At Nurse Next Door, we’re committed to shining a spotlight on our incredible caregivers and celebrating the amazing work they do. It goes without saying that our Caregivers are at the heart of what we do at Nurse Next Door. Without their commitment and compassion, we wouldn’t be able to make lives better in hundreds of communities every single day.
As part of our ongoing Caregiving as a Career initiative, we are excited to announce the winners of our inaugural Bold Dreams and Goals program. Bold Dreams and Goals grants 10 Caregivers $1,000 each to put towards achieving their dreams – whatever they may be. Caregivers from across North America shared their aspirations with us – and while narrowing it down to 10 was an incredibly difficult task – we’re delighted to share the stories of this year’s recipients.
Andrea
After practicing yoga for four years, Andrea’s goal is to get her 200-hour yoga certification. Andrea says, “I love that yoga gives me a sense of calm in our crazy world, and yet at the same time provides a sense of physical and mental strength to live a life of purpose.” She hopes that by achieving her goal of completing her yoga certification, she’ll have the opportunity to deepen her understanding of yoga, from the history and philosophy to human anatomy, and one day teach yoga to students.
Elaine
Elaine’s goal is to become a certified ‘death doula’, so she can provide a Happier Aging experience right to the very end. “It is important to me because so many people are afraid of death,” says Elaine. “A death doula walks the family and the patient through the process, fulfilling their wishes and observing their personal preferences to make the process as quiet, loving, comforting and respectful as possible while observing their traditions and wishes.” By becoming a certified death doula, Elaine wants to help clients and their loved ones understand that death does not have to be as scary as imagined, and as sad as it is to lose someone, she aims to provide a little happiness in knowing that the transition is made as easy as possible.
Festus
Festus’ dream will tug at your heartstrings! He’ll be putting the $1000 towards seeing his son for the first time. “My utmost dream and heart’s desire is to physically see and touch my Son. He was born a few months after I left my country of origin; we only talk on the phone,” he says. “This dream is important to me because family is key. I would love to have my family around and take care of my children from childhood until they grow up.”
Jordan
Jordan dreams of returning to school and getting her CNA or HHA qualifications. As a single mother of two girls, Jordan will use the funds to get her certification and enroll her daughters in activities while she studies. Jordan says that she is really excited to learn more so she can better serve her clients.
Nicole
Nicole’s dream is to renovate her 70’s style house to an open-concept house so that her Mom, who has Parkinson’s, can come and live with her family comfortably and safely. Currently, her doors are narrow, and there is no way for her Mom to safely come into the house independently, so the renovations will make a big difference for Nicole and her Mom. Nicole says “Family comes first. I want my Mom to live here, safely, and not in a long-term care home.”
Palwinder
Palwinder’s dream is to become a qualified personal support worker. Palwinder’s passion for helping seniors started when she lived with her grandparents, and she says that working with seniors in Canada has inspired her to work towards getting her certification. “I am learning a lot of things, like how we can enjoy our life, and hearing about their achievements gives me the enthusiasm to achieve my own goals.”
Rowena
Growing up in the Philippines, Rowena didn’t experience snow until she came to Canada 10 years ago. Since moving to Canada, Rowena has been working hard and studying without time to develop hobbies. Her dream is to experience the freedom of downhill skiing. “I can only imagine how it would feel to fly down the slope!” she says. “My dream is important to me because I haven’t had many chances to do something for my own enjoyment and fulfillment.”
Sakura
Sakura’s dream is to provide care and service to the at-risk people in her community through a program that serves physical and emotional needs. She will be putting the $1,000 toward her community paramedic program, which allows emergency medical technicians to assist in public health, primary health care, and preventative services to provide for underserved populations. Without this program, many people in her community are left without access to primary care physicians or are left without medical resources because they can’t afford caregivers or critical assistance. Sakura says, “If I’m able to be a part of a community paramedic program in my city, I will be able to not only serve those who need help most with medicine but also have the time and resources to support them socially.” “This opportunity combines the traditional grit of healthcare with the compassion I’ve seen working with Nurse Next Door.”
Teresa
Teresa had a vision a few years ago, which turned into a dream and is now a goal she is pursuing with her every being to accomplish. She has been studying to be a professional financial advisor for her family, her community, and her people. As an Indigenous Cree woman, Teresa grew up on an Indian reservation called Chemawawin. “Being a smaller community, we lack so many resources; we don’t have access to infrastructure as in bigger places like cities. Therefore, we fall so far behind from the rest of society, from the rest of the world, that it has a dramatic impact on our people, Indigenous peoples.” “That includes financial literacy.” Teresa will be putting her $1,000 towards her business, where she plans to educate herself and other communities on basic financial concepts and strategies to build and accumulate wealth.
Vivian
Vivian is not only a Caregiver at heart but also an artist. Vivian’s goal is to share her clients’ bold stories through visual portraits, sketches, photos, and their own words, summing up who they are as people. As a Emily Carr College of Art and Design graduate, Vivian wants to use her talents to turn her client’s dreams and stories into her dreams of making art.
We’ll be sharing an update on each of our Caregivers and how their Bold Dreams and Bold Goals are coming along later in the year. If you also have a dream to make a difference in the lives of seniors in your community, visit our careers page to learn more.
