Kim's Story / George Jeffrey Children's Foundation / Thunder Bay, Ontario

Kim's Story

April 16, 2021

Tracey Boyechko, mom to past client sweet Samantha, recently stated, "It takes a special person to work with all the children and families at George Jeffrey Children's Centre, and Kim Sjolund has been one of those special people for the last 22 years!"

March 31, 2021, will mark a bittersweet day for the Centre as Kim wraps up her time to embark on her next adventure - retirement. To celebrate Kim's milestone, we want to share her story with you and share how our donors and supporters have impacted Kim's career.

Kim started her career with the Centre as a Seating and Mobility Technician and eventually a dual role working in the Recreation and Leisure Program too. While working in the recreation program, she became very involved with the "Terrific Tuesday" initiative. Whether it was hikes, crafts, games, kayaking, or the annual Salmon Fish Derby, she brought her passion to every activity and truly enriched the lives of those around her.

Bob Speer, Samantha's grand-father, shared, "As the mobility specialist, Kim worked closely with parents' and therapists, listening to their ideas and requests which ultimately led her to configure and/or design the best, and safest, equipment that would help each child meet the needs of their everyday life. Kim definitely made the motto of "Enriching Children's Lives' a reality."

Kim's dedication to children with special needs goes even further than her job at George Jeffrey Children's Centre. She currently volunteers for Wesway as a host family to provide respite care, and with Special Olympics as the head coach for the Nordic Team.

Our Foundation Team sat down with Kim to talk about her role at the Centre and the impact she has had in our community. Kim shared that she has really enjoyed her career - especially working with the children and their families and went as far to say, "I have never not wanted to come to work".

When asked about what her thoughts were on what the donors and supporters mean to the families and clinicians of the Centre, without hesitation Kim shared, "Their support is incredible, they've helped us with everything from utility vans which allow us to get equipment to client homes, to a recently purchased auto calibrator for the pressure mapping assessment tool that allows us to observe information about a client sitting on a particular surface in real time so our team can make adjustments or recommendations for ideal safety and comfort."

While our Centre community is happy for Kim, there is no doubt she will be missed. In her retirement, Kim plans to travel, spend time with family (especially with her 7 grandchildren), practice yoga, and ride her motorcycle along-side her husband Pat. We wish Kim all the best on her next adventure!