Dedicated to my late father Chaitram Jagdeo – A courteous, tenacious, proud resident of Scarborough.
Originally born in Guyana, I moved to Canada at the age of 4 and have lived in Scarborough ever since. Growing up in Malvern, I saw first-hand what it was like for a community to be faced with systemic oppression. Obtaining a graduate degree in Social Work equipped me with knowledge, social justice frameworks, and the skills I needed to help dismantle barriers. Although I gained valuable experience serving communities in downtown Toronto, I saw the number of disparities my community hospitals faced and knew I needed to help.
I took it upon myself to give back to the community that helped shape who I am as a social worker. I started my career with SHN in the vaccine clinic, later transitioning into the Outpatient Mental Health Program. Eventually, I found where I belong–the inpatient rehabilitation, medicine and alternative level of care (ALC) units, where kindness, advocacy, and critical thinking goes a long way. Overall, working and living in the same community I call home has given me the privilege to be the most authentic version of myself.
To me, having that Scarborough Grit is all about determination. As a social worker in a very under-resourced area, I see the strains and gaps we face, and sometimes that puts me in a challenging position. It’s hard to balance out what somebody needs versus what we’re able to offer. But we’re always determined to do our best.
My hope for the future of healthcare in Scarborough is for everyone to have equitable access. Everybody at SHN has a lot to offer, but we don’t have all the necessary tools and resources for our community due to systematic issues. I think it’s important to support our local hospitals because Scarborough will continue to be marginalized for as long as our hospitals continue to be left behind
Haymattie Beer is one of our 11 new faces of the Scarborough Sans Family. To learn more about our campaign please visit LoveScarborough.ca