Meet Fabrice Guerrier, evening and night supervisor

Could you introduce yourself?

My name is Fabrice and I've been a supervisor at the Old Brewery Mission for nearly three years. I mainly work evenings and nights but I've covered pretty much every shift at one point.

What did you do before joining the Old Brewery Mission?

That’s a good question. I've had quite a varied career. I worked in fitness for a long time and was involved in various programs, one of which gave people experiencing homelessness access to a gym.

Then I worked as a counsellor with young people and people with substance abuse issues. I also worked with seniors and individuals with mental health challenges. After that, I became a consultant for non-profits and small businesses, then a teacher, and now my career path has brought me here. I studied management and social services, but there were aspects of community work that I hadn't explored, including homelessness.

What are your responsibilities as an evening supervisor?

The evening supervisor follows up on the events of the day. I’m like a shift leader. I'm the point of contact for all of the Old Brewery Mission’s buildings, since everything goes through the Webster, where we are now. It’s a job that demands analytical skills and field knowledge. You have to be able to trust the teams. I deal with crisis situations and I’m the contact person for our partners, such as police forces and emergency services. Basically, I'm the conduit for an entire care and intervention ecosystem.

I also interact with clients and sometimes I’m called upon to intervene directly. When first aid is required, I'm usually the person who delivers it. If I have one piece of advice, it's not to take things personally. Most of the time, the frustrations people express are really about other things, not me. That's how I look at it. When I talk to someone experiencing homelessness, I try to understand their circumstances and do my best to help.

What's your schedule like?

My schedule is somewhat atypical, but it suits me well. I generally work between 20 and 25 hours a week here. The rest of the time I do some consulting, I teach international business management at a CEGEP and support non-profit organizations. I’m also a first aid instructor. I do a lot of things!

Do you do a lot of volunteering?

I've been involved with a youth centre for 8 or 9 years. In fact, I recently received the Claude-Masson award in the young volunteer category at the 28th Prix Hommage bénévolat-Québec. A new breed of community-based social entrepreneur is emerging, and I believe there are some things the community sector can teach the business sector.

I try to use my expertise to bridge the gap between the two. But you always have to put the individual first. Respecting the Old Brewery Mission’s mission and values is important to me. So that means helping people out of homelessness. There are various approaches, but the goal is always the same. Volunteering gives me the opportunity to give back. It’s a way to be socially responsible and help others.