Church clinic clients get meals and health checks

Gloria Wiebe says her vocation as a parish nurse is a direct extension of her strong Christian faith.

"For me, the two pretty well go hand in hand," she says. "A big part of me went into nursing because of my values ... values that come from my religion."

The 66-year-old semi-retired nurse heads up the health clinic at St. James Cathedral in downtown Toronto and has worked there for more than 10 years.

Located in the Anglican church's parish house at 65 Church St., the once-a-week drop-in centre has up to 250 congregation members sitting down for a nutritious lunch. Later, they are offered quick health checkups.

"It's busy, very busy sometimes. But that's good," says Wiebe, a registered nurse who is originally from British Columbia and trained at Vancouver General Hospital.

She says street people and others living in nearby shelters or low-cost housing are among the church's congregation. Many are living with mental illness and addiction.

"It's often very easy for these people to overlook their own health," says Wiebe, who worked many years for the Victorian Order of Nurses. "A small cut could quickly and easily turn into a dangerous infection."

She says the reason the drop-in works so well is that the clients trust the workers.

"We just don't give them a bowl of soup and send them on their way ... we connect with them on a very personal level ... that's what this is all about," she says.

"We may not discuss the concept of God (with the clients), but our actions are steeped in our faith and we have an incredible respect for human life."

She says the clients pick up on the way they are treated and realize they are in a safe place where they are loved.

Preparation for the Tuesday drop-ins starts mid-morning, with a small army of volunteers who prepare a nutritious lunch of sandwiches, soup, bagels, vegetables and coffee. No one leaves hungry.

Registered nurse Nadine Cross, a part-time employee of the church, along with several volunteer nurses and Wiebe, make the rounds during, and after, the meal.

Throughout the afternoon, blood pressures are taken, wounds are dressed and pedicures and manicures administered.

If someone needs a haircut, they can be cropped on the spot while picking up vitamins, shampoo, toothpaste, various hygiene products and even clothing.

A counsellor is usually on hand to discuss personal issues such as broken relationships or a need for housing.

The clinic also looks at the bigger picture. Some patients resist getting treatment at a hospital. But Wiebe says there are legitimate channels to get them treatment and that the drop-in staff will do its best to arrange any necessary care.

The clinic can't prescribe drugs, but if a patient goes to a hospital and gets medication, staff will try to ensure he or she finishes it. Often, the clinic will hold onto the medicine, and administer it whenever they see the patient.

"It's far from perfect, but sometimes it's the only way, when you know that person won't take the medicine," Wiebe says. "We've had some real successes doing that."

Her work as a parish nurse also includes monitoring shut-ins and advocating for those too ill to do it themselves.

Wiebe explains that parish nursing is more than just a nurse working out of a church – it's a concept anchored in the faith and spirituality of religion, and incorporating science and healing.

She says the fact parish nursing receives no funding from the province – money comes from donations and the church – keeps the government at arm's length.

"This gives us the freedom to incorporate faith and spirituality as we see it," she says.