April 1, 2018 The Kamloops Self-Advocate

1

The

Kamloops

Self-

Advocate:

A Newsletter for

People with

Diverse Abilities

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Feature Articles

Jokes

Recipe

Awareness days

Upcoming Events

April Issue# 52

Celebrating Diversity & Inclusion Let’s celebrate diversity this month and ways to keep our bodies and

minds active. Inclusion is wonderful and celebrating diversity is a great

opportunity to reflect on all of the positive things we have in our lives,

even if we have challenges in some areas.

Let’s encourage people to focus on abilities more so than our challenges.

Put your label in a drawer and only take it out when you need support

and services. Unfortunately, labels get you services, so that’s the only

time labels should be used since we are people first, not a label.

People should get to know everyone whether they have challenges or not.

Many people with diverse abilities are hardworking members of society.

Some people may be unable to work, but still have a lot to offer to

society, including as friends and important family members.

When we see people as people first, we are more likely to

see what we have in common with each other. We all have

the need to be loved, wanted, and have companionship. So

please include everyone when socializing and having fun.

Please don’t discriminate or stigmatize. You will have a

much more fulfilling life and so will we.

Contact us at:

thekamloopsselfadvocate@yahoo.com

#113-540 Seymour St., Kamloops, BC

V2C 2G9 Office ph. 250-372-5856

April 1, 2018 The Kamloops Self-Advocate

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Professionals Who Bring Light into Workplaces By Lisa Coriale

Kathryn Fields has lived in Kamloops for 12 years with her husband and her two little boys. She has a Master of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy (MScOT) and works part time at Royal Inland Hospital as an Occupational Therapist (OT). Kathryn became interested in occupational therapy when she was searching for opportunities for overseas missions. She loved how occupational therapy was focused on the client and their goals. Kathryn enjoys the variety of aspects that occupational therapy offers, “I love the variety in my job and how we don’t focus on just one aspect, but assess and treat the whole person. Physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and the person’s environment.” Kathryn works on the rehab unit with clients

who have had strokes or traumatic brain injuries. Many people who have had a stroke may lose function on one side of their body. Strokes can occur in different parts of a person’s brain. Because of this, clients may also experience issues with memory, problem solving, balance, vision or speech. Because each stroke and its effects are different, it can be challenging for Occupational Therapists like Kathryn and their clients to foresee their future improvements. Occupational therapy is based on different individuals and how they function and participate in daily activities. During recovery, Kathryn works with the clients to help them achieve these activities including getting dressed, feeding themselves, grocery shopping, cooking meals and housework. Another aspect that Kathryn has to consider is when clients may have to care for family members at home. A part of her job is also to assess clients’ needs for equipment such as wheelchairs, shower seats and grab bars. Kathryn works alongside her clients to make decisions to help

them get stronger and learn new ways of accomplishing tasks. She works with clients in different stages of their rehabilitation process. The clients' needs depend on who is new, who is going home, and who needs further assessment. Kathryn has the privilege and honor to work very closely with the medical team that consists of physiotherapists, rehab assistants, and speech therapists.

There are times where Kathryn has to come up with creative techniques to assist her clients. While working with new mothers on the rehab unit, she comes up with creative ways to practice diapering and swaddling. They use items such as dolls and bags of rice to represent babies.

A rewarding aspect of Kathryn’s job is being able to see clients improve, “It is amazing how the brain can heal itself and use other pathways after parts have been damaged.” Kathryn loves to interact one-on-one with her clients and their families.

We are grateful to professionals like Kathryn who take care of us when

April 1, 2018 The Kamloops Self-Advocate

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we need them the most. Their compassionate love and support allows us to share our light with everyone in the community.

Krystian’s Corner I have a workout buddy

named Nikki. I feel very

lucky that Nikki wanted to

be my friend and my

companion for exercising.

I knew of her at Board

Game socials. She

answered my request for a

workout buddy on

Facebook. I am very

grateful that Nikki wanted

to become my friend and

be my exercise

supporter. I like her and

will keep my commitment

with her because she is a

nice friend and peer. We

will help each other to stay

healthy and fit. She will

also drive me home

sometimes instead of me

taking handy dart, or if

handy dart can’t do it. I am

lucky to have her in my

life and will support her as

a friend and she will

support me too. She is a

great friend to have.

The first time she and I

met me at planet fitness, I

was so worried about her

working me too hard that

my anxiety gave me a

nosebleed. She calmed me

down and told me we will

work together and have

fun. She encourages me to

work hard enough to break

out with a little sweat but

we need to have fun too.

She helped relax me and

was very understanding.

After breaking the ice with

her, when we exercised for

the first time, we both

exercised enough to break

a sweat but we also had

fun together too. It makes

me look forward to

exercising. I really want to

lose weight and get

healthier both mentally and

physically. Thanks Nikki

for helping me in my

journey.

Healthy Living

Column By Krystian

Have you ever felt

exercising alone to be

boring? If so, how about

trying out a workout buddy

or a fitness partner to make

exercise more fun. Fitness

is good for your mind and

body and overall

wellbeing. It is a great

stress reliever too. Having

a workout buddy is great to

prevent you from losing

your motivation. You can

both push each other to

work harder.

Bringing a Walkman or

having music on your cell

phone or an MP 3 player

helps to make time go

faster also. Everyone needs

an exercise program that is

right for them. Planet

fitness is very inexpensive,

you can do Zumba at the

Y, or even just go for a

walk. All of these will

help to get your heart rate

up, which is great for

keeping your heart and

mind healthy. It also

reduces stress.

The important thing is to

find something you enjoy

so that you are more likely

to stay motivated and keep

doing it.

Jokes When do monkeys fall from the sky? During Ape-ril showers! Can February March? No, but April May!

Why is everyone so tired on April 1? Because they've just finished a long, 31 day March! What season is it when you are on a trampoline? Spring-time! Why are trees very forgiving? Because in the Fall they "Let It Go" and in the Spring they "turn over a new leaf". Source: http://jokes4us.com/miscellaneousjokes/weatherjokes/springjokes.html

April 1, 2018 The Kamloops Self-Advocate

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Ways to De-Stress By Shandi Pace

Stress is a part of our daily

lives. Worrying about so

many daily activities at

once can lead to severe

physical effects in the

future. Ranging from

health issues to irritability,

it’s important to be aware

to what may be causing

your stress. For the most

part, you can’t change the

source of your stress,

however you can change

how you deal with it.

There’s truly no way to

live a completely stress-

free life, but these are a

few tips on how to stay

relaxed.

Exercise is a simple way

to relieve your body’s pent

up energy. Even by doing

just 30 minutes of activity

a day your overall mood

will change dramatically.

Self-paced exercises tend

to get the best results.

Best exercises to

try: Yoga, High-Energy

Activities (running,

dancing), Tai Chi.

Healthy eating ensures

that the body has energy

and nutrients it needs to

maintain concentration and

for the brain to function

properly. Although junk

food might taste better,

superfoods are packed with

vitamins and minerals that

will leave you feeling less

bloated.

Best foods to

try: Asparagus, avocado,

blueberries, salmon,

almonds.

Get some sleep! Make

sure your body isn’t

getting in the way of your

ability to reciprocate in

stressful situations by

heading to bed earlier.

Your mood can also be

altered depending on how

much sleep you’ve had.

Getting at least 8 hours of

sleep a night is what’s

recommended most.

Tips to try: Unplug all electronics 10-

15 minutes before bed.

Read a book or magazine

to tire yourself out.

Try heading to bed earlier.

Make sure your room is as

dark as possible.

Talk it out. Opening

discussing what’s on your

mind with a trusted family

member or friend helps

introduce a new point of

view. If more attention is

needed, seek out support

groups or check out Ability

Online’s forums with

multiple mentors always

available. Keeping a

journal is another way to

also “talk it out” if the

problem is more personal.

Do something you

love. Always take time out

of your day to do the

things you love the most. If

something is causing an

issue, take short breaks and

step back from what’s

causing you stress. Most

like to listen to music, take

a nap, colour in an adult

colouring book, take a bath

or play video games.

Regularly make time for

whatever it is you enjoy

most.

Schedule your time

accordingly. Make a list of

priorities you want to

accomplish over the span

of a week. Organizing your

time and not taking on too

many responsibilities will

lower your stress. Also,

allow for time to do your

favourite hobbies and

interests.

Stay Positive. Living life

to the fullest is the most

straightforward way to cut

stress out of your life.

Studies show that laughter

lowers the levels of stress

hormones and reduces

inflammation in the

arteries. Overall, having a

positive attitude will not

only reflect how you feel,

but the people around you

as well.

Taken from: http://abilityonlineblog.blo

gspot.ca/2018/01/ways-to-

de-stress-by-shandi-

pace.html

April 1, 2018 The Kamloops Self-Advocate

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Banana-Chocolate

Chip Sheet-Pan

Pancake

Ingredients

Pancake 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 2 eggs, slightly beaten 2 cups milk ½ cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup mashed ripe banana (1 medium) ½ cup miniature chocolate chips

Toppings 3 firm medium bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 3 cups) ½ cup chopped walnuts ¼ cup real maple syrup

Steps 1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; spray with cooking spray. 2. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until blended; set aside. 3. In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla and 1/2 cup mashed banana with whisk until blended. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until just blended (batter will be

lumpy). Pour into pan. Sprinkle chips on top. 4. Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until golden brown, center is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack 10 minutes. Top with Toppings. If desired, serve with additional maple syrup. For success in this recipe, different stages of ripeness in bananas works best—firm bananas for slicing, and ripe bananas for mashing. Taken from: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/banana-chocolate-chip-sheet-pan-pancake/

What Inclusion and

Diverse Abilities

Mean to Me By Krystian

Inclusion means being

friends with people of all

walks of life. No one

should be excluded

because of their color,

nationality, religion or

challenges in life.

Diverse Abilities is a term

that means to focus on

abilities rather than

disabilities. Although you

might have a challenge in

one area, you still have

many abilities. Always

keep in mind, your abilities

outweigh your

challenges. That's why I’m

grateful that the Best

Buddies international

program exists, because

they encourage everyone to

make longer lasting

friendships for people with

developmental

disabilities.

Best Buddies is an

example of a program that

is a non-profit and matches

people up to make

friendships. People need

friendships with a mixture

of people. If people would

let their guard down and

talk to someone who is

different from themselves,

they would be surprised

about how much you have

in common. For example,

if you meet someone who

is in a wheelchair but you

are fortunate enough to

walk, talk to them. They

may have many of the

same likes as you do. What

sports do they enjoy or

what music do they like?

If you meet someone who

has learning disabilities,

don’t assume you have

nothing in common with

them. They might not be

book smart, but might be

street smart, even more

than you are. Those who

can’t see have a lot to offer

to those of us who can

see. We have no idea of

the tricks they find to make

life easier for themselves.

We can all learn from

everyone. Making

friendships with people

who have different abilities

than we do will enlighten

our lives and teach us more

April 1, 2018 The Kamloops Self-Advocate

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things than we would

know if we don’t include

everyone in our world.

Enhance your life by

including all in your

everyday life. When you

see someone on the street,

say hi even if their life

seems to look more

challenging than your own.

Who knows, a meaningful

friendship might develop

as a result.

“Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead Walk beside me… just be my friend” ― Albert Camus “The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” ― Bob Marley

TCS Krystian wanted the KSA

readers to know more

about some of his

advertisers. This month,

he is featuring TCS and

some of the people who

work there….

Meet Jhenna Owen

What is TCS?

TCS is an agency that

provides services to adults

with diversabilities. We

are committed to

enhancing each day for

every individual and

support many people, and

their families, throughout

the province.

What do you do?

I am a Residential Services

Manager at the Alexis

Home

Why do you guys believe

in my newsletter?

We believe in supporting

people with diversabilities

in their employment and it

makes sense for TCS to

advertise with the people

we serve.

Why did you want to

advertise with the

Kamloops Self Advocate

newsletter?

We wanted to advertise

with the Kamloops Self

Advocate newsletter

because we believe that all

individuals have a choice

in who they want service

from. We wanted to make

sure that the community is

aware of who we are and

what services we provide.

What makes TCS a

special agency for people

with developmental

disabilities?

What makes TCS special is

the relationships we build

with the community and

the people we serve. We

believe that we offer great

options and services to

people with diverse needs.

Why do you believe in

giving back to social

services and to disability

related things such as the

newsletter? TCS believes that

supporting social services

and the newsletter helps

people with diversabilities

have a voice in our

community.

What makes TCS stand

out from other social

services?

TCS stands out because we

have worked hard to create

an agency that truly

believes that everyone

should have an opportunity

to live a great life that is

rich with opportunities and

growth. We strive to

support people in their

homes, in their

communities and in the

workplace.

Wrenn Weston from TCS

had this to share:

TCS (Thompson Community

Services) is a social services

agency with a proud history

of serving individuals with

diversabilities and their

families for almost 34 years.

We began in Kamloops in

1984 and since then have

grown to now providing

residential and non -

residential services to mostly

adults, in more than 25

communities across BC.

April 1, 2018 The Kamloops Self-Advocate

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I am the Chief Operating

Officer for TCS. This means

that that I work very closely

with Chief Executive Officer,

Bob Cornish, to make sure

that that all of our programs

are being run well and to the

highest standards. As well,

our jobs are to make sure that

we are meeting the needs of

individuals, their families and

CLBC. I have been with TCS

for the last 10 years and this

has been the most rewarding

experience of my long career.

TCS fully supports the goals

of the BC Self Advocacy

Foundation and the

community based Self

Advocacy groups in BC.

Your newsletter is an

excellent way to connect with

your members in the

Kamloops area to make sure

that people know their rights

and what opportunities and

resources are available.

At TCS, we are very proud of

the work that we do, our

membership with Inclusion

BC and our commitment to

individuals, their families and

the community. This is

especially true in Kamloops

given our long history of

community involvement.

Sharing our story in your

newsletter is a wonderful way

to further connect with

individuals and their families

and to make sure that the

community knows who we

are and what we do.

TCS is totally committed to

the individuals whom we

serve. This starts at the very

first meeting and is part of

every step of the relationship

thereafter. Our mission is

simple: to enhance each day

for each individual. Our

promise is to provide the best

support and care possible

using the most innovative

practices. In addition, through

our membership with

Inclusion BC and through our

dedicated staff members,

TCS provides a voice of

advocacy for individuals with

diversabilities to become full

participating citizens in their

own communities.

At TCS we are part of the

communities where we

provide services. We are also

part of the diversabilities

community. We take these

responsibilities very

seriously. This is reflected in

our mission “to enhance each

day for each individual”. In

order to fulfill this promise to

individuals, their families and

their communities, TCS has a

culture of service, advocacy

and innovation. We are very

supportive of increasing

opportunities for individuals

with diversabilities to be

further participate as full

citizens in their communities.

What makes TCS stand out

from other social services?

Commitment. Commitment is

our promise to Individuals,

their families, communities

and our dedicated staff

members.

Dining in the Dark

for CNIB By Krystian

Thank you for coming to

Dining in the Dark city of

Kamloops. Ben and I enjoyed

spending time with the

community. This was our

first time fundraising for

CNIB. Thank you for helping

us to make it very successful.

We especially thank Frick &

Frack Taphouse for helping

host our event. Thank you,

Les Nolin, for doing a speech

and for coming with many

people from CNIB. Thank

you Cliff and Linda Shaw for

helping with tickets and

performance. Thank you to

Vern & Sharon for

performing and traveling

here. Thank you Kamloops

This Week for covering the

event and interviewing us.

Thanks to both Midday &

Radio NL for helping to

promote this fundraiser.

Special thanks to Ben for

being a great friend and

teammate. We appreciated

everyone’s support to raise

$800.00 for CNIB. We hope

to do this fundraiser again

next year! Please let us know

if you would like to

help. thekamloopsselfadvocat

e@yahoo.com

Awareness Days

April 2nd

World Autism

Awareness Day.

April 7th

World Health Day

April 1, 2018 The Kamloops Self-Advocate

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Community Living BC (CLBC) is a provincial crown agency,

mandated under the Community Living Authority Act, that

funds supports and services through service agencies for adults

with developmental disabilities and their families in British

Columbia. CLBC is working to create communities where

people with developmental disabilities have more choices

about how they live, work and contribute.

#45 – 450 Lansdowne Street,

Kamloops, B.C. V2C 1Y3

Telephone: 250-377-4444

Toll Free: 1-877-377-4433

Book a Tasting Event with me and I'll show you how to go from raw to ready in 20 minutes or less. Eating clean is super easy, nutritious and delicious

Events April 1

st, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Easter Brunch @

Romeo’s, 1250 Rogers

Way. Price: $30 for adults,

$25 for seniors, $15 for

kids 4-12, free for kids

under 3.

April 14th

Habitat for

Humanity House Party

2018 - 6:30 PM

April 25th

CLBC Spring

Workshop, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ Henry Grube. This free

event is open to self-

advocates, families and

suppports. Call 250-377-4444

for more information or to

pre-

register.