1. To the Hiring Committee;
Through my education and work experience in the field of Developmental Services, I have gained a great deal of
experience in supporting members of our community who present complex and multi-faceted needs. My most
recent place of employment, Ottawa ACORN has allowed me to complement my skill set and has enabled me to
gain skills and knowledge regarding social justice and civic engagement.
During my term of employment at Sonshine Families' R.A.Y.S. Day Program, I was regularly responsible for
creating and implementing a variety of engaging and meaningful programming for the adults that accessed this
program. I was also jointly responsible for creating a monthly schedule of outings, activities and the structure of
each week. I established and maintained a positive rapport while also maintaining professional boundaries with the
people I supported in this program. In addition to my work directly with the adults that attended this program, I
also was often responsible for evaluating students obtaining a work placement at Sonshine Families and
communication with their Academic Liaisons, drafting Individual Support Plans for people who attended this
program, paying bills and managing personal finances for many people that accessed the program as well as
managing other clerical duties.
During my term of employment at Ottawa ACORN, I demonstrated consistently strong skills in terms of member
recruitment, leadership development and general organizational skills. I organized several community meetings and
learned a great deal about how to engage members of the community and build campaigns collaboratively with
them in order to address their needs and concerns. Through consultation with ACORN members in one of the
communities I worked in (Manor Park), I organized a day of action based on member's primary concern, traffic.
This action was very successful, received media coverage from multiple sources and led to a meeting with the
members involved and their local City Councillor, Tobi Nussbaum. I also learned a great deal about how to
organize larger municipal, provincial and federal campaigns, all based on consultation with ACORN members. I
attended ACORN Canada's Year End/Year Beginning training in Chicago Illinois (December 2014) where we
participated in discussions and workshops and heard from multiple guest speakers who work in different
capacities in the field of social justice.
In any workplace, I practice active listening and I communicate with others in a respectful and constructive way. I
am adaptable, flexible and I am committed to tailoring my services to meet the needs of those I support. In any of
my work directly supporting others, I adhere to the Person Centred approach to service and I place top priority on
demonstrating respect and ensuring dignity at all times.
I am highly motivated, a fast learner, a creative thinker, I work well as a team member or individually and I have a
strong skill set to contribute. I have current First Aid/CPR (Level C) certification and I have a valid criminal
reference check for the vulnerable sector. I am also committed to ongoing professional development and I would be
pleased to obtain any required certification or training for this position.
I will carry out any and all expectations in my work professionally and with a high standard for quality of service.
I have strong organizational skills and I am good at prioritizing my work. I am keen to be a good fit in the lives of
the people I support and in the workplace of other staff. I am a co-operative person by nature and I will gladly
compromise when needed. I seek to be positive and develop a good rapport with everyone I work with. I am highly
motivated to demonstrate my competence, professionalism and commitment to quality of service in any field of
social justice and/or support.
Thank you for your time and consideration;
Sincerely,
Jennifer Fletcher