Shelley and her husband, Rodd, are are Co-Founders and Directors of Adults in Motion (AIM). Their organization provides services to adults with disabilities in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Hamilton and Oakville locations, plus virtual programs that reach across North America. This includes both day programs as well as virtual programs to their clients. adultsinmotion.org
Shelley retold a touching story of meeting her husband and how it was love at first sight. The organization was born from an identified a need/gap in adult engagement in the 18+ disability community (or following high school at 21yrs). In Kitchener in 2009, there were very few options within the community for a person with disabilities over the age of 21 years. Today, the options are better but still limited. A core value of AIM is that everyone has the right to be valued, accepted and understood. The program focuses on friendships, inclusion in the community and activities. The centres continued to operate throughout COVID and had great success with engagement in virtual programs (which are the most inclusive way to reach their participants because behavioural criteria and staff ratios do not apply).
Their program provides opportunities to give-back to the community including: licence to breed monarch butterflies, cooking in shelters, salvation army bell ringers, art/reading buddies at schools, volunteer at farms, ymca tour guides, community clean-up, meals on wheels, and seniors visiting program. They even have an Etsy store - proceeds shared with artists and day programs for creating crafts, buddy stick (spacing sticks during COVID lockdowns). One of the greatest lessons Shelley has learned from working with their clients: finding the joy in nothing and valuing kindness.
The programs have a participant-centred focus. This is because they strongly believe that every participant has gifts, talents and passions that can be shared. Their motto: "find a need and fill it". Funding is mix of private and not for profit and based on fee for service. Participants receive Passport funding monthly from the government; however, the amount isn't sufficient to cover costs. The organization also relies on fundraising activities, utilizes volunteers, accepts donations and takes advantage of free activities within the community. Proceeds of sales from the Etsy store of Christmas crafts and Buddy Sticks (COVID spacing sticks) are shared between the artists and the day programs for creating crafts. Other initiatives like their e-waste program generate some income that participants use to fund pizza parties (which are a huge hit with the group).
