A bit about ourselves……….
Our group was started in 2014 when Robert Tippe (founder) was looking into whether Revelstoke had a group running at that time.
Rob found that there had been a group but due to staffing/volunteer changes the group fell between the cracks and wasn’t continued.
Living with a disability he understood the difficulties that people with disabilities faced in everyday life and he wanted to do something to help. Rob decided that summer to start the group with support from our local Community Connections office and in September of 2014 we had our first meeting.
Rob has worked with Community Connections and his wife, Susanne, to get the group up and running.
Together with some of our group members we have gone to see how other groups were run and came up ideas for a structure that we are slowly growing into as we network in the community (see graphic below).
When we meet for our monthly meetings we have a check-in time when we see how everyone is doing and see if there is anything in particular they want to talk about.
Then we have a special guest or we work on planning events/projects/volunteer opportunities that are up and coming.
Revelstoke Self Advocacy Group
the local ladies Roller Derby Team at their games and at a Grand Opening at our 711 store when they were promoting their new “chicken” menu.
We were very proud to be able to participate in the planning of the 2015 Self-Advocacy Conference as well and look forward to being involved again in the near future.
(This was from a potluck meeting/BBQ event in which we invited the Armstrong group to come and visit us in June.
The yellow is our group color and the clasped hands is our logo.)
A key change our group would like to see is that there would be more involvement in larger events and in the community in general.
Our struggle here is primarily a social one as the members had voiced early on in our meetings.
It has been noted that already some perceptions around town have started to change.
Members who previously had just been passed by on the street are now being approached by people just to say “Hi” and to see how they are doing.
We think the main challenge is “how to integrate” our group members into the “helping” roles that they are seeking to fill.
Quite often our members, in order for them to help, need assistance themselves to be able to do a variety of different tasks.
It could also be that it may take 2 or 3 of our members to complete a task that is simple for one person without a disability to do.
To us that doesn’t matter. The fact is that we are able to a job that someone might not have time to do and we CAN do it.
That is the point! Our members get such a sense of accomplishment from helping and that improves quality of life.
Feeling needed is a very important part of life and is important to our group.
If we had any advice to give it would be to listen for your groups VOICE….
Revelstoke Self Advocacy Group
(THIS IS THE PROPOSED STRUCTURE OF OUR GROUP…We are working to fulfill this model in 2016 as we develop projects to fundraise for)
It is important to our members that they have a place where they can voice their feelings in a safe place and where privacy is maintained.
If we want to bring something to the public’s attention we discuss as a group how we will go about doing this.
Click here to enlarge image.
One thing we have done so far is to bring an awareness of our group to our community with the assistance of our local Chamber of Commerce.
They had someone come and have a work session with us around how to market our group to our community.
It was decided that we would make ourselves identifiable by having bright yellow t-shirts made with our group name on them.
We wear them whenever we are out volunteering at an event so we can be picked out in the crowd.
Goals for our group…Once we have our “structure” working for us we would like to have some definite plans that would see us either have access to or create a fund where for example:
If someone new to being in a wheelchair needed a ramp built for access into their house and they didn’t have the money or know who to hire to get it made they could contact our group and we would put a plan in motion to get them the ramp they need.
Revelstoke Self-Advocacy Group has volunteered for the Annual Emergency Services Food Drive that helps our local food bank. We have also volunteered for
Revelstoke Self Advocacy Group
V- voice…find out what your group wants, O-organise…plan a function or volunteer to help at an event, I- include…find ways to bring in those who aren’t able to access,C-community…see what is going on in the community and ASK to be involved don’t wait to be asked,
& E- engage everyone…constantly watch and be aware of how your members are doing and keep everyone involved.
Also finding a way to make your group stand out in a crowd. You are all exceptional! Go for it….you CAN do it!!!
Our monthly meetings are on the 3rd Tuesday of the month August through June
to call Revelstoke Self Advocacy Group please call
Will Moore’s at 250-837-0855 or
Rob Tippe at 250-683-8144 and his email Rob Tippe at robtippe@gmail.com .
and also have facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/revyadvocates/
The next self advocacy meeting will be on February 21st and the guest speaker will be
Lori Skinner from CLBC to talk about what services she provides and how she can support the group.
Hope to see you all there. Have a great weekend.
Here is spot that is for your group Reminders and Announcements
Here Revelstoke Agendas and Minutes of Previous Meetings
Minutes from October 18th Meeting
