His friends call him Jeff. Imagine a tall, proud guy, dark hair, in his mid-twenties and always with that big smile that makes you love being in his company. Jeff has been in the Canadian Armed Forces as a reservist in the Quebec City area for almost 2 years. He knows where he’s going. He’s the kind of guy who’s super energetic and brings people together, the kind you can always count on. Think of the guy who goes to help his friend move on a snowy Sunday. If Jeff said he was going to be there at 7:00, he’ll be there at 7:00… with his big, beautiful smile.
How are you Jeff?
Except that lately, Jeff has lost his footing. He’s had a pretty tough time. Let’s just say that he had a lot less smiles to offer. To make a long story short, the separation from the mother of his 4 year old son completely destabilized him. Usually, Jeff is full of certainties. But now, it’s as if he doesn’t know how to be a father anymore now that he’s a single parent, as if he doesn’t know where to start. The new reality of shared custody hit him hard. Jeff felt alone for the first time in a long time. Sure, his friends were there, but they weren’t sure how to help him. Jeff’s parents are outside of the Quebec City area, which didn’t make things any easier. So what to do now?
A glimmer of hope
That’s when he heard from a friend that, just like members from the Regular Force, reservists can also benefit from the services offered by the Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre. Reservists’ families and loved ones are also entitled to support from all sectors of the Valcartier MFRC. A glimmer of hope? Jeff made up his mind and called. He found moral support and comfort from the psychosocial services team. He even received valuable advice from members of the MFRC’s daycare team. Recently, he has been participating in occasional parent-child workshops and has quickly realized that others are going through the same situation as he is. It’s good to talk to people who are going through the same things we are.
After a few weeks, Jeff has slowly found his bearings and his famous smile. He feels more solid in his new life with his child and in harmony with his former spouse. Reservist Jeff received services from the MFRC free of charge. He is pleased that he called the Centre. One call was all it took for the helping relationship to begin.
What about you?
Are you a reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces? The MFRC is there for you too. You don’t live near the VMFRC? That’s not a problem. We have virtualized our services and now offer virtual consultation and support for all of Eastern Quebec: from Trois-Rivières to Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
To contact us and find out more about us and the services we offer: 1 877 844-6060 or info@crfmv.com
Our Facebook page is also a great tool: https://www.facebook.com/CRFMValcartier
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