This is Brooks Ross. This is her WHY!
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.
