Thirty years ago, Julie Mayer* worked as a Child and Youth worker in Guelph and rented a home with her husband, son and the family dog. On one fateful day, Julie was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that resulted in severe tissue and muscle damage. In the blink of an eye Julie’s descent into poverty had begun.

In addition to the injuries sustained from her accident, Julie struggled with addictions to drugs and alcohol. She stopped working as a Child & Youth worker and found a job doing dispatch for a delivery service. Despite the challenges in her life, Julie and her husband continued to make ends meet and found happiness in being together.

Then, in 2004, Julie’s landlord decided to sell the home he had rented to them for years. Julie and her husband struggled to find a new place to rent that would allow them to keep their 7 year old dog, Redford. Unable to find anything within their budget, they rented a country home in Damascus, located in Wellington North. It was the first time either of them had lived outside the city. The move seemed to spark a series of tragic events in the life of Julie Mayer as her move into poverty went from descent to freefall.

A few short months after moving to Damascus, Julie’s husband suddenly passed away. Two weeks later, her car broke down. Both heartbroken and stranded, Julie found herself alone and without food. It took three weeks before she worked up enough courage to call the food bank, but they were unable to deliver and she was without transportation. Local area churches gave her the same response. At this point, Julie and her dog Redford were lethargic, weak and depressed. Seeing no other option, Julie turned to the yellow pages and started to make random phone calls to social service agencies in Guelph & Wellington.

With a phone call to the Community Resource Centre Julie found the help she needed. An employee went to Julie’s home and brought her and Redford the food and supplies they so desperately needed. At that time, they told Julie about the Wellington Transportation Services program that offered rides for those without access to transportation living in Wellington County.

The transportation program provided Julie with a short-term solution to her problems, but things became even more complicated when Julie’s addiction issues made it impossible for her to pay the rent. With nowhere to turn, Julie found herself homeless and bouncing between friend’s houses before she ended up on the streets of Guelph. Eventually someone recommended that she visit the Welcome In Drop In Centre in downtown Guelph. Here she was able to connect with Sister Christine, founder of the centre, who helped get Julie into a local emergency women’s shelter, Elizabeth Place.

Sister Christine continued to help Julie until she was able to find a home. Julie reluctantly took a social housing apartment in Arthur. While she was happy to finally have a home for her and Redford, she was unenthusiastic about moving to a rural part of the county where she had few friends and knowledge of resources.
In the meantime, the Community Resource Centre helped Jane to apply for a widow’s pension and Ontario Works. Ontario Works provided Julie with the opportunity to enroll in addictions counselling and today she is proudly sober.

While it would seem as though Julie is back on her feet, she continues to face daily challenges that stem from her poverty. Living in a small town, Julie has limited shopping options and groceries are more expensive at the local market than they are in Guelph. She’d take the bus that goes between Arthur and Guelph twice a week, but it costs $28. With a monthly income of just under $400, after she pays rent and buys food and necessities, there isn’t much left to buy bus tickets. In addition, the bus schedule means that Julie would have to spend the whole day in Guelph, putting her at risk of running into old friends that could challenge her commitment to sobriety.

Despite these difficulties, Julie has developed a network of support and assistance that allow her to live a happy and healthy life. She continues to use the Wellington Transportation Services program to get to her doctor appointments, counselling sessions, Ontario Works meetings, and occasionally, a church in Palmerston that offers hygiene products and used clothing.

Life is far from perfect, however. Julie wishes she could take advantage of more programs, like the Garden Fresh Box program, and clothing exchanges that are available in Guelph. While she’s come to appreciate the picturesque nature of Arthur, she misses the social spaces that Guelph offers, like the Welcome In Drop In Centre and the Neighbourhood Groups. Instead, she’s developed and values her friendships with some of the volunteer drivers from the transportation program. In an interview, Julie talks about the first volunteer driver she had, a Mennonite woman who played gospel cassettes in her van, and spoke of her acceptance and support - “It’s like one totally different side of life comes to help the other.”

Thirty years ago, Julie never thought she would one day live in poverty. Her story is that of an individual, but it is not unique. Every day people in Guelph and Wellington County struggle with the challenges that living in poverty bring. Julie is one of the lucky ones who found the courage to ask for help and the determination to re-build her life.

* The person’s name and location details have been changed to protect their privacy. The Community Resource Centre, Neighbourhood Groups and the Welcome In Drop In Centre are funded in part by the United Way of Guelph & Wellington.