At posAbilities, the individuals on our team help make the great work we do possible! Each team member contributes their unique skill sets, backgrounds, knowledge, and of course has a story to tell. For this reason, we are so excited to highlight the career-defining moments our ambassadors have experienced throughout the duration of the people of posAbilities campaign.

This brings us to Maria Carpio. Maria is a Residential Services Facilitator and began her journey towards inclusion in the 1990’s. She has been caring for individuals living with diverse-abilities ever since an escaped dog led her to a young boy with Down Syndrome. Discover more about Maria’s journey by reading her full story below.

Maria Carpio

My interest in helping individuals with developmental disabilities all started with a chance escape of a dog. I was born and raised in the Philippines, and lived in Italy for ten years before moving to Canada in 1990 to begin working as a Nanny. One day on the job, the family dog ran out of the house. I rushed out to look for him and ended up finding him in someone else’s home, playing with a young boy with Down Syndrome. To make a long story short, the family asked me to teach him life skills. This inspired me to join posAbilities as a Residential Care Worker in 2002, and I later took on the role of Residential Services Facilitator in 2013. Working at the same program for quite a while, you learn a lot about the people you work with, including their likes, dislikes, what works and what doesn’t. I truly value the input of our persons served and they give me positive feedback when they feel included. As I always say, not every activity is going to be successful, but that doesn’t mean giving up. Tomorrow is another day and we try again. This role has a lot of responsibilities including conflict resolution.  It motivates me to maintain a positive attitude in my relationships. We talk a lot about what the problems are in the house and what we need to do. Communication is key. There’s a lot of training given to us at posAbilities, and when leadership sees potential in you, you’re really encouraged to grow. The team is there to support you. I really like what I’m doing and I know I can make a difference in the program. I’m a caring person and it’s such a rewarding feeling to be able to help the people we support reach their full potential.

Explore your opportunities with us, visit: https://posabilities.ca/careers/current-opportunities/

 

Photos by Maxine Tamoto, @prunecandy, prunecandyphotography.com