Panic and anxiety are widespread these days among staff and clients at Sistering, thanks to the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus.
The multi-service agency supports women who were at-risk and socially isolated even before COVID-19, before governments began declaring states of emergency and people were encouraged to stay home and practice social distancing.
And yet amid the panic, Sistering’s executive director Shelley Nicholls says they’ve also seen the community around them rally to help.
“We’ve had a lot of folks asking us, ‘what do you need?’” (For the record, Sistering needs incontinence products, Tim Hortons gift cards, new underwear, new takeaway containers, and grocery gift cards.)
The offers for support are encouraging, Nicholls says, especially since some of the women Sistering supports — women who are racialized, transgender, refugees and immigrants, women with disabilities, no status, struggling with trauma, addiction, mental health and violence — are seeing empty grocery store shelves with no bread or toilet paper and “starting to struggle.”
“People come to us out of necessity,” says Martha Fralk, program director at Sistering.
The organization is trying to offer more in-home services, including grocery delivery, in the wake of cancelling its day programs.
“We’re doing the best that we can,” Fralk says, “because we do work with a very marginalized population.”
“The majority of our population will not access other spaces so we would like to stay open as much as we can.”
The mounting list of restrictions, closures and cancellations, coupled with the increasing sense of isolation made worse for some by dwindling financial reserves, is having a negative impact on mental health. And while it’s still early days, the idea that people could be required to socially isolate for months is a tough pill to swallow.
“People come to us out of necessity,” Fralk says, and now they have to balance necessity with new safety concerns. “It’s a hard tightrope to walk.”
The longer the outbreak continues, the more of an impact it’s going to have on marginalized communities.
One of the major providers of gender affirmation surgery in Canada, based in Quebec, announced on March 18 it was temporarily closing the clinic in line with Quebec government recommendations to close non-essential services to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
“We are currently working on the development of a plan that will allow us to resume our activities as soon as these measures are lifted in order to minimize the waiting time when the situation is back to normal,” the clinic wrote in a statement posted to its Facebook page.
“I feel so terrible for people impacted by this,” said a woman who did not want to be identified but who received surgery at the clinic a year ago.
“The process to get approval is stressful and takes a year or more in many cases,” she told Global News, recounting how anxious she was leading up to her procedure, that it would be cancelled for one reason or another.
“People plan their lives around the travel and recovery timelines. This is going to have rippling impacts.”
Elena Rose Vera, executive director of Trans Lifeline, acknowledged that ripple effect in an email to supporters.
“Our community already faces disproportionate poverty, isolation, and lack of access to medical care. Also, more of us are immunocompromised and deal with chronic stress. For our people behind bars in prisons and immigration detention centres, all of these struggles are magnified,” Vera wrote.
“We hear you, we hear how frightening it is… even in times like these, there are some things we can be sure of. Our commitment to caring for our people doesn’t waver — it’s our star to steer by, no matter the weather.”
Remembering the vulnerability of the women, trans and nonbinary people, Sistering services is crucial in times like now, says Nicholls.
“It’d be more likely for folks to give our participants the COVID virus as opposed to them giving it to other folks,” she says. And yet, high-pressure moments often result in racism and demonization.
It’s something Nicholls is increasingly watchful of, given that many of Sistering’s clientele are older people of Chinese origin.
“There’s a lot of hate out there and we’re not about that,” she says.
“We really want to make it through.”
If you’re a trans person struggling in Canada and in need of support, Trans Lifeline can be reached at 877-330-6366.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials say the risk is low for Canadians but warn this could change quickly. They caution against all international travel.
Returning travellers are asked to self-isolate for 14 days in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease.
If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. And if you get sick, stay at home.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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