Sam Cooper – Employee of the Year
Meet Sam Cooper, our 2021 Employee of the Year.
Six years ago Sam joined Good Sammy as a part-time Offsider, working in our distribution team as a Supported Employee. With the help of mentoring and development from the Good Sammy team, Sam has since earned his way up to an independent full-time role, now working as a Mobile Collections Driver.
Sam loves his job and has an amazing attitude and work ethic, but it wasn’t always easy for him. Sam’s disability had taken a toll; he lacked confidence and was having mental health issues, and as a result it was hard for him to leave the house.
After being encouraged by his parents to get a job, he reluctantly agreed to work a couple of days per week. It was hard, but he simply focused on showing up to each shift, proving the importance of taking small steps.
Sam soon found that his work gave him a great deal of structure and purpose. Getting up each day and doing something productive was a way of building discipline and self-esteem.
This job changed my life. ~ Sam
The social aspect of work was a large part of why Sam kept at it. His workmates, including senior drivers and managers, were easy to approach, easy to work with and always contributing to a friendly working environment. It made work a comfortable and positive space, where he was surrounded by friends.
“Getting a job was therapy,” said Sam. “At first, I didn’t want to turn up, but that changed over time. Work just became a big part of my life.”
Sam now embraces the opportunity to take on extra responsibility and is always using his initiative to continually improve. He often calls the op-shops a day in advance to make sure he can best cater to their needs and keep his truck runs as efficient as possible. He said that he likes to get as much work done in a day as he can, if possible, “it’s better to do something now than worry about it next week”.
To anyone considering working with Good Sammy, Sam said: “Just give it a go, there’s so many roles you can fill and much opportunity for growth.”
We are so proud of Sam and the incredible person he has grown into. He is an inspiration to people of all abilities, and is proof of why employment is so important to a happy and healthy life.
