Our Vision

Danielle is the founder and president of Home Care Workers Cooperative Inc. Danielle has worked in various sectors of the care economy for her entire career. Beginning work in childcare in a number of contexts after attending MacEwan University in Edmonton, she moved towards elder care after the passing of her grandmother. She completed her PSW Education at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Peterborough, Ontario.Danielle’s work experience in elder care includes working in retirement homes, long-term care homes and home care. While working in each of these environments she noticed similar issues and areas of concern. Employees were being treated unfairly, resources were being used inefficiently, and clients weren’t getting the quality care they needed and deserved. These issues were clearly exposed to all during the pandemic. Many workers had no advocates, no agency and no ability to control the conditions of their working environment.Now exacerbated by Covid, they were having their lives horribly changed for the worse, at the whim of for-profit, shareholder-owned corporations. This was all being endured, as they were forced to watch those in their care suffer. Danielle is passionate about workers rights, in particularly for woman in the care sector, where all too often this very important work goes without the value, recognition and compensation deserved, and after leaving LTC, Danielle founded Home Care Workers Co-operative in 2021, a not for profit, women-owned and operated social enterprise to address these concerns, and bring the benefits of a cooperative model to the home care field.Danielle hopes this gives those seeking service in the home care sector a better alternative than the current system is offering, while also offering woman the opportunity to become owners of their own worker coop and have a real voice in their work environment.

As a Developmental Service Worker and Behaviour Consultant Caroline has worked together with Personal Support Workers (PSWs) in clients' homes, long-term care facilities, hospitals, group homes and day programs.  Her years of distinctive experience and extensive knowledge of developmental disabilities, cognitive impairments, and mental health challenges led her to her current role as PSW Professor where curriculum development, facilitation of courses and program coordinating are part of her portfolio.Caroline’s extensive PSW sector knowledge and dedication to promoting positive change for all unregulated care providers led to consulting on the Ontario PSW Program Educational Standards, and the National Occupational Standards for Personal Care Providers. Her passion for high quality, person-directed care has led her to become an advocate for PSWs including improved working conditions, high level regulation and title protection.  Caroline was also a contributing editor for the current edition of the national PSW textbook and serves as the Co-Chair of the Ontario PSW Program Coordinator Subcommittee.  As a graduate of the Institute of Change Leaders Building Skills for Change course, Caroline is now spearheading activities for an alliance she co-founded- the PSW Champions; whose mandate it is to advocate for PSWs In Ontario.

Claire Maxwell is one of the founding members of the Developmental Services Worker Co-operative (DSW Co-op) that was incorporated in March 2018 and operates in the Ottawa, Ontario, area. A 23-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, Claire has transferred her leadership skills and experience to supporting people with disabilities and their families. As the managing director of the DSW Co-op, Claire brings current operational insight into the challenges of providing quality homecare and community outreach to clients while also providing meaningful employment to her fellow Developmental Services workers. Claire feels strongly that the only way we can improve the quality of care that we provide for our citizens is to also improve the working conditions (wage, stability, etc.) for our workforce.

Gwen has worked many years as a nurse clinically, a clinic manager and as a physician recruiter. She has always taken a keen interest in the development of health human resources in her region.As the founder of a multi-prong initiative called HealthKick, Huron County was fortunate enough to have 80 + practical nurses and PSWs join their workforce – trained locally part-time. For several years within this project, summer camps were held for high school students to promote careers in healthcare. Also, this program assisted with summer employment for students in several healthcare institutions across the region.Also, Gwen was instrumental in bringing one of the first community- driven Family Health Teams in Ontario to her local community and continued to assist eight other communities to be successful. She also served on the provincial board of Ontario Family Health Teams.Gwen is also founder and President of the Board of Directors Centre of Excellence in Rural Health. This is a community-driven organization with a mandate is “to improve the health and quality of life of rural residents through research, education and communication”.

Dr. Simon Berge completed his Doctorate at the University of Guelph studying co-operatives as an alternative distribution system for local food and community development. Simon also holds a Master of Business Administration from McMaster University majoring in finance. Prior to focusing on co-operative business practices Simon studied Biology at the University of Prince Edward Island and Medical Laboratory Technology at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario.Simon’s work experience includes nearly ten years at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) as a Research Analyst co-ordinating the product development, food for health, agriculture and rural policy research themes for the province. Prior to his government work, Simon worked for McMaster University as a Senior Research Advisor for major projects within the Office of Research Services and as a Research Associate managing the Nutrition and Metabolism lab in the pediatric department.In 2015 Simon took the position of Assistant Professor and Business Chair of Co-operative Enterprises at the University of Winnipeg. After successfully obtaining tenure the Business Chair position was adapted to the Director of the Research Centre of Co-operative Enterprises (RCCE). As the Director of the RCCE Simon took a collaborative approach to the position including students from all areas within the University of Winnipeg to advance the awareness of co-operatives in community development.As a new Associate Professor at Dalhousie University’s Rowe School of Business Simon seeks to teach new business leaders a social mission approach to business. This social mission changes the focus of business from profit driven to community development.

Jessica is a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Political Studies from Queen's University. She is someone who has always been driven by a desire to help others, and her role as an outreach coordinator allows her to do just that on a daily basis. As an outreach coordinator, she uses her skills to engage with individuals and organizations, building relationships and partnerships that benefit everyone involved. Jessica is a passionate individual with a strong interest in social justice and community development.Throughout her academic career, Jessica focused on studying political systems, policies, and their impact on different communities. Jessica’s interest in community work started early on, volunteering for local initiatives and helping organize events to raise awareness about social issues. She has volunteered for various non-profit organizations, contributing her time and expertise in fundraising, outreach, and community engagement. These experiences inspired Jessica to pursue a career in community development and become an advocate for underrepresented communities. Jessica has experience in political advocacy, skilled in public debate, policy, and discourse, having had previous exposure to legislative business and House of Commons practices. She also has a keen interest in leadership, team building, and public speaking. Her long-term goal is to continue working in community development and to create positive change in the lives of those who need it the most.

David Turpin is an experienced educator employed by the York Region District School Board since 2000. The son of educators and a union member himself, he has spent most of his adult life attempting to create an equitable and just education system. He has worked with the GSA, Equity Committee, Creating Inclusive Spaces Committee, and the FNMI Education Committee amongst others. As a teacher of History, Philosophy and Social Justice, he has been involved with and come to understand the absolute importance of accessible, social justice enterprises.