Keegan Smith & Kristine Hoey

Keegan Smith & Kristine Hoey

2013 Team Achievement Award - York Region

CNIB

Nominator Comments:

Keegan and Kristine coordinate the service days that take place monthly in Stouffville and Unionville. Between them, they arrange for the facility, prepare the promotion, and staff the monthly service days.

These service days have a major impact by providing service to clients in their own community. Most of these clients are elderly, so having local community clinics instead of having to travel to Newmarket, makes the difference of whether they receive service or not.

Both Keegan and Kristine have to travel to different locations, set up their work remotely and bring back equipment and files to and from the office. However they do this each month so that our clients have the opportunity to see their Low Vision Specialist, receive an assessment, can receive referral to other services, and ask any questions they may have regarding technical aids and equipment which will help them deal with their vision loss and improve day to day quality of life.

Keegan and Kristine are always looking for places and ways to promote these Service Days and ensure that clients are aware that they have a local option. Transportation is a huge issue for our clients, so having a location that is close to them often is the difference between receiving service or not being able to obtain service. Both locations are in seniors centre/retirement homes, so this makes the clinics very accessible to seniors and those with multiple disabilities.

CNIB has a history of organizing and offering Service Days throughout York Region. It inspires me that a service staff is willing to pick up this tradition, and spend the time to organize and book these days, and put aside one day a month from their schedule in order to drive down (in all types of weather) to staff the day and bring all of the equipment that is involved.

Kristine and Keegan always try and make everything easier for the clients. Often they will arrange to drop into a clients home, if the client is too elderly or infirm to get over to the clinic, and pick up or drop off an item if that is easier for the client.

Kristine and Keegan are always looking for ways to coordinate efficiency with client service delivery, and provide the best possible service to the client. This is a challenge within a large geographical area like York Region. So being able to coordinate deliveries and visits with the Service Days schedule and geography, always benefits the clients. For Keegan and Kristine, serving clients needs is what it is all about!

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