Highlighting community contributors
“Inclusion”, a band from Campbell River, donate their time and music to events and fundraisers in their community.
For the third year, CLBC presented the WOW!clbc Awards to recipients from across BC.
WOW stands for “Widening Our World”. The Awards were launched in April 2009 to help recognize the exceptional contributions people across the province have made towards building community inclusion and full citizenship for the adults CLBC supports. Every year, awards are presented to individuals and groups in four categories: Self-Advocate, Family Member, Service Provider and Community Partner to recognize their creativity, compassion and commitment to fostering “good lives in welcoming communities”.
This year, nominations for the WOW!clbc Awards were accepted from February 1 to April 10. A volunteer panel of six individuals from different parts of BC and from a cross-section of the community living sector, reviewed the nominations to select two winners from each of the five CLBC regions: Vancouver Coastal, Fraser, Interior, Vancouver Island and the North.
The winners were presented with Awards at regional events in Prince George, Parksville, Kamloops and Surrey in May and June. Each year, the winners of the WOW!clbc Awards are featured in videos on CLBC’s recognition web page. The winners, along with their nominators, talk about the contributions they’ve made and the positive impact they’ve had on the lives of others in their communities and across the province. Through showcasing and celebrating their achievements, CLBC hopes to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
To watch the videos of the award winners and to hear their stories, please visit www.WOWclbc.ca. Information about the WOW!clbc Awards is also available on the CLBC website under Opportunities > Recognition Awards.
Vancouver Island
InclusionWorks! – Community Members
InclusionWorks!, is a small group of committed, like-minded families, all with 19-year-old sons and daughters who joined together to be more self-sufficient and promote effective community inclusion through a family governance model. The group works together to pool their human and financial resources and foster natural partnerships with the educational, business, non-profit and government sectors.
Musical Band “Inclusion” – Self Advocates
The band “Inclusion” is from Campbell River and they have been playing together for six years. What makes this group unique is that three of its musicians are people with developmental disabilities. The band members met through their affiliation with the Campbell River and District Association for Community Living. They are now a familiar voice in the Campbell River music scene, and donate much of their time and music to events, fundraisers and supporting others in community.
Vancouver Coastal
Mara St. Onge – Community Member
Mara St. Onge has been a member of the Vancouver Community Council for four years. She is a home sharing provider, and helps people who live with her have full and inclusive live in community. Last year, Mara also held a successful workshop for self-advocates called “Making Friends, Keeping Friends”, which helped participants to make and maintain new friendships. Currently, Mara is running a series of workshops at the YMCA called “Friends, Fitness and Fun” that include a variety of health, fitness and friendship development activities.
Paul Gauthier – Self Advocate
Paul’s life story is a testament that individuals can overcome challenges through determination and perseverance. When he was young, Paul was told he would have to live his life in a palliative care facility for seniors. He chose to define his own reality and became a Paralympic silver medalist, foster parent, father and husband, and Coordinator of the BC Personal Supports Network (BCPSN). Paul is inspirational, and knows how to get people thinking about possibilities and how to move from a focus on disabilities to abilities.
North
Denny Delaney – Service Provider
Denny and his staff pride themselves on learning about individuals holistically and how their particular challenges affect them, then ensuring staff have training so they can best support an individual. Their philosophy is based upon respect for the individual, quality of life and adjusting their approach to support individual strengths and needs. They embrace diversity and differing points of view to improve services, will involve a person’s whole support network in planning, and see accountability to the people they support and their families as a key priority.
Safeway Terrace – Community Member
Safeway Terrace has shown they are an exemplary employer for adults with developmental disabilities. They have worked closely with the local service agency to customize jobs for the three employees they currently have on staff, and to recognize and encourage each person’s skills. For example, one employee, after being employed for four months, was made senior shift person because of his positive attitude and work ethic. He now helps supervise the other service clerks during his shift and Safeway is supporting him to gain new skills.
Fraser
Brenda Gillette – Service Provider
Brenda is the Executive Director for the Chilliwack Society for Community Living (CSCL). Brenda’s extensive experience, long history and incredible energy allows her to be a mentor, a valued member of the local Community Council, a member of the CSEA Board, a member of the Steering Committee for Social Services at the University of the Fraser Valley, an active and thoughtful member of the Upper Fraser Ethics Committee, and involved with the Employment Training Network, helping to create more employment opportunities for adults with development disabilities. She gives freely of her time and expertise in community to help build more inclusive communities.
Surrey Association for Community Living (SACL) – Service Provider
SACL successfully engaged a range of community partners, including the School District, Chamber of Commerce, City of Surrey and corporate partners, to launch a two-year Literacy Project for Adults with Developmental Disabilities. The project used a specifically designed curriculum and innovative teaching methods for adults with developmental disabilities to help increase their literacy skills and confidence. It is the first program of its kind in Canada.
Interior
Margaret Milsom – Service Provider
Margaret is the president and founding member of The Central Okanagan Professional Caregiver Society (COPCS). Margaret gives hundreds of hours of her own time to the COPCS by her creating a quarterly newsletter, recruiting new members, speaking at events, training other home sharing providers, organizing workshops, creating events like summer picnics, and being available to home sharing providers to answer questions and provide support. She is also a home sharing provider, and constantly creates positive experiences for the people who live with her.
Marilyn McLean – Service Provider
Marilyn dedicated her career for over 30 years to serving students with special needs. She has volunteered tirelessly and passionately since 1978 with Special Olympics as a trainer, coach, Chairperson and Director. Her hard work, dedication and involvement have made a huge difference in many lives. Self-advocate and Community Council member, Tony Cuglietta, says, “Marilyn’s fantastic and she’s the best. She helps us a lot.”
