Melanie Hann, a social worker for the Ministry of Children and Family Development, felt like a fish out of water when she first moved to Prince Rupert from her quaint hometown in southern Newfoundland, but it wasn’t because of the landscape.

One of the first things Melanie remembers about the move is how intrigued she was by the depth of the Aboriginal culture in the small coastal community. Coming from a town with little First Nations history, she found herself wanting to learn more.

“As someone new to the community and without a strong understanding or background with Aboriginal clients, I felt a little unsure of myself,” says Melanie. She wrestled with her perceived identity. She often felt defeated. “I decided that adjusting my outlook to align more closely with the First Nations concept of family was my first goal.”

Through her work, Melanie travelled to surrounding communities to find out as much information as she could about the different nations that call the Prince Rupert area home.

“The concept that it takes a village to raise a child is actually practised day to day in the communities I work with,” she says. “Their commitment to keeping their children in their communities – and therefore in their culture – means that as a social worker, I am able to sit down with large, extended families and work with them to find solutions that are in the best interest of the children who need our protection the most.”

Intrigued by this concept and culture of family, Melanie decided to dig deeper.

She went to a beautiful little village called Metlakatla where she felt privileged to visit with the Elders and honoured to have them share their stories with her. “The feeling I got from sitting side by side, as one, with a group of Elders, listening to their historic and often traumatic stories, I can’t even describe how touching it was. I felt so welcomed!” Melanie explains.

“I quickly learned it wasn’t about how I looked or who I represented. It was all about empathy and respect, and the ability to put myself in the shoes of those I interact with.”

The path that Melanie chose was no surprise to her biggest supporter, her mother Regina Edwards.

“Since she was little, Melanie often said she wanted to grow up to be a social worker. It has always been about helping people for Melanie, and once she got something into her head, there was no stopping her.”

Despite some of the heart-wrenching situations she may encounter on a day-to-day basis where emotions run high, Regina said Melanie has the ability to set her personal feelings aside and do the job that needs to be done, always in the best interest of her clients.

As Melanie says, “Social work is a challenging yet rewarding career that one cannot survive without the support and comradery of one’s peers. The bonds that we form within the office walls are what carry us through those heart-breaking cases that would otherwise bring us to our knees.”

Today, the relationships that Melanie has built help her every day in her work, as the connections she has made, both in the office and in the community, allow her to come up with solutions that are in the best interests of the children she serves.

“Every community has people who need a little extra support, and I’m honoured to be here to help,” she says. “After all, home is where you make it. I’ve found comfort in the small things that remind me of Newfoundland, things like beautiful scenery and welcoming people.”

As Melanie attests, the one thing people need to know about social workers is: “Our lives cannot be measured in 9-to-5 increments. Our phones are always on and within reach, and our shoes are always at the ready. Despite the challenges of the job, we social workers walk through the door day after day, wearing our brave faces, ready to pick up where we left off the day before.”

Social Work Week (March 13-19, 2016) is an opportunity to honour outstanding social workers throughout the province, and to thank those who make it their life's work to truly make a difference in many British Columbians' lives. To read the proclamation, please visit: http://goo.gl/C0CRZM