Sandra Burke
Sandra Burke has always enjoyed helping others. Even as a child, she hoped that one day, she might become a nurse. So one might say it was destiny that her eye caught an advertisement looking for Red Cross Community Support Workers (CSWs) just as she was ready to return to the workforce after staying at home to care for her children.
After she was hired by the Red Cross, it didn’t take long for Sandra to discover that being a CSW was right up her alley. Eighteen years later, she still enjoys help families in her hometown of St. Catharines.
“I get so much satisfaction from providing comfort to my clients in a way that allows them to stay in their homes and live independently,” said Sandra.
What Sandra enjoys most about her job is hearing her clients share stories about their lives. For her, every day at work is like stepping into a page from a history book. For example, one of Sandra’s clients is a 103 year-old woman who was supposed to travel to Canada with her family on the Titanic. But, fortunately, her mother wasn’t able to buy tickets for the voyage in time.
Another element that Sandra enjoys about her job is the teamwork atmosphere with her colleagues at the Red Cross and all the support she receives from her supervisors. “There is always a friendly face greeting me when I get to the office,” said Sandra. That is likely how Sandra’s clients feel when she brightens their day with her visits.
