Expanding social networks and relationships can be rewarding particularly when facing challenges. Derek has struggled with decreased vision, which necessitated leaving his paid employment to pursue employment that is more suitable. Derek sought assistance from CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the blind), and was determined to learn new skills at home giving him a sense of accomplishment and purpose. Derek has also expanded his social network by interacting with liked minded individuals who provided knowledge on preparing meals in his home and the use of his cane, which improves his overall sense of well-being, and contributing to his general satisfaction. Derek has a renewed appreciation for spending time outdoors and pursuing physical fitness. Good luck Derek in your many new and exciting endeavours! Dan’s workshop at Poirier Library gives him a sense of accomplishment and purpose through contributing to his community. It provides Dan with the opportunity to expand his social network, providing him with a sense of autonomy and independence. Dan also provides banking services for CISS; making weekly deposits at our local Van City. This job provides Dan the opportunity to expand social networks and build professional conduct. Earning a wage has provided Dan with opportunities to make different choices in his life, contributing to his sense of well-being. Congratulations Dan on your many successes! Hudson and Lee work independently at their position supporting each other through any obstacles. Congratulations! Hudson also works at Coffeehouse. Hudson is John’s assistant managing the concession, while John manages the cash. This is a paid position for Hudson who is very proud to contribute. For many years Scott has been an active member of the Special Olympics and is an avid swimmer. Last spring, Scott applied for and succeeded in winning a swimming scholarship sponsored by CLBC/ BCGEU which is enabling him to keep in shape at his Aqua Fit class. Scott’s involvement with sports is extensive and impressive. In the past Scott played ice hockey and attended classes within the martial arts. All of this speaks to how much Scott enjoys socializing as well as being fit. As a participant in the Go-Getters self-advocate committee Scott anticipates his monthly trips to interact with his fellow committee members at Melissa Park. Recently Scott and his peers created new CISS Charter of Rights materials which will be a guide for the Society and will be used as a fundamental part of planning. Individual rights are very important to Scott both for himself and others. For nearly seven years and counting, Scott has been employed by Boston Pizza in New Westminster. Scott looks forward to the social inclusion his position provides and takes great pride in completing his duties. Equipped with a wicked sense of humour and exuding enthusiasm Scott succeeds in finding time to kick back, relax and enjoy the company of his team. John has had a renewed interest in his job at the Coffee House because of working with Angel and building on the ‘Handy Cashier’ app. John has been battling his anxiety of dealing with money and the customers but he has made a lot of progress. When the flow of customers is low, he is able to handle the concession by himself. This new technology has helped him progress much further. In the fall he began his painting class at Parkgate Community Centre. The beautiful landscape painting he produced astounded both his teacher and fellow artists at the class. One of his paintings now adorns the manager’s office in North Vancouver. The picture has become a conversation piece for visitors to the office; in fact, one recent guest expressed an interest in DongKu’s painting. DongKu may paint more pictures to display in the office, perhaps this is future employment for this artist. DongKu has successfully held several paid positions. Currently, and since 2011, DongKu has been employed at Heike’s Hair salon where he is responsible for a variety of job duties that he enjoys doing. Until recently DongKu held an additional position at Fresh Slice Pizza where he assisted in preparing pizza dough and kitchen duties, until unfortunately the business laid off some of their staff. DongKu is hoping to be recalled for work at a later date. Matt has a passion for technology and enjoys video editing and making music. To increase independence through personal development, Matt recently became involved in a video editing project to assist CISS in updating its website. This involves Matt’s technical expertise in sound editing and visual effects in order to create a more engaging information experience in regards to CISS as an organization. Matt engages in community and began a social club at “Java with Friends”, a weekly get together, through this. He teaches others how to play card games, and connect individuals through shared interests. When not working or attending his pottery class Darren can be found swimming or working out at the gym. The Individualized Day Services 1’s Catering Team has been developing a plan to start growing herbs in the Melissa Park Greenhouse since December 2018. The plan projects that three of the herbs needed for the dips will be grown on site this Spring and Summer. The team was tasked with creating and presenting a proposal to their Manager. They worked every Tuesday for 6 weeks researching the seeds, plants, packaging, storing, growing and watering system, and created a thorough proposal. After approval, their next steps were to purchase all the materials, and start planting. This part of the project fell in the same time as Earth Day. To celebrate the start of the Melissa Park Greenhouse and Earth Day, the team created and hosted a planting event on site for everyone at CISS from all teams to attend. They were proud to show their work and get more people in the organization involved. They created a short presentation on “Where they started”, “Where they are now,” and their “Goals for the future of the greenhouse.” Next, they took everyone for a tour of the greenhouse and demonstrated the planting procedures. Finally, they invited the guests to the event in planting seeds with them. The greenhouse has already seen the herbs sprout and they are going to be ready to be harvested in the next few weeks to be dried and used for future dips. Adam recently received an award from his employer, Vancity Credit Union, for his 5 Years of Service! Adam has been working at Vancity since April 2016. In his role as an Administrator he is responsible for a variety of administrative tasks such as filing loans, business and estate documents, sorting statements, replenishing office supplies and ensuring branch cleanliness and maintenance. During his time at Vancity Adam has gained valuable experience and skills. Adam is so proud of his work and for reaching this milestone in his career. Adam states that he truly loves what he does and is thankful for his team at Vancity. – Adam Jamieson Statement from Adam’s Manager at Vancity: Cristina Pereira – Community Branch Manager – Pinetree Community Branch ‘Hard to believe it’s already been 5 years, but alas it’s true! On April 5th 2021 Adam celebrated his 5 year Milestone Anniversary with Vancity. Adam is an amazing employee to work with. He brings his enthusiasm each morning when he greets the staff. Adam works extremely hard and follows all directions given to him efficiently and with a smile on his face. It is a pleasure to work here at the branch with him! Adam is well-liked by the staff at branch 18. Adam is very detail oriented and always willing to take on new tasks. We are constantly astounded by Adam’s incredible memory and ability to recall events verbatim. Congratulations Adam!! Dan maintains his terrific sense of humour and commitment to his cultural passions despite changes the pandemic has imposed in the community and the world. During Community Integration Services Society (CISS) Multicultural Event, Dan demonstrated his cultural knowledge and presented an informative video about Canada’s immigration history. Very informative! Dan loves to share stories of adventures with his caregiver and caregiver’s family. Dan is an avid fan of music especially opera and Golden Oldies. Dan enjoys discussing his current readings, particularly history and fantasy and exploring the foods he loves, (the spicier the better)! Dan takes pride in keeping busy at home. Dan looks forward to the day when Covid 19 is gone and he feels safe in the community. Dan would like to return to his paid work once it is safe to do so. Inspiration Garden The Inspirational Garden at Town Centre Park is dedicated to growing, supporting and connecting gardeners in the community. Jonathan, from IDS1, has recently started a new volunteer job at the Inspiration Garden (Lafarge Lake). Even after only 4 volunteer shifts Jonathan finds the work enjoyable, being able to spend time outside, work in the soil and to learn a lot of new gardening skills. Each shift brings new challenges, as Jonathan duties change and depends upon what needs to be done in the garden that day. Jonathan has been learning new skills like learning how to dead head flowers, how to get rid of cottonwood seedlings by using a hoe and how to identify various plants, plant from weed. Jonathan volunteers with other members of community on this project through the city of Coquitlam; he looks forward to continuing to work at the garden, and to see what each season brings to the garden. Some people from community have commented on the garden stating, “It’s a great and delightful park in the community. When you walk inside the park you can feel relaxing. I think all the parks like that. A lot of people join the gardening.” William has made many connections and friendships at Community Integration Services Society (CISS) over the years; then Covid 19 hit the world! William spent a great deal of time at home during the early days which inspired him to conduct online research about how to advocate for himself and, learn helpful and insightful techniques. William participated in the Self-Advocate Committee meetings at CISS virtually, which was new for everyone. He feels more comfortable being assertive, able to “speak up” with more confidence and remarks that “small, everyday requests made a big difference.” While once feeling insecure and unsure, William now says he feels more empowered, independent and confident! William says “I feel great about the progress I’m making!” This new-found and hard-won confidence has made William feel more empowered to pursue some important goals he had before the start of the pandemic: he wants to return to Vancouver Community College to resume his studies in technology and return to Toastmasters to work on his public speaking. Like any independent woman, Jennifer takes tremendous pride and fulfillment in her job. Jennifer spent this past year working towards developing her skills and earning her FoodSafe certification. She has put so much time and effort into this goal. First, Jennifer read online materials while waiting for courses to become available because of the Pandemic. However, when courses finally became available, they were all online and without a dedicated instructor! Also the entire course work was self-taught and self-paced! Nevertheless, Jennifer was resilient and when it was finally time to write the exam, all of Jennifer’s hard work paid off! Jennifer passed the final exam on her first try! Within one month Jennifer completed 4 units, 11 modules, 11 quizzes and a 50 question final. Jennifer showed incredible perseverance navigating through FoodSafe and online learning. Christine – FoodSafe Customer Success Agent, “Congratulation [Jennifer] on completing the course despite the time pressures” Jennifer is now looking forward to applying her newly acquired skill and exploring opportunities within the food and beverage sector. Jennifer loves working in Starbucks and will look into other available positions in her workplace. Congratulations Jennifer, you’re an excellent student and good luck in your job search. Andrea purchases flowers at a local garden shop before volunteering her time at Nicole Lodge. Andrea’s infectious laugh and smiling eyes have a positive effect on the senior’s that she delivers flowers to. One of the resident’s husbands came to let Andrea know how much it meant to his wife that Andrea delivers flowers each Friday. This is important as this seniors health is deteriorating and she remembers very little, but had told her husband how happy she was that there would be a volunteer bringing flowers to the residents every Friday. Andrea seems happy to make a difference in the lives of the Nicole Lodge residents. Mike began working at Boston Pizza in Coquitlam two years ago. In this position his primary responsibility is to assemble the boxes to ensure a seamless day before the busy lunch hour hits. Mike’s position at Boston Pizza enables him to expand upon his skills and increase his confidence level by gaining financial independence. At the end of a shift, Mike likes to turn up the country music and unwind after a hard day’s work. Hello! I’m Derek
How are you? I’m Dan
A hobby can make a big difference in someone’s quality of life; not only does Dan have a passion for classical music but is a historian who loves to share his knowledge with others. Dan has recently co-developed a project with Poirier Library to bring his passion to others. Dan hosted a Classical Music Appreciation workshop for like minded individuals in the spring of 2017.Hudson and Lee
Hudson and Lee have been working at Boston Pizza since July 8, 2011, for two hours once per week. Duties include unboxing and weighing chicken and other meats.Hi! My name’s Scott!
Scott is notorious for his big grin and engaging laughter, immediately creating lasting relationships.Hey there! I’m John
John joined CISS in 1995 and has been a steady employee at our Coffee House, Java with Friends, for the past 10 years. John has had a range of job duties since the beginning but has been primarily focused on the concession stand. In order to better help John in his independent work skills at the Coffee House, his support staff, Angel, created an iPad App called ‘Handy Cashier’ for John to use at the concession stand.Hey! I’m DongKu
Equipped with diligent focused energy and a cheerful friendly disposition; DongKu is an inspiration. Exhibiting eager work ethics and an amazing flare for art DongKu shares his passion for art with his North Vancouver team. Last spring, DongKu applied and successfully won an art scholarship sponsored by CLBC/ BCGEU.Hey! I’m Matthew
Matt is a pleasant young man with a great sense of humour, is energetic, and engaging.Hi! I’m Darren
With a ready smile and friendly persona Darren demonstrated a desire for independence when he sought paid employment. Five years ago, Darren became an employee of Korna Pet Foods. At Korna, Darren does an amazing job keeping the shelves neatly stocked while insuring that packaging materials are properly recycled. Darren appreciates the social atmosphere of the pet shop and enjoys greeting his coworkers and customers who frequent the store. Until recently Darren enjoyed attending a ceramics class until it closed its doors. When Darren expressed an interest in art and that he missed the class, he enrolled in a new pottery class enhancing his social participation in community.Greenhouse Project
Adam’s 5 Year Award – Vancity
How are you? I’m Dan
Inspiration Garden
by Jonathan Lawson
William’s Story
Hi, My name is Jennifer
Hello, My Name is Andrea
Hey, My Name is Mike
