Getting the FSIBC Engaged in your community
Danielle, Angela, & Valerie with the Accent Inns duck
After hearing about the Family Support Institute of BC all month, you may be wondering how to get FSIBC to support families in your community.
The answer is that we probably already have a volunteer Resource Parent or Family Member living in your area. They volunteer to connect with families who need support – from a listening ear to attending meetings to learning how to advocate for themselves. Our volunteers are there to make all families in BC feel connected and empowered to get the supports they need. All you have to do to get in touch with one of these volunteers is call the office and request family support – we will put you in touch with someone close to your area in the province who also has a family member with a disability and is knowledgeable in the area that you need support in.
If you aren’t currently in need of direct family support, but you still want to see FSIBC active in your community, then there are two options to consider. The first is if you are hosting a fair or conference like event, or know a local organization that is, then connect with our organization and the host to see if it is possible to get an FSIBC Display Table at the event. We will bring all of our resources materials and knowledgeable volunteers who can answer all of your questions about the Family Support Institute of BC.
Valerie distributing volunteer gifts to Resource Parents at Training Weekend
The second option is to book a workshop from FSIBC. Most of the workshops are aimed at both professionals and families and will be tailored to your event. For example, if you are a business wondering how to employ people with disabilities, then consider the Families Promoting Employment First workshop for your staff to learn about the benefits of employing these individuals and how to set up appropriate supports in the workplace. We offer 14 workshops in total that are all written and delivered by families. To see the different workshops visit http://familysupportbc.com/workshops
Another option for families to connect with FSI in their community is by attending a familyWORKs meeting. These meetings are intended to be conversations with other families about all topics in employment for people with disabilities from preparing for a job search to getting comfortable with supports in the workplace. These meetings are currently in six regions of the province: Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Langley, Vancouver Island, and Kamloops. For more information on upcoming meetings visit http://familyworksbc.com/familyworks-chapters/
If any of these options sound interesting, but you would like to know more, please do not hesitate to contact the office.
To book a workshop or display table, please contact Valerie Irving at (604)540-8374 Ext. 521 or [email protected]
