NEWS & STORIES

Check out what is going on here at Venture Training!

Summer Fun!

There is a lot of outdoor activity taking place in our programs as people visit amenities and go on excursions. With Vernon's indoor pool shut for maintenance, we have been going to the outdoor pool in Enderby. BX falls is always a great hike to get some shade and coolness from the creek. Going fishing and spending time at our lakes and parks for picnics make summer our favourite season of the year.

National Indigenous Peoples Day in Enderby

A group from our Connections day program went to Enderby to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day with our Splatsin neighbours. They joined in a mach with about 300 others in support of the 215 children found in Kamloops, survivors of the residential school system and their families.

Arbour Day

April 30th was International Arbour Day. Our ACT program has weekly themes, so that week was all about trees. City of Vernon arborist Roland Carlson came by to talk to the group about what his job entails and how trees benefit the community. He demonstrated the use of his various pruning tools as he worked on the flowering plum trees along the street.

 

Program Spotlight

"The Place" is the name of our lunch program, which is a partnership with School District 22. We prepare approximately 1,200 well-balanced, nutritious lunches per week to 20 schools in the district when they are in session. The program develops skills in budgeting, shopping, hygiene, safe food handling, time management and social interaction.

Fun Facts:

Revenue (2020):
CLBC $92,491
Sales $129,153
Federal subsidies $10,067
Total $231,712
Total Expenses: $230,920

The Employee of the Month

At our Senior Staff meetings each month we take nominations for "Employee of the Month". The winner is then drawn randomly as it is impossible to choose one over the other. Winners receive a $50 gift card to the store of their choice. Here are recent nominees and recipients:

Recipient: Terry F. and Anna P.
Nominees: Julie H. / Kelly T. / Amber C.

Recipient:  Stephanie S.
Nominees: Joanne A. / Terry F. & Anna P. / Ruth E. / Belkis G.

Recipient: Jeremy B. (pictured)
Nominees: Nancy B. / Tina C. / Tim L.

What makes a Great Community Support Worker?

Sabrina, the Program Coordinator for Willow House in Armstrong, asked her staff "What makes a great community support worker?" She was a little surprised that it wasn't their skill or knowledge; it was the genuine care that they provide for the people they serve. Here are some of the things that Sabrina's teammates said in answering her question:

  • If they are having a hard day, no one would know it.
  • If someone else is having a challenging day, they meet them on their level with no judgement.
  • They need to know the needs of the people they serve and the little things like their favorite foods/drinks, activities and music they like to listen to.
  • Being a very good listener and having real conversations with people who don't always communicate well.
  • Staying out of the "drama" and being flexible in their work for the team.
  • Recognize that play and laughter are important to the residents and staff of Willow House.

Everyone agreed that skills can be learned but the makings of a great support worker are internal - it's how they care for people.

Ed has been with Venture Training for five years and is pictured here with Henry at  Willow House.

Tuna Casserole Recipe

Rory likes to help out with the cooking at his residential care home and one of his favorite meals is tuna casserole.
Ingredients:
2 boxes of Kraft Dinner
2 Cans of Tuna
a small pile of mushrooms, peppers, green onions, carrots, and parsley
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup milk
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
Preparation:
Cook the Kraft Dinner, following the instructions on the box; drain once cooked.
Chop up and sauté mushrooms, peppers, onions and carrots in butter.
Drain the liquid from the tuna.
Mix the ingredients in a suitably sized casserole dish.
Top with the cheddar cheese and parsley.
Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour, then let it rest for five minutes before serving.

Follow-up Vaccine Survey

In our Winter 2021 Newsletter we published the results of a survey to staff on whether or not they planned to get vaccinated. At that time 62% said Yes, 11% No and 27% were Undecided. Now, six months later, about 80% are vaccinated with 11% not intending to get vaccinated and 9% undecided. Our vaccination rate is higher than the provincial rate of 72%.  For us, most of the previously undecided staff ended up getting vaccinated.