Winning Wheels' caregivers, families and residents making a difference.

Here they share their winning moments.

The Family Atmosphere at Winning Wheels
by Jade Ewald, Personnel Administrative Assistant

In the three years that I have worked at Winning Wheels I have gone through many major life changes and through each of these changes, even when I was feeling the lowest, I was always able to come to work and find a smile and a friendly face. It is amazing how each and every one of our residents and our employees reach out to one another. There is a strong family atmosphere throughout the buildings that make up Winning Wheels. I have never worked for a place that has offered so much love and so many hugs!

Shortly after I started in September of 2004, I wrecked my car. I had hit a very large deer. Even though it was out of the way I had an employee that would make sure that I still made it to my Friday night bowling league. He would come back after his shift had ended to give me a ride into Sterling. Another employee that would often cheer me up would simply make me realize how lucky I was. Lucky to have my life and the ability to make the choices I make every day. Almost all of our residents would never choose to live in a facility, but I hear it in the voices and in the laughter how much they enjoy living here. It is also great to hear how much their families appreciate us as well. We are like their extended family on many different levels.

One of the many perks of working here is the daycare and the daycare staff. I feel very comfortable leaving my child in their hands. Even when the children are cranky in the morning, the teachers help to ease the parent's mind. It is amazing how much love they get and how much they learn. It is fun to walk in after a day of work and see the different pictures from activities earlier in the week and the crafts that the children have made. It is also a lot of fun when the children come here for different events such as the Halloween parade.

Just recently I injured my back and almost daily I would have both staff and residents ask me how I was doing. The fact that so many people cared really made me feel good. The residents understand how it is to live with an injury and the staff is very accommodating as well. The work can be tough and the hours long, but the smiles and the "thank-you's" that you get in return are well worth the efforts. Winning Wheels is a very special place!

Family Thanks Winning Wheels Caregiver
by Valorie Armstrong, Dietary Manager

Between the five years that I worked as Office Manager and the three years I've been in Dietary, I have come to know a lot of the residents' families. I have become very close with a few. They stop by my office each time they visit to give me a hug and just say hi. I also had the privilege of being a Program Manager for a few years and met a very lovely woman whose son was a resident here. Her son was not vocal, but this made no difference to me. I would go into his room and talk to him as though at any moment he was going to start talking right back. I'll never forget one day when I was in his room talking about his grandson and going over his input sheet for care plans when in walked his Mother. Her eyes were full of tears and a huge smile covered her face. I quickly asked her what was wrong and gave her our usual "welcome hug". She looked at me with those tear-filled eyes and told me "Thank you". I couldn't understand what she was thanking me for. She said she was thanking me for talking to her son the same as I would have talked to mine.

Years have passed and unfortunately so has this resident. His mother still visits from time to time and always seeks me out to give me her "welcome hug". I was very touched to think that a simple, ordinary conversation I had with her son, even though it was one sided, touched her heart so much.