For the second quarter we would like to recognize Erika Weir for Living the Mission of CHOICES. Erika thinks “outside the box” in her advocacy with our young people. She is motivated to help them succeed and goes above and beyond to figure out what will motivate them individually to reach goals.
Erika is committed to her role as an Independent Living Specialist. She will take on new challenges to benefit our kids and program. This often includes taking on additional tasks within her team. Erika has worked hard to plan Expanding Horizons events, Camp Kern trips, and unique IL group sessions. Erika also has revamped the program handbook for youth, takes IL unit meeting minutes and jumps to help her team learn and succeed in new endeavors.
No matter what Erika is doing she will greet you with a smile on her face. Her compassion with youth shines through in each interaction. With her encouragement, her young people have started to raise their expectations for themselves and their future. Nothing is off limits or out of the question when it comes to Erika supporting her youth. She has ordered snakes, built tree frog habitats and is helping a youth raise funds to study abroad – as she has learned these things individually motivate her kids. Erika often thinks of new experiences for her kids and ways to teach them independent living skills in a low-pressure environment. She has started a new cooking group where youth voluntarily come and cook a meal at our Cincinnati office. It doesn’t matter if she is their caseworker or not, all are welcome and many turn out.
We love the commitment Erika has to her youth and the compassion she shows them in each interaction. Erika fully embodies CHOICES core values and mission, and is elevating the success of the young people she works alongside!
