Tracy & Patrick

Five years ago, Tracy, a supportive roommate in Calgary, began searching for a productive outlet for her roommate Patrick. Patrick loves activities with structure, patterns, organization, and is very detail-oriented. Tracy knew she needed to find something that would be a good fit, but struggled to secure a placement that would satisfy Patrick’s unique needs.

Meeting with the ILRCC

In August 2014, Shauna approached the ILRCC about our Volunteer program. She sat down with the Volunteer Coordinator, who interviewed Tracy to determine Patrick’s aspirations, skills, needs and interests.

Three months later, the ILRCC found an opportunity for Patrick with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. It required him to put packages together by stapling them. On his first visit to the organization, Patrick excitedly stapled over 100 papers together in one sitting. He was even surprised to see someone he had previously met in another ILRCC program.

Why it works

Patrick’s placement with the Heart and Stroke Foundation truly takes advantage of what he wants to do. He can choose when he wants to volunteer, and having his support worker on-site is optional.

Tracy’s words

“You guys deserve a gold star, because you nailed it. I just want to let you know from the home support and from Patrick’s family – we are absolutely over the moon. We have waited five years for something like this to come up. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Please note: Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.