As we are counting down to the 43rd annual Weyburn Communithon, coming up on October 25th, we are highlighting each of the eight Community Agencies the event benefits, and whose volunteers help to make the event a success each year.
Inclusion Weyburn's mission is to support individuals in our community who have intellectual disabilities. They provide opportunities for them to be equal members of the community and to participate in things that most of us take for granted.
"We want an equal belonging," shared President Jackie Wilson.
She said Inclusion Weyburn was formed in 2018 because they saw a need for their youth, especially in the summertime, when the local summer camps weren't equipped at the time to provide the care needed for the youth with intellectual disabilities to be able to participate in the summer day camps.
The organization has grown since then, with a variety of programs and participants.
"We work closely with the Wor-Kin Shop and with the Group Homes," noted Wilson. "We're trying to get those groups going together, and working together, as we have the same kind of goals."
Since those groups already have various activities for their adult members, which Wilson said 'is just wonderful', their organization tends to be more focused on youth.
"But then we like to do things all together, too, and we try to include each other as much as possible."
Inclusion Weyburn's first program in 2018 was an inclusive summer camp, teaming up with the Fun in the Sun day camps held by the City of Weyburn at the Weyburn Leisure Centre.
"We had six of our children with disabilities who participated in that camp, and now last summer we had 39 youths in four camps," she shared. "We've done some growing and it's wonderful. We're so glad for the support that we've had."
The funding from the Communithon is how Inclusion Weyburn can hire summer staff for their day camps.
"Because they require that one-on-one, to be at camp alone doesn't always work for them. They need that support, so we hire summer staff," she said. "In terms of funding, it's mostly spent in the summer time because we do pay those one-on-one staff salaries throughout the summer."
"It tends to be mostly our high school students, and sometimes our university students. It's a great opportunity and a good experience for them. Sometimes they've worked with the teens at the high school through the programs there and so they have an idea of what they're coming to, and that's why they want to work for us."
"Sometimes it's really rewarding to hear them say, 'You know what? I found out after working this summer, I want to go into this. It really reaffirms that I want to go into education or speech therapy', and to know that their experience in the camp really gave them some drive."
Wilson said teens with intellectual disabilities are just like their peers, especially when they get to be teenagers.
Since then, they've also been able to partner with the Credit Union Spark Centre and the Family Place. They have also created a teen camp as well, for youth who have aged out of the younger camps but want to continue.
"We're blessed with a board of people who work with these kids year-round. They're educators in our schools, they know most of these kids, and so they train our staff and mentor them throughout the summer. So the teens have good guidance and we try to make it as successful for our campers as we can."
Another program that runs on Sundays is 'EmpowerAbility', held at the Weyburn Public Library.
"They don't charge us anything. It's wonderful," she noted. "There would be other teens there, some of them are from the high school and they collect credits for volunteer hours, and that's perfect because they're their peers and they're at the library doing those things with them or they're at the youth camps. They add to the fun for them."
Wilson said they became part of the Communithon from their first year, as it was an obvious stream of support for their organization.
"The funding is based on the volunteer hours that you put in, and we've been so fortunate to have volunteers step up to the plate because it's a big undertaking," she explained. "They start in the spring with meetings and working out committees, and continue committee meetings right up to and through Communithon."
"The Communithon is a huge undertaking for the people who run it. They're all volunteers. It's quite an amazing thing."
"It, along with our grants and donations, all goes toward the summer programs."
Inclusion Weyburn's year-round programs are always fun but are a bit less cost-intensive. Some of their programs also have sponsorships.
"A new one that we're starting is the Weyburn Dodgers youth program, sponsored by Weyburn Dodge Jeep. We have monthly Family Buddy Swims sponsored by RONA and New Age Electronics."
From participating in Pumpkin Lane later this month to parent get-togethers, dances, and socials, the various activities Inclusion Weyburn offers throughout the year ensure inclusive, enriching activities for those with intellectual disabilities. They also provide respite for parents, as well as opportunities for fun memories and meaningful connections.
The other community agencies that will benefit from the annual telethon are CMHA Weyburn Branch, Big Brothers Big Sisters Weyburn, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Weyburn Care-A-Van Society, Envision Counselling & Support Centre, Southeast Advocates, and Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan.
Follow the Weyburn Communithon on Facebook, and find out more on the Communithon website.