Lunch with: Gail Cullen

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Gail Cullen has been on the staff of the Brandon Friendship Centre for almost three decades, and has held the position of Executive Director for the organization since 2000. But over the years, she’s moved up through the ranks, because when she became part of the Friendship Centre in 1984, she was doing a much different job than she is now. (TIM SMITH/BRANDON SUN)

You started out in a what one might call an entry-level position at the Friendship Centre, yes?

That’s right. I was the janitor.

Were you moved to change your lot in life? How does one go from being the janitor to the ‘Boss Lady,’ as I notice you’ve been called in one of the affectionately handwritten certificates on your wall!?

Well, there was an opportunity for me to move into a youth-worker position, so I did that, and got some experience. Then I was the program co-ordinator and got more experience, and then the board actually promoted me to the assistant executive director. So I did that from ’92 to 2000 and then got the job as the executive director.

When you’re looking to do something, I’ve heard that it’s 80 per cent attitude and 20 per cent skill. So you must have exhibited a good attitude — being reliable, being comfortable around people, that kind of thing — when you were in your first jobs at the Friendship Centre, in order to move up through the ranks?

Attitude is crucial. And people see that — the people above you see that — and see the promotional value in you, and they continue to do that for you. And that’s really gratifying — to see that your peers see you in that way and want to promote you.

You told me earlier you’re non-Aboriginal. Is that unusual, to be involved in very much a cultural organization and not be of that culture, or are we getting to the point that we’re going back and forth between them a whole lot more?

Well, Friendship Centres are status-blind organizations, so it doesn’t matter who comes through our doors. We have a number of non-Aboriginal staff who work here.

And I guess that’s what intrigues me — as long as I can remember, the Friendship Centre has been around. It’s such a going concern! And it’s such a lovely name for an organization, instead of ‘assistance’ or ‘help’ or whatever. And when you say Friendship Centres — plural — are status-blind, the Brandon Friendship Centre is just one of many that exist across the country?

Yes — one of 118 across Canada — 11 in Manitoba.

So their reason for being is to offer support and encouragement?

When they first started back in the early ’50s, they were a place for people coming from their home communities to go. Then they evolved to being more services and programs. So any type of service we can offer, just come through the door and we try to offer it.

Was it specifically geared to the Aboriginal population to start with?

Yes. But now the doors are open to absolutely anyone who needs help.

We’ve used the words ‘help’ and ‘support,’ but what sort of services do you offer here?

We have a referral service if anyone needs help dealing with any of the systems in the community — social assistance, legal — any of those systems, we help them. We have housing, so we have low-income housing, we have transitional housing, we have an employment service — people needing help with resumes, cover letters, job searches. We have a full-time cultural worker. We have a day-care, a four-year-old pre-school, we have a pre-natal nutrition program, parenting program, a program that provides respite services for parents or caregivers with children from three to 12 who are affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. We have adult upgrading, community wellness — they come in and they do sharing circles and healing programs — and a we run a youth drop-in seven days a week. And we have the Access Exchange Service that’s offered for families where there’s been some domestic violence in the home.

That’s a lot of programming! Do you have a huge staff?

Sixty-one staff members out of the various locations — full- and part-time. The majority are full-time. We have four locations in Brandon and we run a Head-Start in Portage la Prairie.

To what end do you offer all these programs? Just for the good of the community — meaning the healthier the citizens, the more supports they have, the better community we’re going to have?

Absolutely. You start out with a decent place to live, then your education, your employment — everything — will fall into place. Your health will be better. Everything ties into one another. If we can help them have a better life, that’s what we’re here for.

I’m often so impressed by organizations like yours and by people like you, because while I hope I’m kind and compassionate, I know I’m not a caregiver by nature. And I presume a lot of people who come through your doors would be desperately in need of help or care-giving. Is that emotionally draining on a day-to-day basis?

It’s exciting because we are able to help the people, and there’s so many different ways we can help them. Even if it’s just sitting down and talking to them, giving them a cup of coffee, offering them a snack. Just whatever we can do to help, we’ll help.

Any idea how many people access your services on an annual basis? It probably varies from year to year...

I think last year we had 6,000 people utilize the service. And that’s through all the programs.

How do you determine success, if I can put it that way?

I guess it would just be the people who come through our doors, and who come through day after day, and utilize the services, and call for assistance when they need it. And we’re usually the first place they call if they need some help. To us, that’s success.

Are there any tough days?

There’s always tough days, but the good days outnumber the tough days. And the tough days aren’t really that tough, because it’s something we’re able to deal with — we have a professional staff and folks who are well prepared to cope with whatever is presented. We have a GREAT staff — they all know their roles, they do their jobs — I don’t have any issues.

You mentioned you’re open to everyone, but would the largest segment of your clientele be from the Aboriginal community?

Yes, probably 90 per cent or better would be Aboriginal.

If anyone was interested in seeking some of the assistance you offer, what’s the protocol? Do they just drop in? Do they phone? What do you prefer?

They can drop in, they can phone, they can email — look at our website to see what we do have to offer. And somebody will be glad to answer their questions for them.

Do you have sort of office hours or are people able to drop in most of the time?

Our main building — 836 Lorne Avenue — is open 8:30 to 4:30 so they can come anytime. The majority of our programs do operate during the day, but the Youth Drop-In is open in the evening, and our Community Wellness Program does some evening programs. Our cultural worker offers sweats on Monday evenings, and Access Exchange is evenings and weekends to address issues of family conflict and violence.

How are we doing in Brandon compared to a lot of communities? Are we doing well in looking after the people who perhaps are a little less fortunate than the rest of us?

We’re trying. And the Friendship Centre is there, helping as much as we can. The Metis Federation, DOTC — we’re all trying to help Aboriginal people the best way we can. And the city is definitely making a step in that direction.

With some of the housing that’s being constructed?

Yes. And the Aboriginal People’s Council that city council just got together.

So you’re encouraged about the future?

Yes.

And why encouraged? Are we moving past the age of being judgemental and blame-affixing to accepting and supportive, do you think? Or do we still have a long way to go?

We’re moving toward it. Steps forward are happening. Baby steps. But at least they’re forward.

To contact the Brandon Friendship Centre, call 727-1407, email bfcinc@mymts.net, or check out the website at brandonfriendshipcentre.net

Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition May 26, 2012