This is Oluwaseun — She is a Carefor Client Care Worker who supports people living with addiction and homelessness at Shepherd’s of Good Hope and the Ottawa Mission. For her, there is no such thing as a “normal” day as she works beside staff at Shepherd’s and Ottawa Inner Health Health to help the people living through the challenges we see on the streets of our city.
On this day, the radio crackles “Code Abby” twice. Someone isn’t breathing and in a flash, she and her colleagues are rushing to bring someone back from the edge of death. Both times they succeed.
It’s not a job for everyone, but Olu embodies the spirit of a Client Care Worker, seeing and being there for each person today, no matter where they came from and no matter what is ahead of them,
Read Olu’s story: https://carefor.ca/stories/saving-two-lives-in-one-day/
This is Julia — a PSW who has worked at Carefor Mackay Centre in Pembroke since 2014 and is now a student bridging into the RPN program.
After more than a decade caring for residents, she’s taking the next step in her career to honour someone who changed her life: Helen, a beloved Mackay nurse who passed away last year.
Helen encouraged Julia to keep learning, keep growing, and keep showing up for residents who may have no one else.
Julia’s efforts to better herself are a tribute to her friend and mentor, and to the shared belief that kindness, connection, and compassion can change someone’s world.
Carefor is proud to support Julia in her journey as one of 10 recipients of Carefor Bursaries.
This is Nekpen — Her journey as a PSW began years ago, shaped by the time she spent caring for both of her grandmothers as a teenager. That early experience taught her the power of compassion, and it’s what continues to guide her every day at Carefor.
What fulfills her most is helping someone who truly needs it, seeing a client’s relief, hearing a sincere “thank you,” and knowing she’s made their day a little easier. Working at Carefor has given her the chance to be part of a team that shares her belief in serving others with dignity and heart.
For anyone considering becoming a PSW, Nekpen’s advice is simple: come into it with love, patience, and compassion. It’s more than a job; it’s a service to humanity.
PSW Week means a lot to her. Being recognized reminds her that people see the work PSWs do, and that appreciation fuels her to keep giving her best. And the thing that always makes her smile? A grateful client who feels happier because she was there.
This is Addison — From the moment she was young, she knew she wanted to be a nurse. With a mother who spent 40 years in the profession, nursing felt like a calling, not a question. Even when her guidance counsellor suggested having a backup plan, she never needed one.
Today, she’s proud to be part of the Carefor Hospice Cornwall team. What she loves most is the way everyone works together, nurses, physicians, volunteers, all committed to compassionate and dignified care that focuses on the person. “There’s always something to learn,” she says. “Our physicians are so knowledgeable and always willing to teach and there are always professional development opportunities.”
For her, hospice isn’t just end‑of‑life care. It’s respite for caregivers who need a break, and support for patients facing challenges. Compassionate care means seeing each person as a whole human being, not a diagnosis, and bringing them comfort, dignity, and peace.
This is Stephanie — she has moved through many nursing roles at Carefor over her 15 years as a nurse, starting in the community, then as a clinic nurse, and now as a Nursing Supervisor supporting staff through their day to day challenges.
But her journey into nursing didn’t begin in a classroom. It began at home.
Before becoming an RPN, Stephanie worked in retail management. Everything changed when both of her parents were diagnosed with terminal cancer. She became their caregiver, witnessing firsthand the compassion, skill, and humanity of the nurses who supported her family. Their care left a lasting imprint.
After losing both parents, Stephanie knew it was time to follow that calling. She returned to school in her early thirties and became a nurse, bringing with her a depth of empathy that can’t be taught.
Today, her lived experience shapes her practice and guides the nurses she supports, helping them deliver the same meaningful care that once supported her own family.
This is Cassidy — a brand new RPN at Carefor Mackay Centre whose journey with Carefor began the same month she officially became a nurse. Fresh out of school and stepping into her first real job, she’s discovering not just her profession, but the beginning of her adult life.
In her first three months, she’s found what every new nurse hopes for: a team that welcomes her, supports her, and makes her feel like she truly belongs. The connections she’s building with residents and colleagues are validating her choice to pursue nursing and showing her that she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.
This is Shannon — a PSW at Carefor Civic Complex whose calling began long before she ever stepped into the role. Growing up, Shannon spent much of her childhood supporting her elders. Caring for others wasn’t something she learned; it was something she was. “My family would tell you I’ve been a caregiver since the day I was born,” she says.
Like many people who work with the elderly, that early connection to seniors is what drew her into this work, and it’s what keeps her here. When she first started at Carefor, there was one resident in particular who made her realize she was exactly where she needed to be. Every day, as soon as Shannon walked into her room, the resident’s face lit up with a smile. Shannon stayed by her side until the very end. “She broke my heart when she passed,” Shannon says, “but she also showed me I was in the right place.”
Today she knows she’s still in the right place because she gets back the love she gives to her residents every day. “They tell me I can’t leave,” she laughs.