Employee Spotlight: Bretton Stonehocker – Service Manager

Entrust has been able to do some incredible work over the years because of the unwavering dedication and passion of our staff. As part of our twentieth-anniversary celebration, we sat down with one of our oldest staff members, Bretton Stonehocker, to chat about his experience working with Entrust.

What led you to work in this field?

I was 18 and in grade 12 looking for a part-time job while I was in school. I grew up around families with disabled people, so it was something I was familiar with and cared a lot about. I came across Entrust as they were looking for some extra help part time, so I thought "hey why not" and started as a community support worker working twice a week. As a community support worker, we would do everything from hygiene to cooking, to going on outings with our clients - we became like their family. We would do everything we could to make sure their lives were fulfilling.

You've worked with us for about ten years, that's a long time! What is it about Entrust that keeps our staff with us for so long?

I think Entrust hires a certain type of person - the kind who are truly dedicated to making the lives of others better in any way they can. So I think this desire of helping to make people's lives better applies to our coworkers too, it is something everyone is really committed to doing, not only in their work, but in their whole lives, and it makes people want to stick around for a long time.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned from your time here?

Appreciate the things you take for granted in life because sometimes a lot of these things aren't afforded to a lot of our clients. Remembering that family is so important, being able to communicate the way we want to is a gift, and being able to do simple things without having something go wrong is something easy to take for granted. I always think "Oh man, I always have a reason to be grateful and be happy."

What is your favourite thing about Entrust?

The people I get to work with. The people in my office, colleagues, coworkers, government workers; everyone I interact with on all levels of my job. Getting to interact with so many kinds of people is incredible — There is entertainment in it all, but also so much enjoyment of life.

In a nutshell, what is it like working with Entrust?

The company is inviting, rewarding, and there are so many opportunities to grow. People are always happy to answer questions or show you something, and everyone is really willing to work together in every situation. We strive to provide excellence and innovation to our clients and do everything we can to ensure they have joy and happiness in their life.

You know, it is really amazing that in twenty years Entrust has grown from one home and a handful of employees to having over thirty homes and hundreds of employees - all while retaining our fundamental values of compassion and innovative care.

Dedicated to client care and the well-being of the Entrust team, Bretton structures his leadership on trust, honesty, and integrity. With over 8-years experience working in the field and growing up around individuals with disabilities, Bretton has developed a drive to advocate and support these individuals in our communities. Some of his best experiences come from his humanitarian missions abroad.