Orvella Small, the long-time executive director of Inclusion Foothills, is officially retiring.
After founding the non-profit organization more than 25 years ago, she said it's time to hand over the reins.
After what was a very hard decision to make, she explained how she decided it was time.
"I had to resign myself to realize that I've invested a good part of my life in doing what I have a passion for, which is supporting people with disabilities and their families and helping them to be connected to the resources that they need. So, for me, that's how I'm dealing with it. I know that myself and those around me have made a difference. That's what I think is what any of us can ask for."
The organization was originally known as Foothills Special Needs Association for Parents and Siblings and changed to Inclusion Foothills in 2019.
When Small moved to High River with her family, her youngest child, Sheena, had special needs that needed support, and since there wasn't an organization in town, she decided to form it with like-minded people.
"It started 26 years ago, 27 years this coming fall, and I have a family and a daughter who drove me to need the support of other parents. And so, I found a couple of other parents who wanted the same thing, and it started from there."
She has had many highlights over the last 25 years, including hosting Sib shops. Sib shops are events where siblings of a family that has a child or children with special needs get to meet and learn and grow together.
One of the biggest highlights is that the organization is still going strong after all these years.
"Well, the big one is that we're still here today providing the services to the families that need us. None of us had a vision that we would be here 26 years later and we are because there is a need. And so, for me, the highlight is that we're able to keep doing that. There's a child born potentially every couple of hours that that family will need some support, and we're still here to do it.
And I would say another one is that we have a legacy that we are leaving with Inclusion Foothills in the book that we wrote."
The book, In Pursuit of the Ordinary... A Journey to an Inclusive Alberta was written and published in 2018.
"The other thing that's really important to me is that the families are first, but it's the relationships that have been built in the different communities we serve. Relationships mean everything. Being able to continue to be valued in those communities is essential, and I'm very proud of that in that we've been able to make those things happen in those communities."
Helping to find active employment with people with special needs as they grow older has always been on their minds too. Since 2014, close to 300 individuals have gained employment with its hire project.
They also started incorporating siblings of children with special needs as part of the entire inclusion process with Sib shops.
"When we found out about Sib shops ourselves, which was around 2005, and then we took the training in 2006, for me... I had four kids, the youngest one needing the extra special care. If there was something like that for her brothers, that would've been fantastic because back then, we knew nothing about anything. We didn't know about resources; there was no one giving us any suggestions for anything. So, Sib shops for those siblings that don't have support and maybe miss the support of their parents because they're focusing on the child with needs was one of the key supports that we felt was necessary to be offered in the community. We've probably been running the program longer than anybody else in Alberta at this point."
The entire organization is also run by volunteers, and nothing would've been possible without them, Small stated.
"Our board is volunteers. We have volunteers at the Farmer's Market. We have volunteers at everything that we do. We have volunteers in our office who come in and do things that help us get through the day. So, an organization like ours it's key to have volunteers, and at this time I'd like to say, 'Thank you' to all those volunteers who give their time back to the organization."
So, who's going to be filling Small's big shoes?
"As I walk out the door, Vanessa Mackenzie is coming in the door as the new executive director and will be taking the lead on all things important that Inclusion Foothills does."
You can still expect her to help out at the Farmer's Market a few times and elsewhere when needed, but she and her family are looking forward to spending more time at home and going on family adventures.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm not turning my phone off. If there's a need, just phone and ask, and I'll be back there to give them a hand in whatever way that needs to happen."
Small's last official day is Monday, June 23.