“This Program Has Changed My Life!”
Meet Bridgit!
Bridgit has regulars now. Customers who line up at her till at Superstore instead of the other cashiers, and ask when she’s working next so they can come back on her shift. “Briggie was so amazing,” one of them said. “She checked everything through quickly, offered me the deal of the week while still scanning items, and was so nice and patient with my kids who were ‘helping!’
Two years ago that would have been hard to picture. Before 2021, Bridgit was looking for her first real work experience and the confidence to go with it. She reached out to Gateway in Calgary that fall and started working with one of our Career and Inclusion Consultants that November. “This program helped me with writing a resume, preparing for interviews, and finding a job,” she said. “It also gave me confidence when I started working because I had the extra support to overcome my anxiety.” With the team’s support, she applied, and was soon hired as a cashier at Superstore.
The support was built around her. It meant arranging the accommodations she needed and learning to ask for them herself.
“Gateway helped me to advocate for accommodations I needed, to have time blocked to use for medical appointments. My CIC at Gateway also coached me on how to speak with my manager about requesting more hours.”
She learned the role fast, needing little support once she’d started, knowing the team was there if she did. Since that November she’s been recognized for “Enduring Commitment to Exceptional Customer Service and Standards,” hears it from her manager and colleagues, and loves the people she works with: “These are the best colleagues I’ve ever had. I’ve been told that I put a lot of smiles on people’s faces.”
“This program has changed my life. I can afford to live, I’m not as depressed as I used to be, and I’ve found new motivation to succeed.”
We support people living with disabilities in their job search and career planning in Edmonton and Calgary, for free.
