Blog

November 16^th, 2016

#StayGenerous and starting at EAFWR

Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region’s Opportunities Development Coordinator, Kate Swift, shares her experiences through her first few weeks at EAFWR, and how community can #StayGenerous

Community, casseroles, and #StayGenerous

Often, starting a new job is scary. So many unknowns. Recently, when I began with Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region, I wasn’t nervous of what was to come. I was excited. I knew I was joining a team of impassioned people who threw themselves into their work, but what I wasn’t expecting was the immediate sense of community. Community is a word that is thrown around a lot, and has so many definitions. What it means to me is a sense of belonging and connection.

There can be community in many different circles: family, friends, workplace, neighbourhood and beyond. Community is where you can look at the person standing next to you and smile, feel welcome and linked in some facet. In my experience there can always be one common denominator to be found in establishing this connection… FOOD.

So many memories are built around it – family recipes handed down, cakes brought to new neighbours, spontaneous conversations in grocery stores, tips and tricks chatted about between friends. Food is what is brought in celebration and in sympathy. Food is what is shared when you have more than you need, and in the truest form of community, what is shared when you don’t have enough even for yourself.

Walking into the EAFWR office, one of the very first things told to me was – Food is very important here. And right away, I knew that if this is what connects them, I could fall in line quite easily.

I couldn’t help but think, aren’t I so lucky that this transition has been so smooth? That I feel so welcomed and supported, because there are so many in our community that don’t have it so easy. In relation to the community that Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region serves, I wonder how it would feel if I couldn’t fit in, if I struggled to find a way to connect. Because for so many, that is what they face.

According to 2004 Environics research, just 10 per cent of Canadians believe people with disabilities are fully included in society. The majority of Canadians also want to help improve the lives of people with disabilities and agree: the social benefit is worth the cost.

Only three in 10 small business owners hired people with disabilities in 2013, matching levels from the previous year, according to a recent survey from BMO Financial Group. The study, released last month, found that the majority of small businesses (69 per cent) have never hired a person with a visible or invisible disability.

We could philosophize for hours about the above statistics, about what makes them true and how they should change. Or we could take action to consistently engage, support and empower all members of our community in a way that promotes dignity and inclusion.

Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region’s vision is to promote belonging and dignity, and to be a part of a community that embraces that ideal with such commitment is a true joy for me.

This GivingTuesday, join us as we work towards our goal – one casserole and two cookies at a time.

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GivingTuesday is a global day of giving. After the sale of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday is a time to celebrate and encourage activities that support charities and non-profits. Whether it’s making a donation, volunteering time, helping a neighbour or spreading the word, GivingTuesday is a movement for everyone who can give something back. To learn more about #StayGenerous on November 29th, check out GivingTuesday Waterloo Region.