This is Michelle Scherle. Michelle is a Home Supports Coordinator and has worked at COR for 3 years. This is her WHY!

What brought you to COR?
Mostly by luck! I’ve been supporting people for years and I knew of COR for quite some time. I had co-workers that left where I was working to go to COR and all of them encouraged me to come here as I wasn’t loving where I was working, but I loved what I was doing. After a hard day at my previous job, my co-worker told me to go to COR’s website. I applied right away and here we are!

Why do you stay?
There are so many reasons why I’m here for life. COR is unlike anywhere I’ve supported before, I felt like I found my forever home as soon as I started here. One of the things that I love most is that I feel like I’m being invested in. I’m constantly being invited to learning opportunities, and new trainings so I can further my knowledge and expand my skill set.

What’s the best thing about your job?
The kindness and love is overwhelming! When you hear someone say, “my COR family” it really is the truth. We care about one another so much and want to see one another succeed. While here, I’ve been lucky enough to build some of the most meaningful relationships in my life.

What’s been the most impactful or meaningful experience you’ve had?
It’s hard to pick just one, so I’ll pick my first meaningful experience at COR! I supported someone who was going through a difficult time. After several weeks and a lot of long days, she came up to me with tears in her eyes and said, “thank you for helping me that night”. I knew something I did made a difference for someone I cared about. She’ll still bring up that when we see one another now and as much of an impact it may have made on her, it made an even bigger one on me.

What do you wish others knew about supporting at COR?
I wish people knew how fun it is to be a part of the COR family! We have so much going on and something for everyone to enjoy. There are tons of social events and there’s always something going on in the studio. It’s a great place to build relationships and rarely does it feel like work!

What’s Your Why?

COR has over 220 employees, all with different stories. This blog series will highlight some of the amazing people that work at COR and what fuels their passion and purpose.

This is Brooks Ross. Brooks is a support and has worked at COR since December 2018. This is her WHY!

What brought you to COR?

I had just moved home from living in Ohio for 3 months and during that time was let go from my long time job. I was honestly lost and didn’t know what to do or what I would be able to do with only half a university degree at 23. I then saw a posting on Facebook for COR and messaged my friend Sawyer who was an employee at the time. I asked him what exactly COR was and what he did with the organization. After hearing back from him I applied and was hired almost right away and I’m SO happy it worked out that way because it really is an amazing place to work.

Why do you stay?

I stay because I’ve never felt more accepted and supported in anything I’ve ever done. The people who work at COR alongside me are not just my fellow supports they are some of my closest friends. The community that Michael, Jim and everyone else has created is something I’ve never been able to experience before. Also, the love and kindness shown to everyone across the entire organization is something rare in today’s world. Day in and day out I see it and, I experience it. It’s something really special.

Whats the best thing about your job?

For me, the best thing about my job is that every single day I have the ability to directly make an impact or difference in the lives of those I support and those I support alongside of. I also believe that the people I work with and the individuals I support have made me a much better person in so many ways.

Whats been the most impactful or meaningful experience you’ve had?

The most impactful experience I’ve had actually just happened over the weekend. As COVID-19 is changing everything we know about our daily lives, it’s also changing the way we, as essential workers, do things. I have gone from supporting 4 amazing ladies to just 2 now. I haven’t seen one of the girls I support in over a month and usually we’re together every week. She’s like my little sister and hanging out with her is the best part of my week. On easter Sunday, as I was supporting, the girl I haven’t seen in a month and her mom stopped by the house to put a gift in the mailbox. She rang the doorbell and then stepped back for distancing purposes, and told me she made me a friendship bracelet and a note. As I looked at her from 6ft away I just wanted to hug her and was so overcome with emotion and love for this young girl. It was such an emotional moment and for me, this bracelet is a symbol of how much love she has for me and how much I mean to her. I realized in that moment that I truly make an impact in the lives of the people I support and that the things I do, although they may seem small, they really do mean a lot.

What do you wish others knew about supporting at COR?

I wish that others knew how amazing COR is and that it’s not just a job. You meet the most amazing people, not only the individuals who call COR their forever home but the office crew, the support teams we serve on and the other supports from the different teams. I wish others knew how to live by what gentle teaching is because I am so happy I am able to live that way now and don’t know how I didn’t before. COR to me is what community and inclusion is all about. It’s not about rules or guidelines it’s about making sure everyone is able to achieve the things in life they want and to live with nothing but love and support.