THE BATTLE WITH SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR A HOMELESS TO RECEIVE HER MONTHLY CHEQUE!!!

A few weeks ago, a female Native Friend of mine was suddenly homeless.

She had a little dispute with her Landlord and ended on the streets.

I will call her - Susan!!!

To make matter worst? She got cut off from her monthly check.

Now? I have known this girl for over 4 years and she's one tough cookie.

She always manage to continue on with her life.

She immediately < Took a cab > went to the Office and left her papers with the Receptionist but her case worker never contacted her.

On Wednesday, I noticed that she was very stressed out because she had some difficulty with her Case worker at Social Development.

I was told that her case worker wouldn't give Susan's monthly check until she had a fixed address.

But we all know that you need money to locate a roof over your head.

I told her that I would go with her on Thursday morning.

So? The first thing to do is find a ride to that Social Development Building where it's located in nowhere land.






Ohhhhh...that's right!!!

There's no Bus Transit to that needy place anymore!!








OK..... We must go at the John Howard Society in Fredericton!!!

The Government announced last month that the John Howard Society will help the less fortunate to get to that needy place.

Once there, we were told that they will only pay out for a first-timer who's going to apply for Social Assistance.

If any other reason that I should go at Social Development? I should contact the case worker!!!!

Well Susan did just that!!!!







Guess what??? It was an answering machine!!!

This is worst than those Call Centres!!!!

So? We had a problem!!! There was no way to get to the Welfare Office because there was no Bus and we had no money!!!

I said - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

I was going to bring my concerns to the Bureaucrats at the Head Office on King's Street!!!

I might add that Susan has a bad heart so she couldn't walk up the huge hill to the Welfare Office.

On my way to face the top Bureaucrats of Social Development? I noticed Peter waving at me from his truck.






Who is Peter?

He runs That Meeting Place in Fredericton.

Click below for the Blog I wrote when Kelly Lamrock met the Less fortunate in that Building.



Kelly Lamrock did a wonderful job



After thanking Peter for the ride. We walked inside the Social Development Building.

Susan asked the receptionist if she could see her Case worker???

She was directed to a booth where she could use the phone. Looks like something you would find in Prison?





Bingo!!!! She didn't get the case worker's answering machine this time.

It was her case worker at the other end.

I was told Susan was directed to the same booth the last time she wanted to chat with her worker.

After 5 minutes, the case worker insisted that she needed a Fixed Address to continue receiving her disability check.

Susan was getting nowhere with her case worker so she handed me the phone.

I said - Hi there!!! My name is Charles LeBlanc and I wish to known the reason you refuse to meet with your client face to face???

The worker quickly answered - She never asked me for a meeting face to face?

I shot back - She would like to meet you now!!!

The case worker agreed to come down and meet her client.

Before she came down? Susan told me this will be the first time she ever met her Case worker.

15 minutes later, the Case worker came to the scene and we were directed to a room where the meeting was going to be held.







The young case worker < I won't mention her name > walked behind the counter with a blank paper.

She listened to our concerns and said - There's nothing I can do until you fill up this paper giving us a Fixed Address!!!

This was a young case worker who was going by the rules and THAT WAS THAT!!!

At one point, the case worker must have been surprise that someone was fighting for Susan's rights?

I told her that I met with Minister Kelly Lamrock and we did discuss her case.

She replied - Did Kelly Lamrock gave you authorization for me to give Susan her cheque???

At that point? I began thinking - What kind of question is that anyway???

I shot back - Of course not!!!

Can you imagine if I would have told the case worker - Yes, Kelly gave me the OK!!

The cops would have been at my door that same evening!!....lol

Well? We were getting nowhere with her so I asked to speak with her Supervisor!!!

I might add that I was very stern. I said - I don't know what's going on here?? Maybe it's because she's a Native???

This woman is very stressed out because of this issue and if she dies??? Someone has to be held responsible for her death.

The case worker went to look for her Supervisor. I was ready for a good confrontation about this emotional issue.

Five minutes later, the Supervisor walked in the room and I said - YOU????? YOU'RE THE SUPERVISOR????

I won't mention any name. But I will add that it was my case worker. This women has been in the system for over 100 years!!!

When I first met her? It was just like dealing with a robot. She has a reputation of going by the rules and that's the way it is!!!

After months of battling with her? I found out she's a sweetheart. < Takes a long while to get to know a person >

But this had nothing to do with me so I knew this was going to be a huge battle of the Titans.

The same approach was used! She needs a fixed address!!!!

I told my case worker that she was homeless and she needed money to locate a new place.

HOW CAN SHE FIND A NEW PLACE WITHOUT ANY MONEY????

I made myself very clear that this wasn't a fraud case!!! If it was? I wouldn't be standing here with her!!!

After 10 minutes of a heated exchange? We were getting nowhere!!!

I said - OK!!!! THAT'S IT!!!! I'M GOING DOWN AT THE HEAD OFFICE ON KING STREET AND MEET WITH HER BOSSES!!!!!

My case worker knows me very well. She knows when I say that I'm going to do something? I do it!!!!

She said that she'll grant Susan her check but once it comes to April 1st? She must have a fixed address in place.

So? Susan will get her regular check on Monday.

Everything turned out great!!

Was I done???

Of course not!!!

NOT FROM A LONG SHOT!!!

I asked my case worker if she would pay for a cab for we can get back to the City?

She told me there was no system in place to drive us back to the South Side.

I said- COME ON!!! THE GIRL HAS A BAD HEART!!!

No go!!!

So? Minister Kelly Lamrock told the media that a system was in place but it's not true!!!!

I might add all these new changes to the Economic Unit Policy he mentioned during my interview?

Click below fro interview -

Minister Kelly Lamrock sits down with Blogger



My case worker didn't know any of them!!!!

Before leaving, I pointed at Susan's case worker and said - From now on? Try to meet your clients face to face!!!!

Some of these workers feel more comfortable dealing with their clients over the phone than face to face because they can just say - RULES ARE RULES OVER THE PHONE!!!

It's a total different ball game once you meet the clients face to face.

So? It was cold but we had to make the long walk to Downtown Fredericton!!!!




A short cut through the St.Mary's First Nation!!!





HEY???? HERE COMES A CAB!!! MAYBE THE THE CASE WORKERS HAD A CHANGE OF HEART????




Sadly, the cab just kept going!!!!


HEY???? MAYBE THIS COULD BE SUSAN NEW FIXED ADDRESS?????




Better than nothing eh???...:P




Across the Westmorland Bridge...COLD WIND!!!!





The thing that bothers me the most with this issue? If I would have never step forward to help this poor girl? I don't believe she would have gotten a Cheque?

How many other people around this Province had to endure this same BULLSHIT????

Doesn't seem to be fair.

These case workers are there to help the less fortunate in this Province.

Natives or Non-Natives!!!

They should go out of their way to meet with them face to face!!!

This communication over the phone style must come to a stop!!!!

I must begin another crusade to get proper transportation to that needy place!!!!