Archive for category: Stories

Hello! My name is MacKenzie Nestman, and I am currently a Team Leader at COR. I have been with COR for a year and a half now! I first learned about COR through word of mouth from some amazing COR family members. I had the privilege to start my COR journey as a support for two young ladies. I was lucky to have supportive leadership and team members who were generous in sharing their knowledge and experience. After a few months as a support, I then applied for and moved into a Key Support position. I loved this role and spent just over a year in it, growing my confidence and experience in a leadership position. These ladies heavily influenced my passion for the disability sector, and I am currently studying at the University of Regina to continue serving the disability community. I started my team leader journey with two men in March of this year. Being a team leader and full-time undergraduate student has been challenging but incredibly rewarding. I wouldn’t change a thing. I am beyond thankful for the current team I have the privilege to lead and grow with. I am also a proud member of the 100 Acts of Kindness Club!

As mentioned, I am an undergraduate student at the University of Regina. I am finishing my first Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and nursing is the next step on my education journey. I hope to be a nurse in the disability community and eventually a nurse practitioner. I am so thankful for COR and all the people I have had the opportunity to build relationships with. COR has helped me find my purpose and pursue my education in a direction that will help serve my passions! I am proud to say serving in the disability community will be my forever career.

Throughout my time as a support, I have had many opportunities to use my creativity and share my skills with others. One of my favourite personal projects was for an individual I served. I created a homemade video highlighting moments this individual shared with her support and family over the past year. This video means a lot to many different people. I can’t put into words what creating and gifting a video like this was. Moments like these are why I am so passionate about my work and show up every day. If I have the opportunity to make someone’s life a little bit better, I will do everything I can to make that happen. COR allows me to be creative, step outside my comfort zone, and share my unique strengths with others.

My proudest moments thus far at COR have been building trusting and loving relationships. I am keeping this answer broad because there are many things to be proud of. However, it all comes down to the safety and love I continue to nourish with my people and team. I tell others in the community that being part of the COR family is much more than a job. What happens in the lives of the people we support does not stop when we leave their homes at the end of the day. Supporting people, always being present, and nourishing gentleness is not my job; it is who I have become.

My biggest piece of advice for prospective COR candidates is to be yourself. I know that’s vague and may be straightforward, but I strongly believe finding ways to incorporate and share what you love with your future team and individuals is crucial. Sharing your interests helps create a sense of community, belonging, and trust with your individuals and team. I value how personal each team is, and it is because everyone that makes up a team is different and unique from one another. Letting these qualities shine through creates so much room for diversity and growth.

Fun Facts About Me
– I enjoy reading, especially non-fiction books! I love to learn in all capacities. One of my favourite books is You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero.
– Before my COR journey, I was an elite-level gymnast representing Team Canada. I competed at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo for a World Age Group competition in 2019.
– In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, working out, playing flag football, going on walks, travelling, listening to live music, and having picnics!

Hi, I’m Rachel! I am a Youth Team leader at COR and have been here for just over 2 years. I acquired a Bachelor of Kinesiology beginning in 2016. I began at COR after completing my bachelor’s in 2021 and spent time supporting Ruby, Lanie and Serena! I first learnt about COR in tandem from my good friend Kassie, and through a course around disability that was a part of my undergrad where Serena came to give a presentation. I was lucky enough to then get to know her better throughout my time supporting her team at COR.

One of my favourite aspects of being a team leader (TL) is the opportunity to grow and learn both personally and professionally. I am able to work at both deepening my knowledge in a culture of gentleness and then in turn, teaching it to my team. Being part of COR has further strengthened my passion for leadership, nurturing, and creating an inclusive community. Being a part of COR has made me incredibly proud to be included in an organization that practices what we preach. I have never felt more valued, supported, and included in my workplace by not only my team, but other team leads and senior leadership. I know I have grown in so many areas thanks to my time at COR. Such as gentleness, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness.

My advice for prospective supporters is to come into your experiences with an open mind and a willingness to learn and try new things. Gentle teaching is easy to grasp, but often asks supports to stretch themselves to try things in a new and uncomfortable way compared to how people might previously have been taught. Supports who are open to new and sometimes challenging experiences often flourish and in turn, help those we serve learn, grow and achieve their goals.

Fun Facts about me:

I love reading. I read many different genres, but recently I have been most interested in non-fiction and more educational. Two of my favourites recently have been “Death Interrupted” by Blair Bigham, MD; or “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson. Both of these books challenge how we view each of the topics they speak on and I think they teach us more about ourselves by showing a new perspective. Outside of those books, I love reading a variety of genres like fantasy, classics and thrillers.

A favourite quote I heard recently was from the Dare to Lead podcast by Brene Brown. “Love shared between people is a powerful stabilizing force. Our relationships ground us in our commitments to each other, even as our circumstances become uncertain or quickly change” From a conversation she had with Mike Erwin and Willys Devoll.

I love doing puzzles and have a 3000-piece one that I have completed hanging up in my apartment.

In my free time, you’ll often find me out on adventures with my dog!

Hi everyone, I’m Ryan, a Team Leader at COR. My journey with COR began as a part-time support worker while working full-time as a Journeyperson Electrician at the Co-op Refinery in Regina. It started as a little something to do with my free time on weekends, but little did I know that it would become a significant part of my life.

I started supporting a group of guys, and after a few months, I got laid off at the Refinery, which led to me picking up full-time hours at COR. I knew I wanted to take on more responsibility, so I began applying for Key Support positions and telling whoever was willing to listen that I wanted to rise up and lead a team.

In October 2021, I was offered a Key Support position and within five months advanced into a Team leader role when they were promoted into a new position. Over my time at COR, I have also had the opportunity to be a job coach with COR’s 4to40 initiative – I job coach Peter 1-2 times a week going to the various Fire Departments around Regina, and helping him live his dream of working at Regina Fire and Protective Services.

One of my favourite projects at COR was building a small shed and deck for Marshel to hang out in his backyard.  We spent several days constructing this shed and gave it a fresh coat of paint. Using my previous construction experience to build a meaningful project for him that he enjoys today was awesome!

My proudest moment at COR was when I was offered a Key Support position. The director of COR Youth, Matt Chin, was explaining a few options to me, and I told him I wanted him to put me where he needed me the most and where I could make the biggest difference. Looking back on it, I am proud that I made that decision, and I’m glad that it led me to where I am now. Another example: knowing my journey from support to Team Lead, I know what the struggles are for the supports on my team to rise up. Over the past year, three of my incredible supports have been promoted to Key Supports, and all three of them have been accepted to the Aspiring Team Leader program and are well on their way to becoming Team Leaders themselves. I am incredibly proud of these three supports and my ability to lead them to where they want to be, even if it meant losing them on my team.

To new prospects, my advice is that it doesn’t matter where you came from in the past; your new journey starts now. COR has accepted me with open arms and allowed me to grow as a caregiver and as a human.  I had no experience whatsoever in this field and was surprised immediately by how much I’ve been “sucked in” by the org. If you are looking to change things up and make a new path in life, there is no better opportunity than applying and having a conversation with the people and culture team!

Fun Facts about me:

My favourite movies are Interstellar and Shutter Island!

My favourite quote is “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither knows victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

In my spare time, I do a lot of yard work and housework! I also am a huge NFL fan and have picked up an obsession with golf! I also love video games and tech. In my spare time, I also love to spend time with my partner Savannah, my dog Luna and my cat Rupert.

Hi There! I am Jim and I am the Chief Operating Officer and COR. I have been with COR since our inception in 2009, and technically even a little bit longer. I was hired by COR’s “sister organization” Saskatchewan Alternative Initiatives (SAI) in 2008 to provide support to the first individual COR would serve (Andrew). When COR officially launched in July 2009, I was hired as one of the original Support People at COR.  I was here before its official creation. However, I heard about being a Caregiver and Gentle Teaching from a former co-worker at a previous job who was working with SAI as a Team Leader.

I have worked at all levels of the organization, but my current role as COO has me doing several things. The biggest part of my role is overseeing our teams and all aspects of support provided to the individuals we serve at a high level. I directly supervise our Director of Youth Supports and The Director of Support Services (Adult Supports) and I work with their team of Coordinators to keep my finger on the pulse of all things going on within the organization. I also supervise our Outreach and Mentorship Team, as well as oversee our Aspiring Team Leader Program. I work alongside our CEO and Board of Directors to help with the strategic vision of the organization and with other members of our Senior Leadership Team to guide decisions and direction in our day-to-day operations. One of the parts of my role I particularly enjoy is being able to help others learn and grow. I like to spend time with colleagues sharing my experiences, knowledge and any bits of advice that I feel I have to give.

I have grown tremendously both personally and professionally with COR. I came to the organization with an education in finance and have worked in the financial sector. This was a career path that I did not find fulfilling. When I started working in the disability sector, I had no idea it was going to become my career. However, once I started doing this work, I fell in love with helping others as I could see the impact I could have and it provided me a great sense of pride and purpose. As the years went on and COR became larger, I grew with the organization. I was promoted from a Support Person to a Team Leader, eventually to a Home Supports Coordinator and eventually into my role as COO. I have learned so much about life over the years from the individuals we serve, my fellow employees and our colleagues in the Gentle Teaching community around the world. Formally, COR has invested in my professional development tremendously year after year. I received countless training and professional development opportunities that helped me build the skills to be a better person, caregiver and eventually a better leader. I love that we are all continuously learning and growing together, regardless of our experience or position.

In 2021 I completed a Master of Arts Degree in Leadership from Royal Roads University. This Degree was the culmination of years of Leadership courses and study. In my final research project, I received permission from the University to partner with COR and engage with employees in order to conduct research and gather data. Since one of the most impactful classes I took during my Master’ Program was in Values-Based Leadership, I decided that I wanted to explore and define trust as a value within COR. Through this project I was able to understand through our employees’ lens, what trust means at COR and how we can build higher levels of trust across the organization. The fact that I was able to benefit COR with my research findings, while simultaneously attaining my Master’s made this my favourite project.

I have had many proud moments at COR. Probably what makes me the most proud is the growth and positive change that many of the individuals we support have made in their lives. So many people we support, and especially those who came to COR in our early years were not in a good place in their lives. They were the people who had been bounced around within the disability services sector and never had the opportunity to allow them to be successful and reach their full potential. Some of those individuals have been supported by COR for over a decade now, and have been able to blossom into the truest version of themselves. I believe this is due to the resiliency and ability of those we serve, and also to the philosophy that COR adheres to and the culture of gentleness that we have nurtured within the organization. This culture has allowed people to feel safe and valued and live the life that they want for themselves. COR does not have clients, consumers or participants, we are supporting and serving valuable human beings in their lives. I am so proud to have been a small part of this organization’s growth from the ground up and to have been along for the ride. We are truly making a change in our city, province, country and beyond.

If I had any advice to give to people who are interested in joining COR is to come for the right reasons. If you are simply looking for a paycheck or easy money, you are in the wrong place. This job can be tremendously difficult emotionally but is also tremendously rewarding. If you care about people and are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to truly get to know people, then you will flourish.

Fun Facts about me:

I do enjoy my TV. The best two-drama series of all time is Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. The best two sitcoms ever are Seinfeld and The Office. I’m not entirely sure of the order, but their greatness is not up for debate! Lol

My favourite quote, and something I regularly say to our employees is “It’s only a mistake if you don’t learn something from it”. We’re all human and we all make mistakes. I think the best thing you can do is admit them, own them and hopefully you have people around you that care enough to help you learn and grow from them.

Due to Jaws being my favourite movie growing up, I am terrified to swim in the Ocean.

I don’t seem to have a lot of free time these days. I love to spend time with my 2-year-old daughter Aubrey and my partner Kelsey. In the summer I love to get out and play as much golf as I can. I’m an avid NFL fan, the Green Bay Packers are my favourite team. I like to watch as much football as I can on Sundays.