At Your Service: Finding Connection In A Clinic

I drove to the Community Centre through a deluge of rain. Despite the miserable weather, I felt light, happy and relieved. It was my turn to get the Covid-19 vaccination. 

Outside I was greeted by a woman with a giant smile, the kind you can’t see behind a mask but know is beaming. My health check was completed by a lady who asked about symptoms with a gentle, musical pitch in her voice, as if she hadn’t recited this same question ten thousand times before. A young man escorted me to the check-in station, with the kind of liveliness you’d expect from a host walking you to a coveted patio table. My check in process was completed by a woman with the cheerfulness and professionalism one would see at a five star hotel. I was directed to a line-up to wait for my shot, marveling at how efficient and seamless the process had been. I was blown away by hospitality. 

The woman directing the line was animated and enthusiastic, engaging in conversation with everyone around her. I asked her, “Do you work in tourism or hospitality?” She gestured to the team I had just encountered, held her head high and proudly said “we all do.” Her voice lowered, “or at least we did. It’s been a hell of a year. But we’re so grateful to be able to help with the roll-out.”

She is one of 1400 tourism and hospitality workers across BC working to support the vaccine clinics in partnership with the Provincial Government. Called into help, the industry rose to the occasion, turning a clinic into a place for connection. 

I started to cry when the needle went into my arm. So much of this year has been heartbreaking and dismal, but we’ve worked hard to adapt. We’ve grieved but also grown. We’ve been isolated but also found a sense of community. Tourism and hospitality professionals have weathered a very intense storm, but have stepped up in service. And who better to serve our communities than the people who know service best?

I took my sticker - and selfie - and left the community centre feeling like a giant weight had fallen off my shoulders. The rain had stopped. I watched the clouds part and the sun pour through. The light is coming… we can finally see it.  In the meantime, we here at WORTH Association want to ensure you have the tools and resources you need for your mental health. In this issue you’ll find tips for getting better sleep, creating a mindfulness practice, managing anxiety and free and low cost resources for accessing mental health support. Please share widely, as we never know who may be secretly struggling.