I’m a shelter worker at the Aboriginal Shelter near Vancouver’s downtown eastside. The people who come here are down on themselves. They don’t know where they’re going to turn. We help them turn that around. We help them get back on their feet.

The best part of the job is having the odd person come back and say thank you. It feels great when that happens. Working here has taught me there’s a good side to everyone.
 

One day I had a couple come in to thank me. They had lost everything and they came in to tell me they found a job and found a place to live. Right after that a guy came in and said if we weren’t around he’d harm himself. He was a big guy and he was crying. I’ll never forget that day. These are the kinds of things that keep me going.
 

Ted Francis has been a shelter worker at The Aboriginal Shelter since 2008. He has been a social services provider for more than three decades.

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