Helping people discover their potential rewarding, employees say

‘It definitely makes you want to get up and come to work’
Wednesday June 22, 2011 — Natalie Hamilton

Touching people’s lives on a daily basis through the work they do is one of the rewards of being employed by the Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion (BACI), staff members say.

For BACI day program support worker Jill Rowan, helping people she supports discover their potential is encouraging and fulfilling.

“It’s very incredible and very exciting,” Jill recently told BACI Blast.

“It definitely makes you want to get up and come to work and see what new surprising thing is going to happen.”

Jill shares a satisfying experience that occurred as a result of supporting a woman named Betty. Their conversation about employment ultimately led to Betty securing a position as a café attendant at the Starbucks where the brainstorming session happened. As a result, Betty is happier, more confident and has made her parents proud, Jill notes.

Supervisor Alisdair Archibald concurs helping people reach their goals is a gratifying aspect of his work. A one-year sabbatical reinforced for Alisdair BACI is where he belongs.

“At the end of the day, you’ve made a difference in somebody’s life and hopefully allowed them to do something they’ve never done before, or made them happier or somehow fulfilled a dream,” Alisdair says.

“If you can do any of those things, it makes work a lot of fun,” says Alisdair.

Amanda Walters, supervisor at the Brentwood Park Elementary out-of-school services, knows what difference the little things she does can have on the children she supports. She recently adapted a game of Monopoly to satisfy a boy’s preference. He later mentioned how much he appreciated Amanda.

“It just takes the littlest thing to make somebody’s day,” Amanda says.

“It just reassured me and reinforced that I should be doing this. I want every child to have that experience and know that their voices are being heard.”

If you have a story you would like to share with the BACI Blast, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051 or e-mail natalie(at)axiomnews.ca.

If you have feedback on this story, please call the newsroom at 800-294-0051 or e-mail natalie(at)axiomnews.ca.

 

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