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Ordinary and Extraordinary Days: Amber's Story
Along the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, about 700 kilometres northeast of Regina, lies the town of Creighton. Its 1,402 residents regularly visit Flin Flon, Manitoba – less than a ten-minute drive away – for groceries, entertainment, and the Flin Flon General Hospital.
Karis Disability Services has a single home location in Creighton, where a group of housemates live and do life together. Amber is a direct support professional (DSP) there.
“I’ve always loved working with people with diverse needs,” said Amber, who also works as an educational assistant, supporting students with disabilities at school. “[Karis] was looking for people for evenings, so it made sense that I transition my skills from school to the house.”
The house in Creighton is home to seven people: five live in a traditional group setting, and two who share an apartment upstairs in Supported Independent Living. Amber describes the dynamic in the house as loving and supported; with DSPs and people supported always there to cheer each other on and help each other.
“We come from a small community and I kind of grew up and went to high school around the same time as some of the people supported at our house,” Amber shared. “So I felt I could help them be more independent and live a great life outside their family home.”
Amber’s favourite part of her job is seeing the growth in the people we support and supporting them to have new experiences, like going fishing, sharpening their craft skills, and cooking new, healthy food.
DSPs, like Amber, walk alongside people supported throughout the ordinary and extraordinary: birthday celebrations, playing new games, personal challenges, daily dinners, and unexpected circumstances.
Last year, forest fires raged across Northern Saskatchewan and all seven residents were evacuated from their home. DSPs – who also had homes to evacuate – followed correct processes and safely helped each person as they were relocated to family members living further south. DSPs were reassuring during this uncertain time, encouraging the people they support and staying optimistic.
“You never know what’s going to happen and the connections you’re going to have,” Amber shared. “Seeing these people and all the things they’ve had to go through with the positivity that still shines is pretty amazing.”
Housemates of the home in Creighton moved back in after one month. From their backyard, you can see burnt trees where Creighton’s firefighters were able to stop the burning.
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