This year, our Mentor Recognition Award Recipient was nominated by two of her mentees.  A commendable accomplishment!

The award recipient is Sue McPherson. Sue has been foster parent for 15 years, caring for children from infants to teens. Her stories are endless and entertaining as she has shared her home and heart with the lives of many children. Her genuine grounded wisdom, commitment to both children who had moved on from their home and to her mentees long after they have graduated from the program and her sincerity have earned her the Mentor Recognition Award twice, first in 2015 and again in 2020.

Sue served as a Calgary Foster Parent Association board member for 6 years and has been a mentor in the program for 7 years.  Her nominees said, “Sue is easy going, kindhearted, a great listener, flexible, knowledgeable, realistic, and down to earth”.

One mentee went on to say, “Sue has heard me cry. She has heard me angry. She has heard me happy. She has never once made me feel like I was being judged for having those feelings. In many ways, she lets me know she was thinking of me when I felt alone. Our meetings didn’t feel like meetings at all. She introduced me to other foster parents, and I felt like I had this amazing network of support around me, through this whole process of being mentored. Now that we’ve had this year long relationship, its blossomed into a friendship. I will never forget what I’ve learned from her this past year and will always be thankful for her and the role she played in my life during this time.”

One mentee commented that she aims one day to be just like Sue: 15 years as a hard-working, loving foster family. What a beautiful compliment.

We honour Sue for the many qualities she emulates as a CRFKA mentor and which she demonstrates as a caring, nurturing, often humorous and always loving foster caregiver within Children Services. Thank you Sue!!