Martine Austin Creasor’s mission to break the cycle of poverty

The Sarnia Journal has partnered with local photographer Art Connolly to feature his captivating “Humans of Sarnia” series as he delves into the lives and experiences of everyday people in Sarnia.

Sometimes, the most meaningful work we do in life begins with a moment when someone makes us feel seen, understood, and valued. For Martine Austin Creasor, that moment came during her high school years in Sarnia. The kindness of one social worker would stay with her for decades, ultimately helping shape a career devoted to supporting others and improving lives across Lambton County. 

Born in England, Martine was eight years old when her family immigrated to Canada. She grew up with her older and younger sisters and her parents, who had made the difficult decision to leave their extended family behind in search of new opportunities. 

“There was a big shortage of skilled trade individuals, and that prompted my dad to pick up and move,” Martine explained. 

Her father, a steamfitter, plumber and welder, began working at Union Carbide and eventually moved to Novacor. Although the family had left their relatives behind in England, they discovered a welcoming community among fellow British immigrants who worked in the local industry. 

“My mom and dad connected with a lot of friends,” Martine recalled. “It really became family because all our family was back home.” 

Martine attended George Perry School for one year, then attended St. Helen’s School before moving on to St. Patrick’s High School, where she completed Grades 9 and 10. She then continued her education in Windsor, a period she remembers as a time of personal growth, uncertainty and difficult lessons. 

 Growing up at a time when 2SLGBTQ+ identities were rarely discussed openly in her school environment, Martine struggled with the question of whether she could be accepted for who she was. 

“There was life learning that I think I had to do, being who I was at a Catholic high school. The 2SLGBTQ+ community wasn’t talked about,” she explained. “So, I thought it was safer to just leave my community and keep it a secret. I’m not going to disappoint my mom, dad and sisters.” 

Martine remained in Windsor for approximately eight years. With her family back in Sarnia and the support she needed not always readily available, those years could be difficult. Eventually, she decided to return home and begin building her future in the community where her family lived. 

She established her own successful cleaning business, but something was missing. Despite finding success as an entrepreneur, Martine continued to feel drawn toward a career in social services. 

The roots of that calling could be traced back to a person she had encountered years earlier at St. Patrick’s High School. 

Martine remembers Sharon Berry Ross, a social worker at the school, as someone who had a “huge impact” on her life. 

“She was just brilliant, and I remember thinking about how she made me feel,” Martine said. 

Sharon gave her a copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, along with a card. To some, these might have been simple gifts. To Martine, they represented something much more significant: the experience of being encouraged and supported by someone who genuinely cared. 

“I never lost that book or card,” she said. 

Even through the challenges she experienced while living in Windsor, she held on to them. More importantly, she held on to the feeling Sharon had given her. 

“I remember thinking that I wanted to do that one day. I wanted to encourage, support and to help people because it was so significant in my life.” 

It was a lesson that would eventually become the foundation of her life’s work. 

Building a family and finding her direction 

Back in Sarnia, Martine met her partner, Diana, whom she affectionately describes as “the other mother of my triplets.” 

“She is wonderful,” Martine said. 

The couple wanted children and began exploring their options through the fertility clinic at University Hospital in London. Martine said they considered donor options in Canada and the United States, ultimately choosing a U.S. donor program because of its more extensive screening process. She recalled that it included medical histories spanning both parents and grandparents, as well as hundreds of tests for prospective donors. 

Martine and Diana involved their families in the process of choosing a donor. For Martine, the deciding factor was a letter written by the donor explaining why he wanted to help people who could not conceive children themselves. 

“It just blew me away,” she recalled. “I said, ‘That’s our guy!’” 

After four attempts through the fertility clinic, the couple received news that would change their lives forever: they were expecting triplets. 

Martine recalled that their fertility treatments were not covered by OHIP, adding a financial consideration to an already significant undertaking. Suddenly, Martine and Diana were preparing to raise three children and provide them with the best possible start in life. 

For Martine, the news also brought a renewed sense of purpose. 

“That started my wheels in motion for higher education because I needed a higher education in order to look after those kids.” 

She enrolled in the Social Service Worker program at Lambton College, taking a decisive step toward the career she had envisioned since her high school days. 

After graduating, Martine worked with the Community Girls’ Home, a role she loved. However, the demands of working nights and weekends meant missing important moments in her children’s lives. She wanted to continue helping others while also being present for her own family. 

An opportunity arose with the County of Lambton as an income support worker. Martine applied, interviewed, and secured the position. 

She recognized the importance of the work, but she also knew that her ambitions extended beyond the immediate responsibilities of the role. 

“I wanted to walk alongside,” she explained. “I wanted to do workshops. I wanted to have friendships with people.” 

She was looking for opportunities to build relationships, understand people’s experiences, and help them move toward lasting change. 

Martine remains deeply grateful for the opportunities she received through the County of Lambton, particularly the support she and Diana received as they raised their triplets. 

“My journey there has just been amazing,” she said. “The County of Lambton staff supported two mothers with triplets and the opportunities I’ve had in that environment.” 

Her work in social services has included income support, intensive case management with victims of intimate partner violence, workshop facilitation and coaching with Circles. More recently, she has held supervisory responsibilities in homelessness prevention and children’s services. Those experiences helped prepare her for the role that has become one of her most significant contributions to the community. 

Martine said she has served as the Lambton Circles coordinator for the past 15 years.

Walking alongside families to create change
 

Circles Lambton is a community-based initiative led by the County of Lambton that supports individuals and families experiencing poverty. Through volunteer coaches, community resources, practical assistance, and relationship-building, the program helps participants identify their goals, overcome barriers, and work toward greater financial stability and independence.

The program receives referrals from a range of community partners, including government caseworkers, the Children’s Aid Society and school boards. 

“We’re so well known, Circles Lambton, in the community that we get referrals from the Children’s Aid Society, a school board, St. Clair Youth and Counselling Centre,” Martine explained. “Everybody knows that the Circles program is for families struggling in poverty to wrap around support that they don’t have.” 

For Martine, the work begins with understanding that poverty is about much more than a person’s financial circumstances. It can influence access to education, employment, housing, transportation, childcare, and the networks of support that many people take for granted. 

The goal is not simply to help families get through another difficult month. It is to help them build confidence, skills, relationships, and opportunities that can lead to a more secure future. 

Education and training are important components of that process, particularly for single mothers who may be trying to balance raising children with the need to find stable employment. 

“We really try to push higher education because that’s the key,” Martine explained. “We have a lot of single moms, and the emphasis is on her to get her education, to get training to get off government systems to be employable because that is going to trickle down to the kids.” 

She sees the potential for change extending far beyond the individual participant. 

“When you’re sitting down at the dinner table and you’re doing homework with Mom, now it’s a different world.” 

For Martine, that image captures what the work is ultimately about: creating opportunities that can influence the next generation. When children see a parent pursuing education, developing new skills and working toward a better future, they are exposed to possibilities that may once have seemed out of reach. 

Circles also creates opportunities to connect with children living in low-income neighbourhoods. Martine estimates that approximately 30 children may be represented within each circle, giving the program an opportunity to introduce effective programming and support that can help interrupt the cycle of generational poverty. 

The impact is not always immediate, and meaningful change rarely follows a straight line. But by building relationships and helping families access resources, Circles works to create conditions in which change becomes possible. 

Changing how we understand poverty 

Martine’s commitment extends beyond her work with individual families. She also travels throughout Ontario delivering one-day workshops based on the Bridges Out of Poverty framework. 

The training explores how people from different economic circumstances may experience the world differently, including how they approach education, employment, relationships, institutions, and decision-making. 

“If you’re raised in poverty, you maneuver the world very differently,” Martine explained. “That’s the lens you use, and it’s all you know.” 

Her message challenges people to look beyond assumptions about why someone might struggle financially. Rather than judging individuals through the experiences and expectations of middle-class or wealthier communities, she encourages service providers and organizations to understand the realities faced by people living in poverty. 

A central principle of her training is that people experiencing poverty are experts in their own circumstances. Their voices and experiences must be included when organizations develop policies, programs and services intended to help them. 

That perspective is important because well-intentioned assistance does not always address the barriers people actually face. Lasting solutions require listening, understanding, and working alongside those directly affected. 

Martine said Lambton College has made her Bridges Out of Poverty presentation mandatory for all human services students, helping introduce future professionals to the importance of understanding poverty through a broader, more informed lens. 

By bringing this knowledge into classrooms and professional settings, Martine is helping influence not only how individual families are supported, but also how future social service workers understand the people they will serve. 

Her work reaches well beyond the families directly enrolled in Circles Lambton. It helps shape the attitudes, practices, and decisions of the people and organizations that form the broader social safety net. 

Years ago, Sharon Berry Ross gave Martine a book and a card. Those small acts of kindness helped inspire her to pursue a career supporting others.

Through Circles Lambton and her educational workshops, Martine now offers others the encouragement she remembers receiving at school.

Humans of Sarnia founder Art Connolly is a man fuelled by curiosity and a passion for connecting with people in Sarnia. Inspired by the renowned “Humans of New York” series, with a camera in hand, he captures the very essence of the individuals he encounters, preserving their stories through his lens. Follow his series at the Humans of Sarnia website and on Facebook.