written by and for people with Down syndrome WORKING AND VOLUNTEERING: YOU CAN DO IT! ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT EMPLOYMENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
VOICES is a publication of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. MAGAZINE STAFF Editor: Associate Editors: Contributors: Special Thanks: Kirk Crowther Kaitlyn Pecson Ashlee Stone Cassie Albright Mary Frances Brennick Janet Charchuk Chris Drake Ruth Joseph Matthew MacNeil Matthew Milakovic Christine Millson Nicholas Popowich Natalie Stevanus Pam Taylor Clare Hitchens Anne Livesey-Husak IN THIS ISSUE Employment and Volunteering STATEMENT OF POLICY & DISCLAIMER This magazine reports items of interest relating to Down syndrome and will provide a forum for others. The Canadian Down Syndrome Society does not promote or recommend any therapy treatment or product. The opinions and views expressed in this publication may not necessarily be those of the organization or its members. We wish to bring together those interested in Down syndrome and create an optimistic outlook and attitude. The editors reserve all rights. TABLE OF CONTENTS From The Editor...3 The Voice of VATTA...3 How Do You Find a Perfect Job That You Will Love?...4 Employment & Volunteering: A Sense of Accomplishment...5 Volunteering: For the Love of the Community...6 Becoming Part of VATTA...7 My First VATTA Experience...7 Artists Corner: Jane Cameron Award...8 Photos Of The Moment... 10 SPEAK OUT VOICES is the only North American magazine written by and for people with Down syndrome. The magazine has been in circulation for six years and continues to be a source of information and entertainment for self-advocates. VOICES represents inclusion for all people in the human family. Got something to say? Pitch us a story, submit an article, send us photos and art anything that you would like to see in VOICES! Not sure? Let us know if you want to write for us and we ll pitch YOU a story! Contact us at kaitlynp@cdss.ca Canadian Down Syndrome Society 283-5005 Dalhousie Dr. NW Calgary, AB T3A R58 Toll-Free: 1-800-883-5608 Fax:403-270-8291 E-mail: info@cdss.ca Website: cdss.ca VOICES PAGE 2
FROM THE EDITOR WORKING FOR A LIVING! A friend of mine asked me one day, Why do we have to work? It got me thinking about why having a job is important to most people. While many self-advocates (people just like you) have great jobs, many people with Down syndrome have not had the chance to work at their dream job. I think people work for several reasons: To make a living and afford things like homes, rent, food and have spending money To keep busy and not get bored. Having a paid job makes you feel important To make new friends To learn new things Everyone should have the opportunity to work and to try new jobs until they fi nd the perfect job that they enjoy. In this issue of VOICES we look at how to fi nd a perfect job, what it s like to work, and more! As a bonus, the two new VATTA members each wrote an article about what it was like to join the CDSS team. Enjoy reading VOICES and always believe in yourself. Confucius says, Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. -Kirk THE VOICE OF VATTA Hey Canada! The VATTA Committee is very excited to announce that they have a brand new logo! The Committee has been advocating on behalf of Canadians with Down syndrome since 2005, and are excited to fi nally have their very own mark! The Committee chose this logo because: It says VATTA so people know what the logo stands for It uses the same lines and circles that are used in the CDSS logo The black and red shapes look like a proud person, someone who is standing up for the rights of people The red head on the person is very bright and full of ideas The arms on the person are raised, which we think represent power (or empowerment) and celebrating our accomplishments VOICES PAGE 3
by Ruth Joseph I think fi nding a job is hard for some people and they may need help. People might have trouble putting together a resume, fi lling out application forms, or doing interviews. They even might have trouble following directions and socializing with other people at work. Another problem people may face is fi nding a job that is a good fi t for their skill level and interests. One idea that may help you fi nd a job that is a good fi t for you is making a list of your interests and hobbies that may turn into a career and another list of the skills you have. For example, my favourite hobbies are: Fashion Nutrition/exercise/healthy cooking/baking Scrapbooking/photography Drawing My skills are: Reliable Good with people Cooking An eye for fashion Based on my hobbies and skills I feel working in the fi eld of retail or the culinary arts would be a good fi t for me. I hope this is helpful and that you fi nd the job of your dreams. VOICES PAGE 4
EMPLOYMENT & VOLUNTEERING: A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT When I wake up every morning I am very much eager to start the day. So when I go to work I feel very happy and I feel good to be there. I feel proud of myself. To me working makes me feel good and feel like I have made an accomplishment by the end of the day. I like to make a difference in people s lives. Working with other people is awesome because they are friendly and easy to get along with. By Janet Charchuk Working means a great deal to me because it gets me out in the community and lets me meet all kinds of people and get to know them. The best thing of all is making money to help me to live on my own and buy things I need or want. Since I graduated from school I have been working or volunteering in various places. I have run into a few challenges along the way but I did not give up. Some employers do see things in different ways when they go to hire people with challenges. They sometimes think this person can t do the job, or they think they should get government money to hire people with challenges. Here is another challenge: if we make a mistake they will think that we can t do it and they will do the job for us. That makes them think it will be more work for them. Sometimes they are scared to hire us because they don t know our abilities. I much prefer them to see us as any other employee looking for work that we do have the abilities. Yes, they may be different, but we can use them. All they have to do is match our abilities to different skills needed to do the job, and that is how everyone wins. I have had lots of jobs before, from working with seniors, to working with kids at daycares, to working at hotels and gyms. Sometimes I started out by volunteering. I did get funding to start out but ever since then I have been working and getting paid like everyone else and I very much love that. I have a job coach who helps me to learn the job and to do it right. Right now I work at a daycare a couple times a week and I also work at a liquor store once a week. My dream job is to work with kids of all ages to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle and be active in their communities. VOICES PAGE 5
VOLUNTEERING: FOR THE LOVE by Mary Frances Brennick OF THE COMMUNITY Volunteering means working on behalf of others, without getting paid. You may ask yourself, If there is no payment for working those hours, why do it? For me the answer is simple I love it! It s a great way to open my heart, to share my gifts and talents, and to feel more connected to people. Over the past twenty-fi ve years I have been fortunate enough to volunteer at three schools and in my church community. What a wonderful journey it continues to be! Volunteering at the schools and my church has given me a sense of accomplishment and pride. It has raised my self-esteem and confi dence, and has helped me appreciate the beauty of life. It has helped me with my listening and speaking skills, and I have made some great friends. But most of all, volunteering has connected me to my community it has allowed me to advocate for other people with Down syndrome to be included in their communities. Volunteering has helped me show people of all ages, from kindergarten students to the elders in my church, that I have important talents that are useful to my community. Volunteering is something that helps others, but volunteering is also an attitude; it is my belief that people s gifts and talents are meant to be shared, and our community grows when we make time for each other. VOICES PAGE 6
BECOMING PART OF VATTA Hi, my name is Nicholas Popowich and I am one of the newest members of the VATTA Committee. I learned about VATTA from a friend, who is very active with the CDSS. Volunteering is not new to me in high school, I got involved with our Student Activity Council. I also help out at my local community musical theatre company, selling tickets, and moving sets. I used to belong to Cubs and Scouts, and we volunteered at Saskatchewan Roughrider games and other events. So, I guess volunteering is part of my life. VATTA is a great opportunity to meet other people, travel, and talk about issues facing my friends. by Nicholas Popowich The interview for VATTA made me a little nervous but I gave my best answers. Waiting to fi nd out if I was on the Committee was the hardest part. I would describe our Committee as a family people have different abilities and we don t all think and act at the same speed, but we all have something important to say. Our fi rst meeting was exciting because I travelled to Toronto by myself. Meeting the other committee members was easier than I thought. It s so much more fun to meet face to face. As a member of VATTA, I would like to talk more about education. Education is for everyone, including students with disabilities. It is important for every student to be included, respected and celebrated. MY FIRST VATTA EXPERIENCE I m Matthew MacNeil! I m one of the new people picked to join VATTA. They picked two people to join this group and I was one of them. I was so happy that they picked me. I didn t expect it. I was surprised! by Matthew MacNeil I got to go to Toronto to meet the other members of VATTA. It was my fi rst time travelling alone to Toronto and my fi rst time taking a Greyhound bus! It was fun it was a good experience for me. I learned a lot. When I got there and met the other people in the group, they were so nice to me. I got to stay in a nice hotel room and I had a really nice roommate. At the VATTA meetings, we talked about how to change and fi x the program to make it even better, and what to add to the web site. Then we got to present our new logo to the Board of Directors. Overall, it was a great trip and I got to learn a lot! VOICES PAGE 7
ARTISTS CORNER JANE CAMERON AWARD Jane Cameron was an artist with Down syndrome. In 2001, the Canadian Down Syndrome Society and the Jane Cameron Archives at In-Defi nite Arts decided to give an award in her honour. Here are the 2011 recipients: Runner up: Matthew Milakovic - Landscape Runner up: Christine Millson - Family Sounds Runner up: Pam Taylor - I Like It VOICES PAGE 8
Winner: Chris Drake - Funky Tree Congratulations, Chris Drake! ARE YOU AN ARTIST? Send scans or photos of your art of any kind, like paintings, drawings, collages, weavings, and sculptures to kaitlynp@cdss.ca with the subject line VOICES: Artists Corner and you may be featured in this section in our next issue! VOICES PAGE 9
PHOTOS OF THE MOMENT Selena Gomez with Cassie Albright (from Orleans, Ontario) The Kissing Bridge by Natalie Stevanus (from Bloomingdale, Ontario) HAVE A GREAT PHOTOGRAPH? Send it to kaitlynp@cdss.ca with the subject line VOICES: Photos of the Moment and you may be featured in this section in our next issue! VOICES PAGE 10