Meet Suzi

Finding Purpose and Belonging

Kitchener, ON — In 2019, Suzi Gursoy began working at The Raw Carrot Kitchener site.

“I feel right at home in the kitchen,” Suzi says. “I have job experience in kitchens, but I hadn’t worked in the last seven years. This has been a great fit for me.”

Suzi’s journey hasn’t been easy. She has faced health challenges, periods of homelessness, and struggled with addiction. “Life hasn’t given me a perfect recipe,” she reflects.

At The Raw Carrot, Suzi has found a supportive environment where she can thrive. She works alongside other employees and volunteers preparing soup two to three times a week. “This is helping me feel useful,” Suzi says. “Who doesn’t want to feel needed and part of something? It gives me purpose to get up every day, just knowing that I’m needed.”

Jennifer Clawson, who coordinated the Kitchener site, noted the positive atmosphere: “Working in a church environment adds to the family and forgiving atmosphere. Suzi and the team are thriving. I walk into the kitchen and see them doing a great job, and that’s amazing.”

Suzi appreciates how her work contributes to the community. The soups she helps prepare are now being sold at local grocers and markets, bringing nutritious food to people across Kitchener-Waterloo. “It feels good knowing the work we do matters,” she says.

For Suzi, The Raw Carrot is a place where she can rebuild her confidence, contribute to her community, and regain her sense of purpose.

“This job has changed my life. I feel needed, I feel valued, and I feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself,” Suzi says.

Stories like Suzi’s show that when someone receives a hand up through supported work and a place to belong, they thrive. We invite you to get involved to help create more opportunities in even more communities across Canada.