In May, we hosted a Client Appreciation Luncheon to recognize the most important people in our agency…  the individuals we support.  But it’s more than just support.  They let us share in their lives and in their accomplishments, they share their families with us, and also the times when they may not be feeling their best.  We are so thankful to be able to know each individual.  When we asked the staff for their memories, and thoughts, and attributes, this is what they had to say…..

Aaron Brescacin.  Aaron is our local weatherman.  If you need to know the forecast, please check with Aaron!  Aaron, you love dates and numbers and will ask us about our birthday and remember us by this date.  You love to attend camp and although you might be nervous to go, you come home knowing the names, birthdates, and hometowns of all your cabinmates.  You enjoy music and love when staff sing to you.  We would like to recognize Aaron for 2 years with West Central Abilities.

Tyson Mullen.  Tyson, you are very considerate and always ready to lend a hand to help out anyone in need.  You spread kindness and positivity throughout the community. You are very thoughtful and often check in with everyone else. Tyson, you are also very passionate about things you care about, with family being at the top of your list!  We would like to recognize Tyson for 3 years with West Central Abilities.

Latoyia Taylor.  Latoyia, you enjoy being creative. You spend time crafting, sewing, and painting. You also like to spend time outdoors gardening and camping in the summers. You are close with your parents, and you spend lots of time visiting them in Luseland. You are always looking for new ideas or activities to try and then will decide whether or not they are a keeper!  We would like to recognize Latoyia for 4 years with West Central Abilities.

Liam Bissonnette.  Liam you are smart, funny, trustworthy, a hard worker and a good friend.  You have a great sense of humour and when we hear that contagious laugh, we know you have a joke or funny story to tell.  You are our technology advisor; you enjoy video games and movies and music and are open to sharing this knowledge with us! You always know the name of the band we are listening to or who wrote the song.  Liam, you are always seeking new information and love to travel, and we enjoy hearing all your stories when you return from your adventures!  We would like to recognize Liam for 4 years with West Central Abilities.

Taylor Schell.  Taylor, we know you love movies and music.  You are empathetic and always recognize when staff may need a hug.  He will approach us with one, and a simple “awwwww”.  You also enjoy being silly and will laugh and giggle when excited.  We would like to recognize Taylor for 8 years with West Central Abilities.

Brooke Nargang.  Brooke you are always present to lend a hand, you make sure we are all doing our best, and you always have a joke or a story to make our day brighter.  You always have kind words and compliments for everyone you see and are wonderful to be around because even on tough days, you bring sunshine with your attitude. You have a love of country music, although Linda does not, but the two of you do agree on AC/DC and must sing along.  You love a good road trip and if anyone wants to hear a funny story, ask her about going to Saskatoon with Linda!  We would like to recognize Brooke for 10 years with West Central Abilities.

Chantele Chester.  Chantele, you are helpful and kind and wonderful at giving us reminders for calendars and schedules.  You often ask what we are all doing after work.  You like to play cards and usually win!  Chantele, you often remind others to be grateful.  One example of this is that almost weekly, you will ask staff to thank the Manor Bus drivers for bringing her friends to and from the Activity Centre. You are also a practical joker, and love to play tricks on your friends and make them laugh!  We would like to recognize Chantele for 12 years with West Central Abilities.

Danielle Faubert.  Danielle cares about her friends and family and is always up for a coffee visit.  Dani, you are a hard worker, and you enjoy being employed at Family Foods.  You enjoy cooking and sharing your delicious meals with others and your music playlist gets everyone in a good mood!  We would like to recognize Danielle for 13 years with West Central Abilities.

Karly Holmes.  Karly, you are a proud and loving auntie and always share stories about your niece and nephew.  You keep us all young at heart with your love and knowledge of Mickey Mouse and Disney Movies.  You enjoy listening to 80’s music, especially the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack and like to make everyone laugh with a joke or funny story.  We would like to recognize Karly for 16 years with West Central Abilities.

Irene Suru.  Irene, you love to be helpful in any way you can.  You enjoy arts and crafts and any kind of outing or event in the community. You love to be out in the sun, and can often be found in the yard, soaking up the rays.  You like to sing and dance and visit with everyone.  Irene rode in the Goose Festival Parade one year and had fun waving and making sure she threw candy to everyone!  We would like to recognize Irene for 23 years with West Central Abilities.

Margaret Suru.  Margaret, you are always kind and generous, and are always wanting to help others.  You are artistic and enjoy arts and crafts, reading books, and working on word searches.  You are quite competitive at Wii bowling and take pleasure in playing many rounds.  We would like to recognize Margaret for 23 years with West Central Abilities.

Trevor Tourand.  Trevor you are very kind, always have a smile on your face, and offer to help staff everyday!  You have a huge heart and love your friends and family, often sharing stories of the lake and what your nieces and nephews have been up to.  Trevor, you love a good prank and are not opposed to returning the favour.  You are a huge fan of the Calgary Flames and never jump ship, even when they are having a rough year.  We would like to recognize Trevor for 29 years with West Central Abilities.

Greg Schmidt.  Greg.  Likes.  Music.  Greg, we love how you dance and sing along to most country music and oldies.  You love farming, the outdoors and going for drives.  Your smile is contagious, and you often ask us how our family, kids, etc. are doing.  We would like to recognize Greg for 31 years with West Central Abilities.

Helen Babos.  Helen, your laughter, and happiness puts a smile on our faces.  You are caring and you often ask us about our day, or what we did last night.  You love cats, and babies and visits from both!  Helen you are a great helper with baking and laundry.  If you get the chance, Helen will invite you for a Sunday morning coffee out on the deck.  We would like to recognize Helen for 33 years with West Central Abilities.

Bradley Bews, we know you are a farmer at heart.  You enjoy getting out and touring the farm equipment dealerships.  You like to point out the “CASE” farm equipment as that is what your brother, Craig, has.  You enjoy puzzles and crafts at the Day Program, and you work hard at shredding paper. You like to be organized and always look after you space, keeping it very neat and tidy. Brad, you can also be counted on to lend a hand when it is time to recycle or carry in groceries.  We would like to recognize Brad for 43 years with West Central Abilities.

Bradley Burgardt We like to recognize milestone anniversaries and today, we celebrate Bradley Burgardt’s 40^th anniversary with West Central Abilities.  This is wonderful day for Brad, and he has been looking forward to it for awhile.  He even told Kim that she had to make a speech!

Brad, you are usually the first to greet us or welcome us back if we have been away. You are interested in the lives and families of others and will ask about community members, friends, and family and how their lives are going.

You have a great memory and will often remember things that we do not, including how old we all are! J  You are a dedicated worker and enjoy shredding or ripping papers while at the Day Program.

You love to be in your community whether that is Kindersley during the week or Kerrobert on the weekends. You enjoy attending events and supporting local groups, especially if they are having a BBQ.  You enjoy walking everywhere you can.  This past winter was extra long, and we’ve seen your smile get much bigger since the weather has warmed up and the ice has melted, much like a lot of our smiles!

Brad, you have also been known to predict certain events before they happen – Like telling Kristine she is pregnant.  Leaving everyone amazed!

In History 40 years ago…….

40 years ago – 1983
The computer mouse was just invented
Microsoft word was first released
Dukes of Hazard and Threes company were on TV
Billie Jean and Every Breath you take were on the radio
Words of the 80s, 2 that come to mind when I think of Brad are RAD DUDE

Brad, when you get excited about something you make sure we all get excited about it with you, like this big 40th anniversary –Whoohoo!  Congratulations Brad!

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate and to the staff who helped to organize the food and the event! Special Thanks to the NRCC for the use of their beautiful facility!