Before goal-achieving and fun-loving, part of helping people live their best lives is ensuring everyone stays safe first and foremost. Katie Radginski and Ready Train Go play an integral role in equipping our staff with the skills and knowledge they need to handle anything they might experience on the job and out in our community. You’ll find Katie and her team of aptly named training mannequins helping Community Living staff learn First Aid, CPR, AED and the Mandt System and brush up on their trainings regularly. She’s also taught First Aid to members of the Adult Recreation program a few times.

She says she can tell that the staff at Community Living are great at building healthy relationships with the individuals they work with, and with each other, and that she recognizes philosophies  she teaches in Mandt System embedded in our organization’s culture. “It’s essential for everyone to know how they can best to respond to an emergency or crisis situation. Not all emergencies or crisises are apparent, so both courses cover how to help people on great days and not so great days,” she said. “Mandt System training covers building healthy relationships and how to treat people with dignity and respect, and how to apply those principles when difficult situations arise. Building healthy relationships is a vital part of the work that staff do, so that they know how to best help individuals when the day gets rough.”

“Katie is a wonderful asset to Community Living as a whole, and to our staff!” says Julie, Community Living’s Training and Development Manager. “Training in our field is of the utmost importance, and Katie always delivers her classes with professionalism, kindness and patience. Her years long relationship with Community Living is truly a blessing.”

In the summer of 2020, Katie launched her business Ready Train Go as a response to a need for better quality training in the St. Louis and surrounding region. She had been subcontracting throughout the region for several years before, including training Community Living’s staff starting in 2017, but wanted a way to stay connected and continue to serve as a resource for her students after training concluded. The business, housed in Mid Rivers Mall, offers many classes under the American Red Cross curriculum including Babysitter’s Training, Basic Life Support, and CPR Instructor Certification plus standalone courses like Situational Awareness, Healthy Communication & Teambuilding, and General Emergency Preparedness Training. Ready Train Go is also available for consulting for businesses and childcare facilities seeking to equip and educate staff on how to train for and respond to emergencies.

Although she admits you can’t prepare for every emergency situation that might happen, she encourages everyone to be situationally aware of their surroundings. “That’s half the battle,” she advises. She recommends carrying a first aid kit or knowing where the closest one is when you’re out in the community.

In her spare time, she serves as the treasurer for the O’Fallon Kiwanis and enjoys actively participating in various service projects and fundraisers they do throughout the year. She also took up boxing a couple of years ago as a way to get back in shape and challenge herself. She says she’s not confident enough in her skills just yet, but hopes to compete or spar in the years to come.

At Community Living, we envision a community where ALL people lead fulfilling lives. That counts for our employees, too! As a Community Living employee, you’ll gain skills and knowledge to carry forward in your career path. We provide paid training and offer opportunities for our team members to have fulfilling, purposeful and challenging careers at Community Living. Work for one of St. Charles County’s most respected nonprofit organizations where you will join a team that is creating positive change in the lives of people with disabilities!