Altogether better: Help us tell the stories of social care in BC
As many of you know, next month with be marked as Community Social Service Awareness Month in BC. It is an opportunity to recognize and raise awareness about the value of social care and the impact our sector has on the lives of vulnerable children, youth, and families in this province.
The unfortunate truth is that many people don’t understand that government social workers are only one half of the puzzle. They don’t know about the other half—about us. Few people understand that many of the social services provided by government are actually delivered by community organizations. The fact that this isn’t widely known is a big problem when it comes to advocating for a better social care system.
It’s also the reason you won’t hear much about Community Social Service Awareness Month. All of our dedicated, hard-working staff would rather do the work than explain why it’s important. They’re too busy caring for foster children, the elderly, the homeless, and people with addictions.
Raising awareness about community social services
Most people are aware of nurses and teachers and doctors and the role they play in society. We need to make them just as aware of the youth support workers, foster parents, counsellors, outreach workers, and countless others that make our communities happy and healthy.
That’s why we’re planning something special for this year’s Community Social Service Awareness Month. We are going to partner with our member organizations (any and all Federation members that want to take part) to create an awareness campaign of editorials and social media posts that tell the story of our sector and raise awareness about social care.
Imagine community newspapers across the province running op-eds written by those very same youth support workers, foster parents, counsellors, and outreach workers all telling their story—why they do this work, what kinds of services and supports are available that people might not know about, and the impact these programs have on local communities. Our goals are to inspire people to support these community programs and to invite people to access support.
Supporting social care and accessing support
Don’t worry. Our Federation staff will do most of the heavy lifting. All you need to do is connect us with a staff member willing to share their story and talk about why they do what they do. After a short interview, our team will craft an op-ed draft for you to review and send to the press and also prepare posts for your social media platforms. Contact our Communications Coordinator at marshall@fcssbc.ca today if you or a coworker of yours want to take part.
This Federation believes that social care is a human right. And as such, people need to know that the supports you offer are available to them. The social care sector has been ignored and misunderstood for a long time and we need to change that. Let’s show the province of BC what it really means to be Altogether better. Our Federation members work in over 250 communities across BC and each community has a story that needs to be told. We hope to hear from you soon!
Rick FitzZaland
Federation Executive Director