Krystene Harvey
One of Krystene’s favourite parts of her job are the connections she has made during her 38-year career. “I’ve created some really great friendships over the years.” One of those connections is with Norma, an elderly customer who lives alone in the community. When Norma failed to show up recently, Krystene and her co-worker Kelly Sato investigated only to discover that Norma was in hospital with a broken hip. They visited Norma and offered to clean her apartment to make it tidy for when she got home. The apartment, however, was in very bad shape and needed much more than a quick cleaning. Enlisting co-workers Andy Baxter and Kathryn Lachuk, they refurbished the apartment by sourcing cabinets, flooring and gently used furniture, ensuring that Norma had a clean, bright and modern space to come home to. Going way beyond the call of duty is something that her boss, Rahim Valiani, has instilled in her. “He is amazing. He teaches us to be better people.”
Lucas Hearn
A freak and violent windstorm that swept through his community of Paradise, Newfoundland, changed a normal day into a day Luke won’t soon forget. “There was hardly a gale in the morning but by lunchtime, it was brutal outside,” says Luke, who has worked for Sobeys for just over a year. As the wind began pushing carts across the lots and whipping around debris from the roof of nearby building, Luke and his co-worker Meghan Duke, headed outside to help. “We had to get facemasks because there was rocks flying around,” says Luke. “It was nuts.” The pair began accompanying customers to their cars and when the wind made that too difficult, instructed customers to drive up to the front of the store and wait in their vehicles while they loaded the groceries. It’s in Luke’s nature to quietly step in when someone is struggling. “I’m like my mom in that way,” says Luke. “She’s always helping people.
John Hillis
“John meets all core values,” begins John’s nominating letter. From being a community volunteer to being a mentor for new employees, John is the epitome of a Value Champion. A true leader, John’s dedication extends to his staff and department. He empowers others when it comes to decision-making, creating special displays, planning and ordering. As produce manager, John has earned a reputation for responding to customer needs. A few years ago he chased down a customer’s request for organic juicing carrots and continued to bring them in on special order. Recognizing a growing market trend, John’s department now boasts a complete range of speciality organic items. John is very passionate about what he does and ensures customers have an enjoyable shopping experience. Even in a city of 45,000, John is known far and wide and customers frequently stop by just to say hello.
Penelope Hodgson
Pennie, who has been with Sobeys for almost 40 years and has been nominated for the Value Champion honour three times, has gained a reputation for being someone co- workers can count on. Last winter, during a blizzard that was blanketing the city, Pennie came in on her own time at 10:30p.m. to help out on the front end, which was busy with customers stocking up to weather the storm. Staying until past midnight, Pennie then drove several employees home through the driving snow. Early the next morning, Pennie was one of the first people back at work, calling other co-workers to tell them to stay home and off the roads. When the store closed a few hours later, Pennie again ensured all employees made it home safely. “Working here is the greatest job you could ever have,” says Pennie, emotional at the thought of the past four decades. “It’s just very rewarding.”
Rodney Hood
Rodney serves his community by volunteering as a coach for hockey and baseball and being involved in curling. But his dedication goes deeper than just showing up for games. On his hockey team last winter there was one young player who didn’t have family coming to watch him at the rink. The boy’s father worked out west and his mom, with two other children, was struggling to get him to practices. “I started driving him to every practice, every game, tied his skates, helped him get his gear on,” says Rodney. “At tournaments he would be with my family and we’d give him snacks and lunch. The young fella really appreciated it and that’s all that matters.” It makes Rodney proud that he is looked upon as a role model. “When you see the kids you coach somewhere outside of the sport and they are happy to see you and come running over to say hello and to give you a high five, it makes you feel good.”
Trina Kant
The best part of Trina’s job is working with the people around her, many of whom are young assistants just starting out. “I really enjoy it,” she says. “The people are really friendly.” Trina does everything she can to help anyone in need. For instance, when an employee was recently caught in a difficult domestic situation, Trina offered to help. “I could tell she was really struggling,” says Trina, tearing up at the memory. “She needed to get out of where she was but she didn’t have anything.” Trina organized a drive at work to collect household goods. “I just asked people if they had anything in their cupboards that they didn’t need, like dishes and pots and pans or old furniture that they weren’t using any more.” “It just felt like that was the thing I was supposed to do,” says Trina, who adds that the employee is doing better now. “You’ve got to take care of your own.”
Adam Kellert
Adam values the relationships and friendships he has made over the course of his career. “The meat and seafood teams have been very family oriented,” says Adam. One of those friendships was with Christopher Petrie, an IGA produce specialist who passed away suddenly this past spring. “Chris was at the table when I applied for this job and we became friends way back.” When Chris died, Adam helped to organize a celebration of his life, arranging to hold it in the Town Hall at Sobeys offices and contacting Chris’s high school friends to gather old photos to display. Although he is proud to have been chosen as a Value Champion, the honour is very bittersweet. “Chris was loyal, supportive and unselfish,” says Adam. “Passion and integrity described him and he had a work ethic that was unmatched. On the personal side, you couldn’t ask for a better friend. He’d listen as much as he would talk. It was a tough loss.”
Kathryn Lachuk
For Kathryn, assisting customers is one of the most rewarding parts of her job. “We have a lot of regular customers who come in and a lot of seniors. We go out of our way to make sure they get what they need and make sure they are okay.” That dedication was apparent recently when she helped co-workers Krystene Harvey and Kelly Sato refurbish an apartment for an elderly customer. “I asked if they needed any help and they said Norma needed furniture and towels and things,” says Kathryn. “So I put the word out to my family and we were able to get her a couch, towels and linens, bedding, curtains.” Kathryn’s boyfriend and cousin then helped get the items to Norma’s place. “We loaded it up in Surrey and drove to Richmond on my day off to move it in.” Kathryn credits her mother for her sense of compassion. “She taught us to take care of others,” says Kathryn. “It’s just the right thing to do.”
Mindy Langley
Every morning Mindy comes into the office and she fills the ice bucket, the kettle and makes a pot of coffee. It might be something small but it’s a testament to how she approaches every day. Before the end of a report period, one of Mindy’s co-workers was having a hard time filing their reports. The issues with the file arose right before 5 p.m. and even though it was late, Mindy stayed to help work through the problem and get the reports filed on time. Mindy’s help prevented her co-worker from having to stay at the office really late. “It absolutely had to be done in order to close the period. We did some troubleshooting over the course of a few hours and at the end of the day we were able to get it in on time,” says Mindy. Offering help whenever she can just comes naturally to Mindy. “Why should someone spend hours spinning their wheels on something if they can ask for help and it can get done a lot quicker.”
Ruth Dumaresq
“It was very difficult to narrow Ruthie’s awesomeness down to one value,” begins Ruth’s nomination letter. “She takes great pride in her work; this is HER store. She is fiercely protective of it.” Helping others comes naturally to Ruth, who learned to do so from her mother. “She said always be kind, respect others even if you don’t agree with them, let them have their voice,” says Ruth, becoming emotional at the memory. “I’ve followed that throughout my life.” Ruth’s mother passed away in 2003 and Ruth’s husband died in 2015 but their influence over how Ruth lives her life remains strong. “I took a little bit of what they taught me and I use it every day.” Ruth works four days a week and that extra day off is sometimes long. “I get antsy to get back to work,” she says. “I enjoy people. I have a laugh every day or I make somebody laugh. Sometimes people just need somebody to talk to and maybe I need somebody to talk to, too.”
