Well, it’s Valentines Day, the official day of ‘love’, the day we celebrate those we love. It’s got me thinking, why limit the celebration to the people we love?!?! What about the things we love, the organizations we love, the food we love… the list could go on and on! As a result, I am here to share with you an organization I love and tell you a little bit about why.

I started at ROSSS in March 2019. I didn’t know I wanted to work so closely with seniors, I didn’t know I would fall in love with the organization and I didn’t know I would fall so in love with the villages in rural Ottawa south… but I did! I fell in love with the small, tight knit communities, with the people we serve, with the staff and their drive/dedication. I promised to share the reasons I fell so hard, so here goes folks!

Reason #1: The people. My goodness, the people at ROSSS and the people ROSSS serves are seriously amazing. The staff has such compassion, such drive and such commitment to the wellbeing of our clients. The clients ROSSS serves are all so grateful, and they are all pushing themselves sometimes out of their comfort zone, to ensure they remain connected to their community. Watching them all support each other and watching the new friendships that form has proven to be more rewarding than I can even put into words.

Reason #2: The community. Each of the communities that ROSSS serves, every little village, has such rich history and such a commitment to supporting each other to make their communities as strong and as wonderful for all it’s members as possible. I’ve witnessed people rally behind various causes and seen amazing things happen just in my short time in these communities. It really is quite beautiful.

Reason #3: Innovation. ROSSS provides more services and more clients than it receives funding for. As a result, ROSSS has gotten incredibly innovative over the years at forging innovative partnerships and creative initiatives to ensure we are able to continue to meet the growing needs in the community.

Reason #4: The opportunities. Opportunities to hear amazing stories from amazing seniors, volunteer opportunities for my son, opportunities to witness realness, vulnerability and sheer strength every. Single. Day.

The peace I have felt since working with ROSSS knowing that we are making an impact on those we serve is a peace I have never felt before in my life. That we are helping people live their older years with dignity, surrounded by compassion – well, I go home at the end of the day with sore cheeks from smiling so hard and sleep soundly with this knowledge. That my kids are being exposed to the value of seniors, the value of community, the value of giving back – it’s an immeasurable gift and I am forever grateful!