ESSEX, ON –(COMMUNITYWIRE)– There was a moment last year when Ricki Tofflemire thought she’d have to quit being a personal support worker, a position she worked towards for years. The single mother of two was working part time at Community Living Essex County (CLEC) but clocking 50 hours from Thursday to Saturday. She didn’t have anything left to give her kids.
“I was emotionally drained. I was burnt out and sick. I’d come home, exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep knowing I was going right back to work in a few hours,” said Tofflemire who had to rely on her parents for help for extended periods of time. “My kids need me to be there for them, but I couldn’t. Wednesday nights were always toughest. They’d get upset knowing they wouldn’t see me again for days.”