2021-05-12

Pandemic challenges lead to hiring blitz at Bonny Lea Farm

Bonny Lea Farm, a Chester-area service provider to adults with special needs, wants to fill a number of vacant positions as it embarks on an ambitious staffing recruitment drive.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the employee roster at the Windsor Road organization, which offers residential and educational programs, said executive director Karen Lake. Workers retired, went on leave or accepted government financial relief, she noted, and finding replacement employees proved challenging.

"Our sector is certainly struggling, but, I think, many of the health care sectors and service sectors are struggling also," Lake told LighthouseNOW during a phone interview.

"We went months last summer where we were low on people, but we really couldn't recruit ... that complicated our ability to increase our workforce here."

Bonny Lea Farm, located off Collicutt Road, seeks prospects with human services or social sciences backgrounds and is willing to help train successful candidates in specific core competencies. For details about the employment opportunities, follow the links at http://bonnyleafarm.ca on the internet.

As of the time of this writing, three full-time jobs were available. Interviews are already planned and it is hoped new hires can go through orientation next month or July.

Lake started out as residential counsellor and went up through the ranks over the years. She was a residential services director with the organization before becoming executive director within the last month or so.

The recruitment blitz is being carried over various mediums. Social media and an outdoor billboard are among avenues attracting some public interest. Lake said the Nova Scotia Residential Agencies Association and the province's community services department have also assisted Bonny Lea Farm in its efforts to enlist more professional help.

The recruitment campaign is entering its third week. A news release announcing the effort included testimonials from Lake and Sheila Landry, the organization's residential services director.

"If you value inclusion and are looking for a career here in Nova Scotia, we want to hear from you," Landry said in the statement. "We have a range of opportunities and encourage professional growth in the organization."

Bonny Lea Farm has been serving adult with intellectual challenges since the early 1970s.