October 2005
A Few Words from the E.D.
Many things happen at Semiahmoo House Society on
a day-to-day basis. I continuously feel privileged just to be among
the marvelous people that make up this organization. Out of all the
recent “special times” three stand out as times I found myself
especially inspired. I’d like to share these with you.
At the recent BCACL conference our team of
self-advocates did a presentation about their experiences in People
Planning Together. This group has been trained to write their own
Essential Lifestyle Plans (ELPs) and is getting ready to start
training others. I sat in the back of the room and marveled at their
presentation skills, their insights and their excitement in using this
planning tool to get the life each of them wants. To see them take
their rightful place at the centre of planning and of supporting
others is very heartening for me.
At the same conference I did a presentation
designed for paid professionals who support self-advocates to get the
lives they want. About 50% of those in attendance were self-advocates.
This was a highly interactive session that required much participation
and reflection. We were teaching concepts about how to “hear’ people
in a new and far more dramatic way than possible with our past
practices. Here too I was deeply inspired by the depth and breadth of
the participation by the self-advocates. Of everyone there, this group
“got it” so clearly. I left feeling even more excited about our future
in this province where we’ve decided support services should be driven
by the choices of those receiving support.
Several times each day, over the last couple of
weeks, I’ve watched Simon Evans as he does the Semiahmoo Shuffle.
Simon is a personal trainer working at Great West Fitness. He got
involved with us when he helped with Ryan Cameron’s fitness level so
Ryan could successfully climb Mount Kilimanjaro in 2004. When Tanya
and Cherry decided they would go on the 2006 Mount Kili climb Simon
started helping them in the same way. He also has been working with
our staff at the Treehouse to insure they are trained to support our
individuals using the fitness equipment in our in-house gym. As part
of this latter Simon realized our equipment is very dated and of
inadequate quality. He undertook to do a side shuffle run back and
forth between our building and Great West Fitness as a fundraiser so
we can buy all new equipment. He’s determined to keep going until he
raises $30,000. Simon is out there right now doing this very arduous
task. So far he’s completed 450 kilometers and expects to do at least
1,000. He’s clear this isn’t about him. Its only about supporting our
participants to have the quality they deserve in order to get the
lives they want. Simon inspires me.
I’m lucky to get to be around lots of people and
events that inspire me. That’s part of what makes this job such a joy
and privilege. Its what carries me through the hard parts. I hope
you’re experiencing the inspiration that witnessing heroism should
bring us all.
