Spring 2022 Edition I June 7, 2022

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

Things are blooming at BeConnected!

Janice and her freshly planted flower bed

BeConnected acknowledges and respects the traditional and unceded territories of the Lkwungen (Songhees), Xwsepsum (Esquimalt), WSÁNEĆ (Saanich), Hul’qumi’numon (Cowichan), and K’ómoks (Comox) Nations on which we provide our services and supports.

- SPRING AT BECONNECTED -

Alex, Martin, and Mel enjoying a picnic at the park

Jenny enjoying the spring sunshine.

Helen enjoying the spring flowers

at Butchart Gardens

Alex taking a ride on a carousel

Janice getting an up close look at one of the local residents at Butterfly Gardens

Claire and Helen at Butterfly Gardens

Claire making friends with the locals at Butterfly Gardens

- LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS -

BeSocial Club Canucks Game

In April our BeSocial Club took a trip to Vancouver to watch the Vancouver Canucks take on the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

Challenger Baseball

This year's Challenger baseball season is in full swing!

We're getting geared up to head over to Mission BC for the 2022 Challenger Jamboree on June 11th.

Easter Party

We were so happy that we could once again get together for our annual Easter Party! Tamarack House hosted a fantastic party out in the fresh air!

May Fit in Fitness Month

May was Fit in Fitness Month at BeConnected and we celebrated with our first ever step challenge!

Thank you to all personnel who participated in the challenge!

Spring Food Drive

Our Annual Spring Food Drive was a great success. A truckload of non perishable food donations was greatly received by the Mustard Seed Food Bank.

Congratulations to Tamarack for being the program with the most donations and this years winners of the BeConnected Superstar Cup!

- UPCOMING EVENTS -

BeCommunity Art Show

The 11th Annual Art Show is on now at the Spiral Cafe. Take in some amazing art by the talented artists in the BeConnected community. Art will be on display for the month of June and 100% of all proceeds go to the artist.

Team Appreciation Event

BBQ Bonanza!

Friends and Family BBQ

We are so excited to bring back our annual Friends and Family BBQ in celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day. This years BBQ will be held on Saturday July 9th at the Juan de Fuca Picnic shelter. Stay tuned for more details!

SABF Summer BBQ

Our Self Advocates will be getting together for their summer BBQ celebration on July 19th.

One Day

OneDay will be making its return this year but will look a little different than previous years. However, you will still be able to listen to some amazing live music and play some games with the family! Bring a lunch and join us for our community picnic! Stay tuned for more details.

- PERSONNEL -

Welcome New Personnel!

BeConnected creates loving homes and empowering programs for persons served by recruiting and hiring only the most qualified and caring individuals.

We are excited for you to meet 20 outstanding new professionals who recently joined the BeConnected team:

EMPLOYEES

Aleesha K.

Angela M.

Ashley L.

Ashley M.

Blessing N.

Davis W.

Emem A.

Kay I.

Lindsey S

Maya P.

Naomi G.

Purvi D.

Renee D.

Shoshonah S.

Yarolsava B.

CONTRACTORS

Charlene S. (Community Inclusion)

Yovana C. (Community Inclusion)

Jessica R. (Community Inclusion)

Julia R. (Home Share)

Ryan T. (Home Share)

CCC: Diversity Works!

BeConnected attended the Greater Victoria Local Immigration Partnership Summit 2022 with a theme of Diversity Works! Immigration and Employment in the Capital Region.

The Summit aimed to provide a better understanding of labour market challenges, employment barriers for immigrants, and the opportunities generated by a diverse workforce.

The Summit provided innovative information on how to recruit, hire, and retain immigrant and other diverse talent.

Recent Training Opportunities

As part of the South Island Education Committee we have recently provided two fantastic training opportunities for personnel!

In March, 22 Employees attended Healthy Workplaces: The Importance of Mental Health at Work presented by the Canadian Mental Health Association. The webinar provided a high-level introduction to mental health awareness, how to respond to common issues, and the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

Just last week 28 employees and contractors attended Doing Our Best Work: 10 Ingredients of Quality Support presented by Peter Leidy. The webinar examined 10 important ingredients of excellent direct support, how we can measure when we are at our best, and helped to remind us what matters most about our work.

We're Hiring!

We are looking for reliable, compassionate, creative, and fun individuals to join our team. If you know someone who might be a good fit to provide person centred care, please pass along our website!

No experience necessary, we provide on the job training!