liveworkplay celebrates national volunteer week in canada, april 16, 2012

CelebratingNational Volunteer Week

April 15-21, 2012

LiveWorkPlayHelping the communitywelcome people withintellectual disabilitiesto live, work, and playas valued citizens!

Introductory Remarks By LiveWorkPlay Co-Leader Keenan Wellar (1 of 3)

Ladies and gentleman, thank you so much for being here today on the occasion of this, the second day of an amazing celebration of Canadian citizenship known as National Volunteer Week.

We are pleased to have with us here today representatives from Volunteer Canada, the national leaders on volunteerism in Canada. With partners across the country they have helped build a new and vibrant awareness of volunteerism. Thank you for what you are doing across the country and for your support of this event here today.

I also want to thank the Ms. Margaret Beckel, President and CEO, Canadian Museum of Nature for this wonderful venue, and I know that volunteers are huge contributors here at the museum, from hosting workshops to looking after the beautiful collections that celebrate our natural history.

We are here today to celebrate the impact of volunteers on the LiveWorkPlay organization and our city of Ottawa.

LiveWorkPlay helps the community welcome people with intellectual disabilities to live, work, and play as valued citizens. What this means in real terms is helping them live in a home of their own, respected by their neighbours as contributors to their community. It means working with employers to help them see the value of people with intellectual disabilities as employees, so that we can improve the diversity of local workplaces while at the same time reducing unemployment and poverty. It means supporting active participation in sports, culture, and social events, alongside other citizens. It is through the experience of what we all have in common that we overcome differences and bond together as citizens and as Canadians.


Three years ago LiveWorkPlay made the decision to reach out to our community in ways we had never tried before. With leadership from our Volunteer Coordinator Fran Childs, we threw the doors open and began to think differently about the roles that volunteers might play. From a more narrow focus on program delivery, we began to extend invitations to the Ottawa community for direct engagement with our members, as well as support for tasks behind the scenes. This call was answered.

As a result of expanding our volunteer team by 400%, from about 30 regularly contributing volunteers to more than 120, we have recently reached a significant milestone of supporting 100 people with intellectual disabilities.

But more importantly, because of our volunteers we are not only serving more people, but we are doing so better than ever before. Our volunteers each bring with them their own passions, skills, ideas, and personal and professional networks through which they spread our message of a welcoming community. The work of our volunteer team impacts tremendously on the lives of the individuals we are proud to support, but their efforts also radiate throughout our community, helping to change attitudes in neighbourhoods, workplaces, community centres, and more.


Today’s recognition will not capture the breadth and scope of these efforts, but through a selection of brief sketches we hope to honour the spirit of their contributions. Helping us today is a very special guest. When the Right Honourable David Johnston was installed as the 28th governor general of Canada on October 1, 2010, his remarks focused on ‘A Smart and Caring Nation: A Call to Service.’ The Governor General went on to state that it would be his goal during his time as Governor General to highlight the value of family, education and the importance of philanthropy and volunteerism.He has since travelled widely across Canada, speaking with Canadians about the importance of giving, learning, innovation, and family, and asking them what they will contribute to Canada as we approach our country’s 150th birthday, in 2017. We are thrilled to have him here with us today. I would now like to invite His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, to say a few words.

Remarks by the Governor General were unique to this event and a script is not available

Ladies and gentlemen, we will first be honouring volunteers who have completed one year of service with LiveWorkPlay. I ask that all one year volunteers please join Fran Childs at the side of the room in preparation to receive your awards. Thank you, I will now share a brief story about Reine Ghafari.

I met Reine while taking a course at the Sprott School of Business. When she mentioned that she might be interested in volunteering with LiveWorkPlay, I appreciated the thought, but I took it with a grain of salt, as it is often the case that that life gets in the way of the best of intentions. However, getting to know her character throughout the course, I was not surprised to see her follow through.

She began as many new volunteers often do, with a one on one match with one of our members, Linda Gray. Linda had moved to an affordable LiveWorkPlay-owned condominium apartment, and although enjoying the company of a small group of friends, was feeling a bit isolated and looking to meet new people and develop new hobbies.

After getting to know each other through a LiveWorkPlay introduction, Linda and Reine decided to take a crochet course together. They enjoyed the course – and more importantly, each other’s company – and together they have built a relationship and branched out into spending time together in many ways, sometimes just to have lunch and catch up on what’s new.

There is nothing like a shared travel experience to build a relationship, and Reine and Linda will taking that big step shortly, when they will be taking a trip to Quebec City!

Volunteer Awards: MC duties by LiveWorkPlay Co-Leader Keenan Wellar

Reine Ghafari

LiveWorkPlay Celebrates National Volunteer Week 2012

Celebrating LiveWorkPlay Volunteers With One Year Of Service

Thank You One Year Of Service Volunteers

Some volunteers develop a relationship with one LiveWorkPlay member and that becomes their focus. Others provide a list of their interests and announce their readiness to spend time with others who share those interests. Thus it has been with Laura!

She took a photography class with Shelby Penny, and then a jewellery making class with Chris Jones. Then last summer she found out Caroline Matte (pictured next to Laura in pink) was desperate for a getaway to a cottage, and soon enough, they were on their way for a wonderful time at the lake!

Laura continues to spend time with Chris and Caroline in the Ottawa community, enjoying movies, museums, and more. It is important to understand that these relationships are reciprocal and mutually beneficial. When Laura recently identified that SHE was in need of an accountability fitness buddy, we were able to match her with LiveWorkPlay member Tim Siebrasse for Nordic walking, which they now pursue together on a weekly basis!

I would now invite The Governor General and Chair Taylor to assist me in the presentation of awards and thanking of volunteers with two years of service.


Laura Gunn

Celebrating LiveWorkPlay Volunteers With Two Years Of Service

Thank You Two Years Of Service Volunteers

Andrew Waye was introduced to LiveWorkPlay by his partner Andre Saldhana. But this was not a case of getting dragged along, he was an eager contributor. Andrew started off supporting small group social gatherings on Friday nights, where he quickly established relationships with many members who appreciated his openness and natural curiosity for others. He and Andrea spearheaded an Ottawa Race Weekend training group in 2011 that has grown to a team of 10 for 2012 who will run, walk, and cheer each other on. Andrew also played a vital role in the success of a LiveWorkPlay travel experience, joining four LiveWorkPlay staff and 15 of our members on a 10-day Caribbean cruise.

Clement Chan is also a frequent Friday night socializer, and additionally makes frequent appearances at LiveWorkPlay events, sometimes as a guest, and often as a guest and a helper. He has assisted with fundraising events like Recipe for Success and the annual golf tournament, where he survived 140 golfers at the registration table. He also welcomes and invites LiveWorkPlay members to share in his interests and social networks, such as his passion for Bluesfest, where he has introduced members to volunteer opportunities and shared his love of music.

In both a formal and informal sense, Andrew and Clement are mentors for new volunteer recruits, ready and willing to share what they know with humility and an infectious positive attitude.

I would now invite The Governor General and Chair Taylor to assist me in the presentation of awards and thanking of volunteers with three years of service.


Clement Chan

Andrew Waye

Celebrating LiveWorkPlay Volunteers WithThree

Years Of Service

Thank You Three Years Of Service Volunteers

Dan Patton first became acquainted with LiveWorkPlay while working at MBNA Canada Bank, which is now a part of TD Bank Group, where eight LiveWorkPlay members are now gainfully employed. It was for a time part of Dan’s job to work with LiveWorkPlay in a community relations role. But clearly it was more than a job. When he left the bank to pursue his now realized dream of becoming an Ottawa police officer, Constable Patton continued his relationship with LiveWorkPlay as a board member, his years of volunteer service now at 7.

Mitchell Leitman started his relationship with LiveWorkPlay with a donation to the annual auction. He was friendly, and he was a lawyer, which means he was automatically targeted for board member recruitment. He will leave the board in September after a remarkable 7 years during which time there have been many important and dramatic changes. Mitch has facilitated connections to a variety of legal experts that have helped LiveWorkPlay with everything from trademarks to the acquisition of $1.5 million dollars of condominium properties for affordable supported housing.

Cecelia Taylor and LiveWorkPlay co-founder Julie Kingstone had worked together at the Youth Net organization here in Ottawa, and running into each other years later, it turned out there was something new in common. Cecelia was teaching English to Developmental Service Worker students at Algonquin College, and she was very interested in the LiveWorkPlay perspective on what the students were learning in the program. The pursuit of knowledge often leads to unexpected places, and so it is that 4 years later, after her previous three years of service Cecelia is serving her first term as Chair of the Board of Directors.

Her passion for the cause of an inclusive community and her presence at LiveWorkPlay events ensures that the board maintains both its mission focus and a constant consideration for the people and families that invest their trust in our organization.


Board Members: A Unique Breed Of Volunteer!

Cecelia TaylorMitchell Leitman

Dan Patton


Pennie Styan


Thank You Four Years Of Service Volunteers


Ladies and gentlemen, last but not least, entering into her 15th year of volunteer service with an organization that has only been recruiting volunteers for 15 years, we simply had to give Pennie Styan a presentation all to herself.

Many charitable organizations struggle with board recruitment, and certainly leadership and succession planning can be a challenge. On the other hand, sometimes it is not so difficult. This was the case with Pennie Styan, because all that was required was a free advertisement in a newspaper called the Penny-saver. In our case, it was the Pennie-finder!

Pennie started out supporting our earliest efforts at promoting activity in the community with a program called the Independent Living Club. She spent many years supporting social outings on Friday nights, and has been a critical presence on the board for 7 years, being a part of and a witness to many significant transitions, including the development of our new mission, vision, and values.


She is pictured here presenting some of this information at our AGM in 2011. This image was chosen because she happens to be presenting a slide called Awareness and Understanding. For 15 years Pennie has continued developing her awareness and understanding of people with intellectual disabilities and has used this knowledge and experience to help other people learn how to be welcoming and inclusive in their thinking and practices.

When Pennie walks into a LiveWorkPlay event, she finds herself quickly surrounded by the many people whose lives she has touched over the past 15 years. Our members know her, their family members know her - even the wait staff at the banquet hall know her!To celebrate Pennie Styan is to celebrate what LiveWorkPlay and National Volunteer Week are all about! I would now ask that Julie Kingstone, Cecelia Taylor and THE GOVERNOR GENERAL join me for a special photograph with Pennie, and I invite to audience celebrate her contribution to LiveWorkPlay and the community with a tremendous round of applause!

Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the formal portion of our celebration tonight. You are welcome to continue enjoying this wonderful venue until 7:30pm.The Governor General will remain with us for a time to meet some of our volunteers. Please join me in thanking His Excellency for attending our event and helping support philanthropy and volunteerism in our great country of Canada and her in Ottawa and the National Capital Region.


Thank you to all of our volunteers for helping LiveWorkPlay help the Ottawacommunity to welcome people with intellectual disabilities to live, work,and play as valued citizens!

CelebratingNational Volunteer Week

April 15-21, 2012

LiveWorkPlayHelping the communitywelcome people withintellectual disabilitiesto live, work, and playas valued citizens!

liveworkplay celebrates national volunteer week in canada, april 16, 2012

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