Concordia Calendar: Meet September’s Team Members

At Concordia Lutheran Ministries, our employees are at the heart and hands of our mission – they care for our residents and patients with their hard work, kindness and empathy and keep our organization running with their leadership, vision and dedication.

Watching our amazing staff handle the unprecedented challenges of 2020 that continue into this year has been truly inspiring, so we chose to highlight just a few in our 2021 Concordia Calendar as a proclamation of gratitude for their many contributions. Though we wish there could be 3,000 pages in the calendar to feature all of our employees, this small sampling is representative of our extraordinary staff as a whole. Each month, we’ll introduce you to the talented, compassionate team members featured in our calendar.

September’s employees are Brandi Davenport and Christina Bizimana from our Concordia of Franklin Park team!

Q: What is your current position at Concordia and when did you begin your career with the organization?

Brandi: My current position within the organization is a CNA (certified nursing assistant). I have been with Concordia for four years on Oct. 5, 2021.

Christina: I am currently a LPN. I began my Concordia career in 2010 as an aide and then became a Med Tech. From there I went to school and became a nurse!

Q: Why do you choose to work for Concordia?

Brandi: I chose Concordia because it offered better pay, fit better into my schedule and let me maintain my CNA certification every two years.

Christina: I work for Concordia because it’s a great company with benefits and incentives, and they provide many opportunities to professionally grow.

Q: What aspects do you love most about your career?

Brandi: What I enjoy most about my career is helping others that can no longer help themselves. I also enjoy seeing each resident’s smiling face as I care for them and seeing how appreciative they are to just have a kind helping hand even for the simplest, everything things.

Christina: I love helping others and being hands-on with the residents. I enjoy building relationships with our residents and their families.

Q: How do you best serve your residents?

Brandi: I serve my patients best by helping them with their everyday needs, but also by challenging them to do what they are still able to do themselves.

Christina: The residents know that I am always there to help them. No matter what, I try my very best to do everything I can to make sure they have the best care.

Q: How do you decompress after a long day at work?

Brandi: I decompress by going home to my children and family and having a nice family dinner. I love to enjoy the company of my 7-year-old daughter and 7-month-old son.

Christina: Making my kids happy is ultimately what keeps me happy and helps me to relax. I am a dance and karate mom, and I enjoy spending time with my kids, whether that is at their sports, out shopping, visiting a park or over dinner.

Q: Can you tell us about a time you and/or your co-workers have gone above and beyond during the pandemic?

Brandi: COVID-19 was hard on everyone – workers and patients. The one thing we all experienced was how it brought us all closer together as a team. We had to rely on each other more often for each task needing to be done, which could be as simple as serving meals. COVID-19 made us a strong team then and an even stronger team now having to go through it together and still going through it as the pandemic is still ongoing.

Christina: Working together has helped us best care for the residents. As a team, we have been able to do everything we can to ensure the residents are comfortable and safe, and in an environment where they feel cared and loved for – this was especially true when they were away from their loved ones.

To learn more about the career opportunities at Concordia of Franklin Park, visit  www.concordiacareers.org. To request a free copy of the 2021 Concordia Calendar, call the Public Relations Department at 724-352-8268.