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37 Years as a Direct Support Professional and Still Going Strong
On a typical weekday in Waldheim, Saskatchewan, Sam Bueckert walks into Karis Disability Services with a smile on his face, ready to go at 8 AM. People trickle through the front door into the main room, a cozy, carpeted space with round tables and a huge projector screen often playing a scenic forest drive. Sam greets everybody – fellow staff and people who use services – by name.
“I started in 1987,” Sam said. “Right now, with the manager that I have and the team that I’m on, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I work with wonderful people and the people we serve are wonderful.”
Sam’s job is to support people’s goals and needs, and now as people self-direct their services, each day can look a little different. The community hub where he works is a place where people can exercise, create artwork, read, watch movies, bake, and hang out with each other. At times, the Waldheim community gathers at Karis Disability Services for events and celebrations. Some days, Sam sits in the main room strumming his guitar while people join him in song, and other days, he sits one-on-one to help Samuel, a young man who uses services, achieve his goal of speaking more confidently.
After 37 years on the job, Sam said his favourite part is the people.
“The memories of everybody is something that I take with me,” Sam said. “Things come and go but the person you become, that stays with you and the people that we served here, that has become a part of who I am. They have done so much for me, and they’ve contributed more to my life than I have to theirs.”