Letter from Jim Niemi in FridayAM, Published March 16, 2012

Looking back 16 years . . .

Last March the Ministry of Social Development posted a Request for Proposals for the delivery of the Employment Program of British Columbia.  The new service will be initiated on April 2, 2012 and will be managed by West Coast Group International (WCG) in partnership with a number of local community partners.

The new Employment Service Centre will continue to operate from both TEP (The Employment Place) locations in Salmon Arm and Sicamous.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for your unwavering support in the delivery of employment services to the Shuswap region over the past 16 years!  The success of our programs, including the Implicit Career Search workshop, and for the past five years, The Employment Place both in Salmon Arm and Sicamous; has been deeply rewarding.

We have had the privilege of assisting the unemployed in our community to find jobs, upgrade skills, and more importantly, to pursue career paths that contribute to community with meaning and purpose.  We have also enjoyed working closely with the business and aboriginal communities to provide services to address the many challenges being faced during this latest shift in the evolution of community.

My greatest need at this point is to share my gratitude for the wonderful group of people who worked with me both at The Employment Place and Stepping Stones as staff members and sub-contractors. Your commitment and determination to the betterment of community by sharing your individual skills and talents has touched me greatly.

The possibility of using the human element approach in creating a successful team was once only a thought….

Now it’s a reality….Kudos to you all!

I would also like to thank the Service Provider Community for the many years of collaboration resulting in numerous opportunities to share our expertise and passion while supporting our mutual clients’ goals.

While Stepping Stones Consulting has chosen not to move forward in the new provincial program at this time, I would like to offer my support, best wishes, and much success to WCG and its partners with the delivery of the new employment model to our communities.

Jim Niemi, Stepping Stones Consulting

 

Stepping Stones Consulting would like to congratulate Bonnie Thomas on her new position as Project Coordinator for the Mary Thomas Cultural Centre and Heritage Sanctuary. To know more about the centre and the many projects Bonnie will be coordinating, here is their website and Bonnie’s new email:
www.switzmalph.com and bonnie@switzmalph.com

Bonnie has worked with Stepping Stones for the past 4 years as a Coach/Mentor and her ability to connect with people at a genuine caring level will surely be missed. An offspring of the late Dr. Mary Thomas who was known as “Momma Bear” in her community, Bonnie is toted as being “Baby Bear” being the youngest daughter and having a kindred interest in keeping Mary’s legacy and vision alive. Bonnie’s passion for building community one person at a time will make her a great leader in her new role and we look forward to working with her on future projects. Bonnie has definitely left her Baby Bear’s imprint with us here at Stepping Stones! The next time you see Bonnie . . . give her a big bear hug!

Bonnie Thomas seen here with Stepping Stones Consulting owner Jim Niemi receiving a plaque with an imprint of a baby black bear’s foot as a momentum of her time spent as a Coach/Mentor for the past four years. To follow what Bonnie is up to, go to: www.switzmalph.com

It’s a brand NEW YEAR of potential and possibilities! What will you create?

This month we were blessed with a painting to hang in our Library/Break out Room ~ where many of our monthly ICS Participants and other visitors can enjoy it also. Here is a little information from the Artist:

My name is Jadranka Zizak. I was born and raised in Bosnia-Herzegovina and immigrated to Canada in 1993 from Croatia. I began to paint in 2005 as a self-taught artist. The images I bring forth are visible through heart and soul. My paintings are a dynamic and spontaneous expression of soul exploration into physical reality.

I paint landscapes of life using a variety of art media. My paintings suit my temperament and they are true to me; I call them vibrational paintings. I am an Instrument of Love and Light and an explorer of Life, Truth and Beauty. The painting here is called “Unlimited Potential”.

We want to bring your attention to our “Alumni Pages” ~ under the COMMUNITY tab of this website; and also under our BLOG section, “Submitted by Alumni”.

This is a spot for all ICS Participants to share what they are up to which would be inspiring to others, as well as a point of connection.

A big THANK YOU to David Docherty for the amazingly beautiful, framed and personally taken photograph that now brightens our reception area! We also extend best wishes to David as he embarks on his new path to complete a diploma program in Vancouver on Professional Photography! (To see more of David’s Blog, go to: www.davidandthecamera.blogspot.com )

If you are an ICS Alumni and have something to share (your “story”, a personally written poem, your business website, etc.) send an email to goldie@stepstones.ca

Thank you!

Wow! What a wonderful day our open house was!….I really want to say I appreciate everyone that showed up to make our day a special and wonderful experience…..Having Easy Rock on location also allowed us to share who we are with everyone in Salmon Arm and surrounding areas…Thanks to all the service providers who came out as well….It’s such an honour to live in this great community!….cheers….Jim