Messenge to Self Advocates from Seonag Macrae CEO of Community Living B.C.

October 2015

I am pleased to let you know that the seventh annual WOW!clbc Awards are being officially launched today on October 15, 2015!

Every year, Community Living BC’s (CLBC) Widening Our World (WOW!clbc) Award celebrates the different ways people are building inclusion across B.C.  In recognition of our 10^th Anniversary, this year our theme is, “What Does Inclusion Look Like in Your Community?”

This year when someone nominates a person for a WOW!clbc Award, we are asking them to answer questions about how the person(s) they are nominating is making their community a place where people of all abilities are valued and respected. And this year, we also want people to take a photo to show us what the person(s) is doing and explain why it is inclusive (if people need help taking a photo, they can email wowclbcawards@gov.bc.ca). The photos will be posted on our website as part of our on-going 10^th anniversary conversation about ideas for the future of community living.

Nomination forms and the photo waiver for this year’s nominations are available in hard copy at CLBC offices and also on-line (see info below).  Posters have also been developed to help raise awareness of this opportunity, and copies are available at your local CLBC office. The call for nominations starts on October 15, 2015, and will end on November 30, 2015 at 5 p.m. People receiving an award and the person who nominated them will be contacted in December 2015 once the selection committees have made their decisions.  Four awards will be presented across the province during the months of January – March 2016.

There are five ways you can get more information or nominate someone:

1. click here to begin the online nomination and waiver process
2. click here for a printable PDF version of the form and waiver
3. send an email to the WOW!clbc email contact at: wowclbcawards@gov.bc.ca
4. go to your local service provider and ask for the form with the waiver
5. go to your local CLBC office and ask for the form with the waiver

Recognition and celebration are important ways to raise community awareness about the importance of inclusion. Thank you for your help in spreading the word about this unique and important annual opportunity to recognize and celebrate inclusion champions in your community.

Sincerely,

Seonag Macrae
CEO
Community Living BC