LiveWorkPlay Celebrates International Volunteer Day

 

LiveWorkPlay traditionally celebrates our amazing volunteers during National Volunteer Week (April 7-1 in 2019) and at our Make A Buzz Ottawa celebration (May 9 this year) but we did not want to let this United Nations commemoration of volunteerism pass by without sending out a huge THANK YOU to the more than 150 individuals who directly contribute to LiveWorkPlay and our mission.

“Helping the community welcome people with intellectual disabilities to live, work, and play as valued citizens” is not an outcome that any organization can deliver. We do help make it happen – and this includes inviting individuals from the community to open their hearts and minds to the benefits of getting to know people with intellectual disabilities through shared interests, which can be anything from a love of music to an interest in vintage automobiles. Shared interests are how many people become acquaintances, and that’s a starting point for building a friendship.

Some of these relationships are showcased in our new JUST ENOUGH SUPPORT video series, a hugely important effort from 2018 (with support from taxpayers via the provincial Developmental Services Housing Task Force). We wanted to make it clear that the most important role of agencies like ours is emphasizing what people with intellectual disabilities have in common with others, and in doing so, demonstrate that the best outcomes come from supporting people to live their lives like other citizens (home of their own, work and/or volunteerism, engagement and contribution in their community, variety of natural relationships).

A huge thank you to all of our volunteers, from those who support our Friday night meet-ups, to our one to one matches, our board of directors, our task force members, and others who take on ad hoc roles and champion our work every day.