The “First Face” of the PEI MFRC: Meet Client Care Coordinator, Nancy Mollison

When someone walks through the doors of the PEI Military Family Resource Centre, the first face they see is Nancy Mollison, the Centre’s Client Care Coordinator. 

“It’s so important that people see an understanding face, a non-judgmental face,” says Nancy.

Her empathy and understanding for PEI’s military and RCMP families comes naturally, as Nancy grew up in a military household, was married to a military member, and served 13 years in the military herself. Being a part of a military family meant she has lived in various locations across Canada; it has also given her a level of understanding of what it’s like to be a military family. 

Prior to coming to PEI MFRC, Nancy also spent time working in other non-profits and the healthcare industry—sectors that have deepened her understanding for others’ situations and which enhanced her listening and observational skills. 

Nancy has been with the PEI MFRC right from its earliest beginnings, having spotted the job ad by chance while browsing the local paper almost a decade ago. She now uses her in-depth knowledge of the military system in her role working with PEI’s military, Veteran, and RCMP families.

Her role primarily involves being that first point of contact—whether that’s face-to-face or answering the main phone line. It’s Nancy’s job to connect with the client, to ascertain what they need, and then point them in the right direction. 

To effectively be able to help anyone who seeks it, it’s vital that Nancy remain in-the-know about all the programs, services, and resources available through the MFRC. Maintaining relationships with other MFRC staff becomes an important element of her job so that she is able to connect clients with whatever service, resource, or person they need.

“We’re not the Focus”: Increasing visibility of the MFRC in a non-base community

Because Nancy spent so much time either being a part of a military family and serving herself, she has lived all over Canada, and has, therefore, observed how the MFRC operates in various regions.

She appreciates that PEI can be, in a way, more community minded because the province doesn’t have a closed-in base type of living arrangement. She remembers what an adjustment it was when she first moved to Petawawa, not having any experience living in that kind of environment: “It was like breathing different air.”

On PEI, Nancy feels the MFRC here has a harder job than some other MFRCs because “we have to connect to the entire community.” In order to reach military families, the MFRC has to conduct regular and ongoing outreach activities throughout the Island community at large. 

The majority of Island-based military members are part-time Reservists, which means that they often balance a civilian job with their military duties. It also means that many military families have already established their support systems and may not realize that there are programs and services specifically for them. 

“We’re not the focus,” Nancy summarizes.

Thinking back over the past almost-decade since the PEI MFRC first opened its doors, Nancy recognizes the progress made, in terms of increasing awareness and visibility within the Island community. 

“We’ve definitely made strides,” Nancy observes, “and while that’s good to recognize, we also need to constantly think of what else we can do.”

PEI’s Military Culture

PEI has a unique military culture, due to its geography (a small Island), its lack of a base (no centralized location for military families), and the high percentage of Reservists, compared to Reg Force members. But just because PEI’s military families might have multiple avenues to explore when it comes to seeking assistance, that doesn’t mean they don’t require help.

In fact, Nancy is seeing a rise in the number of help requests by families—something she especially has noticed in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. 

“One thing that isn’t talked about as much is the financial need of military families,” Nancy says. She notes that it isn’t that military members aren’t paid well, but that military families are human—they’re like every family in Canada fighting inflation and cost of living.

“Some of our families may have been making ends meet before Fiona, but the added expense of that disaster has been significant,” Nancy states, citing such added expenses as property repair, insurance deductibles, and replacing lost food. “Now, they just feel adrift.”

So what can the PEI MFRC do to help families experiencing financial stress? In a word: listen.

“It’s rarely just about the money, when it comes to challenges and stress,” says Nancy. “Often, a whole range of issues are connected. So, while we might not be able to solve their financial need, we can connect them to a Registered Social Worker, and we can do so quickly…and that’s a huge thing we can offer our clients in a province where there are long waits for healthcare. Often, we can connect them to some kind of assistance within 24 hours.”

Nancy goes on to explain that outside of the MFRC, people might have to wait a long time to seek the emotional and mental help that Mary Jane Neitz, the PEI MFRC’s Family Liaison Officer and a RSW, can provide. Going through the PEI MFRC reduces that wait time. 

Additionally, Nancy and Mary Jane often work together to point clients to various provincial and national resources that provide assistance, filling in the gaps that the MFRC itself is unable to fulfill itself.

Nancy goes on to share how Hurricane Fiona, which hit PEI in late September 2022 and knocked out power to the entire province—for some residents, up to three weeks—has highlighted an evolving set of needs for PEI’s military community.

“In the days immediately after Fiona, we became an ‘unofficial warming centre’ for military families,” says Nancy. “We weren’t on paper set up to do that, but once we saw the need, we took action because that’s what our clients needed.”

The PEI MFRC provided access to showers, charging stations, and heat, but they also offered a sense of community, boosting spirits by offering cooked meals and providing space for children to play and for all ages to come together. It became an information hub for people to gather and exchange needed information; it also served to strengthen the connection between the staff at the PEI MFRC and the Island’s military families. 

“Basically, we’re there for it all.”

“I do what I can…”

It’s obvious, listening to Nancy speak, that she cares for PEI’s military community. She readily admits that she’s “always on” at work, just in case the next phone call or in-person visit is an urgent need or crisis call. In fact, it’s this dedication to helping others that has sustained Nancy throughout a career that has involved working in military, financial counselling, and healthcare industries—all areas where she has been witness to the vulnerabilities of others. 

When she needs to decompress, Nancy enjoys spending time with her now-grown twin children, pampering her two pooches, and working on the cottage she’s built with her partner. 

“I know, instinctively, what [our clients] are thinking when they walk through the door because of my background. I’m doing what I can do [to help],” Nancy explains, when asked what keeps her motivated to assist military families, day after day. “I use my education and experience to help each and every person who comes in here. Going home, at the end of the day, and knowing that I’m doing what I can…that brings peace of mind.”

Nancy invites anyone to come and see her at the PEI MFRC—no appointment necessary! To contact her directly, you can phone 902.892.8999 or email [email protected]