you know... funny!

[Blurt]

Thanks for the bump, Fash.  ac_hithere  Hadn't seen this thread.

Hey, I started the trend!!!



You're welcome!!



 

You did, yes.



After all, there must be some reason for your legendary status, Leo.



 ac_biggrin

[Anonymous]

I became an administrative assistant because I don't have a university degree.