Bernardine Thompson, 72
Bernardine Thompson has experienced homelessness twice in her 70-some years of life.
First, as a teen when Thompson — who identifies as nonbinary — ran away from home as she was dealing with her sexuality.
She lived at a girls’ residence for a time before couch surfing and later entering a convent for a year.
“I didn’t realize ... I was technically homeless because I didn’t have a permanent address,” she said.
The second time came in Thompson’s early 60s, when she moved back to Hamilton from Edmonton after learning her twin sister was dying from cancer.
She did not have a place to stay and did not know where to turn.
“There’s no posters that say, ‘This is where you can go,’ so I struggled with that.”
Having spent her time out west working with the Operation Friendship Seniors Society helping to find shelter for hard-to-house individuals, Thompson said she found it challenging being on the receiving end of assistance.
She had spent 20 years working at Bell Canada before taking a buyout and had held an assortment of other jobs at hospitals, post offices and insurance companies.
“The difficult part was reaching out because I was helping people,” she said. “I had taken social work classes at Ryerson (University) in Toronto and all of that, and then I had to turn around and ask for help and I had a hard time saying I needed help.”
After finding herself in unsafe housing situations, Thompson eventually connected with Good Shepherd’s Steps to Health — a health and lifestyle program for adults with a mental health diagnosis.
There, she connected with folks who invited her to take part in a “How’s The Weather?” conference, which was one of the early outcomes of the Women’s Housing Planning Collaborative.
Through the committee, she learned of Good Shepherd’s apartment for seniors on Pearl Street North, got her name on the waiting list and was one of the first tenants to move into the building when it opened in 2012.
Now part of the HOMES (Housing with On-site, Mobile and Engagement Services) program, which provides housing and support to people living with mental health issues who have experienced homelessness or are at-risk of it, Thompson has a worker who helped get her place organized and get her back cooking again.
The frequent visits have left Thompson feeling more secure as a senior living alone.
“I’ve been spoiled,” she said. Because of Thompson’s experiences, she said she believes its important to give back, which she does through volunteer work, including at New Vision United Church.
“Yes, we’ve been down, but we’ve got to pick ourselves up and go forward,” she said. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”