Careers
A Life-changing Career
Ruthann loves to work with people of all ages. She takes the time to find opportunities to connect with others in meaningful ways. It’s a skill she’s able to use both as a volunteer and as a paid employee.
Ruthann is a support worker for Communitas Supportive Care Society. She also volunteers as Honey, the grief support bear mascot for the Abbotsford Hospice and Grief Support Society.
“When I took the volunteer training with Abbotsford Hospice, I didn’t know exactly where my place would be,” Ruthann says. “But when I heard they needed someone to be Honey for the Teddy Bear Picnic, I knew that I had found my place.”
Honey makes appearances at various events throughout the Abbotsford community. Ruthann finds the role very rewarding.
“When people see Honey, I feel like they have a sense of joy and are comforted by a ‘bear hug’ – even though they might be in the middle of their grief journey,” she says.
Making connections like this is a skill that Ruthann also brings to her role as a support worker with Communitas. Ruthann has worked in two different home living options with the organization, first with seniors and then with youth, which she counts as a blessing.
“My favourite part of my job is that I get to help people every day. There’s always so much to learn,” Ruthann says.
Serving as a support worker also gives her opportunities to be in community as the young people she serves are eager to be out and about. Ruthann has attended hockey games, visited the Burnaby Museum, and gone to the Vancouver Aquarium with the people she serves. It’s a joy to be able to help them get ready and to explore so many different things.
Holly Mast manages the home where Ruthann currently serves. Holly says that Ruthann is a positive person who brings uplifting energy to the home.
“Ruthann makes big efforts to connect with people and I think that shows in the relationships she’s built here,” Holly says. “I am really happy that she is part of our team!”
Ruthann is just grateful for the opportunity she has to use her gifts and skills both in her volunteer work and in her career. Just as she knew she’d found her place as a mascot, Ruthann knew she had found her place as a support worker. It is work that she finds meaningful, knowing that just as she can make a difference in the lives of the people she serves, so too, the people she serves make a difference in her life. Ruthann encourages others to explore a career with Communitas – but the encouragement comes with a “warning.”
“I can honestly say that I am impacted daily by the people we serve,” she says. “The people you serve will change your life.”
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