MONTREAL- Listening and intervention might be an accurate technical description of the work done at Face-a-Face but in fact the group very well might be saving lives.
One of the 1,600 annual users of the service told CTV Montreal that he has found great support at the downtown centre in his battle against a past fraught with drug addiction and criminality.
"When you walk in the doors here and talk to the counselors you're not a loser at all, you're somebody," said Alfred.
The group, founded in 1982 in the CLSC at the Guy Metro station, started out by listening to and helping those who felt the need to share their problems.
Although they've moved their offices one block west, they've kept faithful to their mission, thanks partly to Executive Director Grace Fontes.
"We have an excellent team and a lot of that is thanks to Grace," said colleague Spike Coles. "She knows how to make people feel comfortable."
Fontes, for her part, enjoys the challenge of helping a clientele who often have serious problems.
"We're not looking at the people using our services as problems, we see them as people who are struggling with a variety of issues," said Fontes.
The prevailing atmosphere at the centre is one of hope, she feels, as her colleagues remain inspired by the challenges and clients also remain committed to moving forward.
"I work with people who want to help, who have a sense of ideology and social justice," said Fontes. "And I work with people who work hard to get better to recover. So I come in everyday."
For people like Albert, the resource is a precious jewel in the city's health service crown.
"I used to go into Face-a-Face at the CLSC and cry my eyes out because I was lost and I felt useless because after spending all that time in prison. They just throw you out with no support system," he said.
Albert offers higher praise for Face-a-Face than he does for the prison system.
"They saved my life," he said.
