Awesome Pivot office manager comes back with courage
Vancouver, March 30, 2009 - Pivot Legal Society is extremely proud to announce that its office manager Tina Tomashiro has won a Courage to Come Back Award.
Coast Mental Health's Courage To Come Back Awards celebrate people who have inspired others as they have courageously battled back from illness, adversity or injury. Through Courage, British Columbians are acknowledged for their accomplishments, positive attitudes and willingness to give back to their communities.
Awards are given in six categories including: mental health, physical rehabilitation, medical, addiction, social adversity and youth.
John Richardson, executive director of Pivot Legal Society said Tina is a very important element in the Pivot office and she is a "constant advocate for Downtown Eastside residents who visit our office, and goes far beyond any reasonable call of duty in assisting them."
Paul Ryan, director of Hope in Shadows, added that Tina not only contributes a lot to the success of Pivot's campaigns, but to the Hope in Shadows project, often staying late and coming in on weekends so that street vendors can buy the Hope in Shadows calendar and book to sell on the street. "I have worked with Tina since she started volunteering for Pivot in 2006. She has come such a long way - she's a real inspiration to all of us."
Read article Tina Tomashiro: Her Life goes from Fearful to Awesome in The Province.
Tina Tomashiro: Her Life goes from Fearsome to Awesome. Photo by Nick Procaylo, The Province
Tina's rise to success
The Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Canada’s poorest neighbourhood, is home to some of the toughest streets and roughest SRO hotels in the world.
One resident, Tina Tomashiro, knows it only too well – she was once one of many there lost in mental illness and addiction. Today, she brings help and hope to people on those same streets.
In 2002, Tina was the victim of a violent sexual assault that severely compounded her schizophrenia and depression symptoms. Fighting such illnesses takes up much of a person’s time and strength.
The symptoms can wreak havoc on interpersonal relationships – it is hard to trust, and hard to focus clearly long enough to make meaningful decisions, such as finding a place to live. Like countless others with a serious mental illness,
Tina struggled for years to find an accurate diagnosis, proper medication and a home. Plagued by anxiety and paranoid thoughts, she used street drugs to mask her pain.
Ironically, a suicide attempt in 2005 offered the first glimmer of hope for Tina. She connected with a physician she trusted and began working with him to find the right medications for her. She took charge of her own care and developed a self-awareness and dedication to her own stabilization that impressed the doctor.
Within 6 months of being on the correct dosages, she “accidentally” quit smoking crack and also stopped using cocaine and heroine; hard to do in an environment rampant with it, and she began to undertake other impressive new challenges.
Tina began volunteering as a receptionist at Pivot Legal Society in an attempt to “get back into life,” and was eventually accepted into a five-month internship there through a program run by the Portland Hotel Society. At the end of her internship she accepted a full-time position, ending her reliance on provincial disability assistance.
It was a great fit, and the understanding work environment gave her the courage to further her education so she is now well on her way to becoming a certified paralegal.
Her job performance is testimony to what DTES residents living with a mental illness can achieve: she has earned several raises and promotions, trains new people, manages a law office, and much more.
Tina’s dedication does not end inside the walls of her job. As a volunteer, she spearheaded a program to create a community garden project and annual barbecue at her hotel, applying for and receiving a $500 Neighborhoods Small Grant three years in a row.
She has reached out to DTES residents in an annual photography contest, handing out cameras and urging friends and neighbours to submit their pictures. She has even taken part in a documentary about the DTES, speaking with poise and honesty about her situation and her community’s needs because she understands first-hand the struggles of people living there.
Despite her mental illness, Tina is an active and contributing member of her community. She has suffered in her life but continues to be positive, eager to help and full of kindness, a woman of great integrity who others describe as dedicated and gracious.
On any given day, Tina can be seen zipping around the downtown eastside on her rollerblades or her new electric scooter, stopping only to help someone in need – even a stranger. Without intending to, Tina has become a wonderful role model and a leader in her community.
Tina Tomashiro, named as recipient in CTCB Mental Health category
Tina, will receive her Courage To Come Back Award at the 11th Annual Gala Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver on Thursday, April 30.
The Gala is a fundraiser and open to all who would like to attend. For tickets, call 604-675-2328 or purchase online at www.coastmentalhealth.com
