The following is an excerpt from WJS Canada’s storybook “Your Story Is Our Story”, a collection of experiences recounted by WJS employees that celebrate the caring culture of their work within the organization. Having passion for the work that WJS does means seeing the potential in someone and having the patience to see them through
Russell Auger is an Elder with more than 40 years of experience working with Indigenous youth and communities across North America. After previously working with Spirit of Our Youth for 9 years, we are happy to welcome Russell back to WJS as our Indigenous Cultural Advisor. Indigenous culture follows an oral tradition; creation stories, historical
The strategic plan outlines an ambitious program that will have a positive impact on the experiences of our employees, how we deliver our services, our reputation, and how we manage future growth.
When I consider what the last year has represented for WJS, the words that come to mind are change and foundational work. They would seem to be contradictory but in fact this past year has seen considerable resources being expended to invest in our strong foundation so that we can change and innovate to meet
As we completed our smudge and sharing circle during our Cultural teaching night, one of the youth approached me and had talked about having dreams of her late mother and brother. She shared how she dreamed of them during the night and was anxious and wanted to understand what her dreams meant. I shared with the youth how in our culture when our loved ones pass away into the
As part of WJS Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Journey, employees in Alberta and in BC were invited to participate in the Kairos Blanket Exercise. The Kairos Blanket Exercise is experiential exercise that teaches Indigenous history – the version that’s rarely taught or known. The exercise is one of the key steps to reconciliation and covers
Transformation means to go beyond your form. It’s perfectly describes the dramatic change in the course of Marianne’s* life, a woman served by WJS Canada. Her story begins with tragedy and heartache, but ultimately, with the support of her dedicated care team, it’s a story of transformation and hope. This piece was written by a
A crisis can happen at any time, to anyone. There are life-threatening situations, natural disasters (such as the forest fires in Fort McMurray in 2015), criminal acts, medical and mental illness, thoughts of suicide or homicide, and grief and loss. The escalation of a crisis can create an unsafe situation for the people we serve
In almost 20 years at WJS Canada, I have worn a few different hats. Group home, adult day program, seniors program, trauma peer support counsellor. Currently I work in Tenant Support, where I have been for the last 16 years. I think I have found my niche. Tenant Support is one of those programs that
WJS Canada wishes to respectfully acknowledge that we operate on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples across Canada.
