Say hello to CLB’s newest staff
Resilient and hardworking, Lorri Sprlak has been an immense benefit and addition to the Community Lunch Box team. She joined the Community Lunch Box little over a year ago and has since enjoyed the varied work she does on a weekly basis.
Lorri has had extensive experience with cleaning professionally at Quality Day Inn as a house cleaner for many years. Drawing on that experience, she’s meticulous when cleaning and always insures it is done properly.
The cleanliness of the CLB Support Centre speaks volumes to the high standard in which she holds herself too. Every Friday she mops, vacuums, dusts the furniture and washes the windows with a jaw-splitting grin on her face. Her cheerful and easy going demeanour is contagious to everyone present.
“I wanted to help out in the community and help the kids by making lunches” Ms. Sprlak said. She is apart of the breakfast/lunch programming at St. Joe’s School and helps with preparing the meals for the students on Tuesdays.
After helping out with the school, Lorri comes over to the Lunch Box garage to help sort bottles for two hours then goes on a driving adventure to pick up bottles around town at various businesses.
“My favourite part about working with the Community Lunch Box is the people I work with, everyone is amazing, and it’s like team work.”
Part of the Community Lunch Box’s success strives from that statement. It isn’t just one person but everyone involved that makes the program as divisive and inclusive as it has become over the past ten years.
It’s the people that make it happen and people like Lorri; hardworking and resilient that makes the community program the incredible force it has become today.
When Lorri isn’t working or busy volunteering she can be found visiting with friends and going out for coffee. She enjoys music as well and her favourite music artist is the Zac Brown Band. She hopes to one day buy the game console Wii U, stating that when she was younger she loved playing Nintendo and it brings back a sense of nostalgia.
Hard work and dedication pays off. 20 year old Jered St. Martin is a talented young man who made the decision to join the Community Lunch Box Program because he told me “I wanted to try something new. It gets me involved with the community and giving back”
He started off by volunteering with the bottle sorting crew and in recognition of his fantastic work and dedication; the CLB has ask him to join every Tuesday. He comes to the Community Lunch Box Support Center which is located across from the library to sort bottles and cans in the purpose built garage. “I like to sort the plastic bottles and dump them in the bucket.” He added that it feels pretty good to have a job where everyone he works with is supportive in a positive work atmosphere.
Being wheelchair bound hasn’t held Mr. St. Martin back at all. He’s active throughout the community. A year ago Jered volunteered at the Whitecourt & District Library where he assisted the library clerks in various ways. When he isn’t busy working diligently or volunteering, Jered takes part in various extracurricular activities. He joined Special Olympics for the first time this year playing bocce ball. Jared said he enjoyed the experience and plans to play again when next year’s session begins. He particularly liked the teamwork aspect of the competitive sport.
Jared is an avid country music fan, in fact so much that it is even his preferred genre to play on the piano. He is an avid pianist and has played the piano for many years; enjoying it immensely. His favourite country band is Lonestar. Another of his favourite pastimes is playing video games and watching WWE on TV.
The Community Lunch Box is very fortunate to have Jered St. Martin join the ranks of our diversified team. It is without a doubt that his continued involvement will be a considerable asset to the program. His steadfast work ethic and determination in the face of many challenges is a shining example of what an ideal employee should be. Welcome to the team, Jered.
