CUSTOMER SERVICE WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING

Grace, it is said befalls a person or is like a divine cocoon that wraps around someone like a warm sweater.

The truth is, grace at Mainstream may come in the form of a dedicated support worker, a fantastic life skills instructor or a behavior intervention professional.

In seven years I have heard many really amazing stories about our staff. Their dedication, vision and desire to create a better lifestyle and options for our consumers have been repetitive themes.

Last year, at an event called “Abundant Life” celebrating and promoting activity in the Chinese community, there were some surprises. One woman said that her daughter had not spoken a word before going to Vancouver Life Skills where a staff member worked intensively with her. She had been sixteen years old when she started at the Program. Now she spoke in whole sentences, although still shy and a little withdrawn. A second person, said that another of our staff had provided great support for their family and their son, who was deaf during a truly difficult time. These were unsolicited stories with a heartfelt “Thank You” as the intended message.

Two years ago I received an extremely touching email from a young father about one of our Laurel intervention personnel. He said that his son’s autism had made him withdraw from his son’s life. He spoke of the frustration and pain he felt not being able to connect well with his only child. By his own admission, he felt powerless. The story changed, however, when our staff entered the family’s life. He stated that he now had a relationship with his young son, enjoying every opportunity he had to spend time with him.

The week I was hired to work at Mainstream, I encountered an old friend who had worked for a short time at the agency. He said that he had never encountered a group that worked so hard to achieve positive change for its clients.

Mainstream’s accreditation and practices may speak volumes about the mandate and charter of the organization, but the accomplishments of our line staff and their supervisors goes a step further.

The kindness, passion, and advocacy of our workers promotes bravery, self-discovery,. personal goal-setting and a widening circle of activities and friendships for persons served.

The best of what Mainstream does is done quietly, with conviction and without fanfare. There are no awards for making someone like themselves, and making them want to try harder. There is no prize for making a person feel that they can succeed. In these special moments, small triumphs provide the gratification. It is the fuel that powers the process of Community Living.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not. 
~ Dr. Seuss