RSA Award of Excellence

Each year, Regional Support Associates (RSA) works in partnership with over 150 organizations in the social services, health, justice and education fields.  The RSA Award of Excellence is presented at our annual conference and was created to recognize the outstanding work of our community partners.  Any direct-service professional or manager working in the RSA catchment area in our field is eligible for nomination.

2008 Award

Carol Patterson
Community Living Walkerton & District

The 2008 Award Winner is Carol Patterson.  She has worked for Community Living Walkerton & District since 1981, and 2 years prior to that, as an Infant Development worker in Owen Sound.

During her time with CLWD, Carol has led the Infant Development Services, been Manager of Support Services primarily to assist folks to make their homes in the community; & most recently, as the Manager of Measures & Best Practices.

Carol is Management Co-chair of the Joint Health & Safety Committee; and is the agency contact with the Ministry of Labour.  She has developed and maintains all the Healthy & Safety Policies; maintains the agency Personnel Policies; has won two Community Living Ontario awards as editor of the CLWD Newsletter Vision – most recently in 2008.  She also helps organize Community Living Day at the Parliament buildings; and she helps select award winners for Educational Bursaries for post-secondary students.

Currently, Carol is the staff who supports the agency Action Committee – a group of self-advocates.  At first the group struggled, until Carol agreed to assist them.  Now it is a well-organized and handles its own finances -- including lending funds to folks who are in short-term need.  Now the group advances the notion of supported people qualifying for loans at banks.  This past year, the group had their first, highly successful Speaking-out Conference.  Her kindness is also shown in the role she has taken as coordinator of the local Road Hockey Tourney.

For almost three decades, Carol has been known as a generous, honest and giving person.  She generously donates her time to many community, agency and church functions with little fanfare.  Some words that were used to describe her, by those nominating her, include ”genuine”, ”committed”, ”compassionate” and ”never ending respect & love for the people she meets”.

Carol lives in Walkerton with 3 wonderful cats.