The Helpers

Many of you will know Mr. Rogers and I would surmise that many of you grew up with him. What I loved about him was that in his simplicity, he was profound. I think his most famous quote was: “When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

We talk a lot about servant leadership, hiring to high standards, and providing staff training opportunities. Constantly raising the bar, committing to the highest standard of care, being respectful in all we do with and for our clients, is a Simon House expectation. We are a fully accredited treatment and recovery centre. We have integrated healthcare, emotional management, twelve amazing weeks of programming and one-on-one counselling, extracurricular activities, the best food ever in a care centre, and an easygoing but firm environment into our care plan.

That leads me back to Mr. Rogers. I have been at Simon House for two years now and over that time, I have seen the helpers. Yes, there are a lot of scary things when you think about where we have come from and what we have experienced and seen. Like Mr. Rogers’ mom, when we think of, or experience those “scary things,” remember the helpers. There are so many around Simon House that you are all too numerous to mention by name. All of you on staff are true helpers, true servant leaders, and it is a pleasure to work with you!

Let me conclude with another Mr. Rogers quote that highlights for me who you are, what you do, and the legacy you will leave: “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It is easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people are my heroes.”

Dr. John R.

— President & CEO, Simon House