A touching story about Bob Hebert from Selkirk, Manitoba – a town just on the outskirts of Winnipeg. It highlights how Hebert is a man living with intellectual disabilities but has dedicated time and energy to volunteering throughout his community.

This demonstration of commitment to his community got him awarded with Selkirk\’s Citizen of the Year award.

It appears that Selkirk is a great example of inclusion – especially for a town that only has a population of just over 10,000. Over the years, the small city north of Winnipeg has made major strides toward being more inclusive to people with disabilities, Freeman said. Last year alone, her organization, which runs the Riverside Grill as a social enterprise, was able to help 11 people find jobs in the community, she said.

To find out more about Hebert, his contributions to the community and Selkirk, check out the article in the CBC by clicking here.

We are excited to support 4 families this year through our Christmas Hamper program. We wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has supported us over the years. It means so much to the families we help & your ongoing support is greatly appreciated.

This year we have started our program again & need your help to make this a special Christmas for these 4 families. Check out the poster below for all the information you need about the program & how you can help.

Please send any donations to Joanne, Afroza or Gillian in Children\’s Services at the Hub in Port Moody or Diana or Dawne at our Main Office. For more information, please contact Joanne Weidinger.

CVS is very grateful for all the support we have in our community.

Early in the Fall, we were so excited to find out that we were voted as the winner for the Tri-City News A–List as the favourite Community Service Organization in Port Moody. Thanks to everyone that voted.

Kevin Lusignan (Executive Director) & Miriam Hoolahan (Manager of Communications) accepted the award at an event at the Hard Rocky Casino on Thursday, October 25th.

Here\’s to another great year supporting the individuals we serve in the Tri-Cities. To see a full listing of all the A-List winners, check out the Tri-City News. CVS is on Page 9!

The Vancouver Sun published an article on October 28th related to the power of inclusion in the workplace. The concept of the story is that when employers turn disability to diverse ability, it becomes a win for the business and a win for the individual. Hiring differently abled workers is a catalyst for positive cultural change in the workplace, spurring innovation and even employee retention.

The article highlights the experiences of Gabi & Jules Handmade Pies in Port Moody, discussing their team of baking specialists, each seemingly faster and more skilled than the last. Aaron can perfectly fold dozens of pie boxes in less than two hours, and when they have enough, he is outta there. Part-timers Ryan, Chris and Alex come in to scoop and weigh cookie dough, which they do by the hundreds with speed and accuracy. The key is ultra-short, ultra-intense shifts, that require a special kind of worker. What is special about the workers at Gabi & Jules Handmade Pies is that these hired guns are people with autism, some of whom are non-verbal. Seven of their 15 staff have some form of autism.

Rather than being a drag on productivity, workers who have autism at Gabi & Jules are matched with jobs they can knock out of the park. One of the owners of Gabi & Jules, Lisa Beecroft’s daughter Juliana has autism, so creating opportunity for people like her was the inspiration for the bakery. But Gabi & Jules is also a key cog in a larger empire, supplying baked goods to the Beecrofts’ three Caffe Divano locations.

Lisa is a member of the Presidents Group, made up of about two dozen B.C. business executives committed to creating inclusive workplaces. Inclusive workplaces make business sense and social sense. It helps us staff positions effectively and move towards a more inclusive society.

In our Employment program, Community Ventures Society works hard to match the individuals we serve with jobs that they enjoy and will excel in. This allows them to go out into the community and contribute as well as earn money for their own needs. We fully support the efforts of Gabi & Jules as well as other inclusive employers throughout BC.

To read more about this story, check out the article in the Vancouver Sun.

We wanted to share this article posted by the CBC that highlights the lessons a mom of a special needs child. She notes

\”I wasn\’t prepared for your crinkle-nose smile, your flashes of brilliance (yes, brilliance, I\’m not at all biased) or your fits of spontaneous dancing and laughter. Nor was I prepared for all the fancy labels you would pick up during your nearly 10 years on earth. Autism. Attention deficit disorder. Oppositional defiance. Anxiety.\”

It is a beautiful article that shows the impact a child can have on a parent. In this case, the mother highlights that her lessons have included growing patience, strength and perspective.

To read the full article and get a glimpse into this mother\’s story, please click here.

Shared Living & Specialized Children\’s Residential have been through a few changes over the past couple of months. We wanted to take the time to introduce the new organization of both teams to our community.

Since September, Colin Wood has assumed the role of Manager of Shared Living. Colin and his team continue to work to find alternative housing to staffed residential homes by providing an individual with the opportunity to share their life and build relationships with a family, or a person who has expressed an interest in sharing their home.

Anna Campion has been appointed to the role of Assistant Manager of Shared Living and will start working on the team on Monday, October 22nd. Anna joins Shared Living from our Community Inclusion program and is excited for this new opportunity.

In terms of Specialized Children\’s Residential, Amrita Dhoot assumed the role of Manager of Children\’s Specialized Resources in September. Amrita and her team continue to provide specialized residential resources to meet the medical or behavioural needs of the children we serve.

We are excited for the new structure of these teams and are looking forward to the months ahead.

If you would like additional information about our Shared Living programs or Specialized Children\’s Residential, please get in touch with Colin, Anna or Amrita at the details below:

Colin Wood, Manager of Shared Living – email: [email protected]; tel: 604.939.8070 ext. 2026; cell: 604.833.3790.

Anna Campion, Assistant Manager, Shared Living – email: [email protected]; tel: 604.939.8070 ext. 2026; cell: 604.417.0046

Amrita Dhoot, Manager of Children\’s Specialized Resources – email: [email protected]; tel: 604.939.8070 ext. 2023 ext. 2026; cell:778.387.8070