Annie's First Work Christmas Party

‘Tis the season to be jolly. That could not be more true for our local Annie Ryder. This year, at 49 years of age, Annie attended her first ever work Christmas Function. For most of us ‘the work do’ is just another date on an already very full December calender but for Annie is it something very special.

Annie was born in Mukinbudin and moved to Wongan when she was 17 years old. She was known in the district for her sporting ability, an excellent hockey and basketball player made her a credit to the sporting community. She was only just starting her adult life when at 20, she was in a car accident that left her mentally disabled. At the time of the accident she was pregnant with her second child, Anthony and mother to her 2 year old daughter, Vanessa. The struggles Annie and her family have faced over the years could fill an article within itself but no one would think as much if they were sitting in Kanyanya with me last Thursday. It was the morning of the shop’s Christmas lunch and Annie was hard at work. She was sorting through stock that needed to be put on shelves, while quickly writing out her Christmas cards for the party. There was a lot of work that lay ahead of her for the day. Books needed to be sorted, more stock had to be organised and of course there had to be time for a cuppa here and there too. I had come to the shop to talk to Annie’s support worker, Tammy.

Tammy is the team facilitator for Regional Home Care Services which is a non-denominational, community benefit organisation that specialises in delivering solutions to support people living with a disability as well as the elderly to live independently in their home. It is a branch of Perth Home Services and has been in the community for a while now. Up until this year the team facilitator was always based in Northam which made their presence in Wongan Hills minimal but in March Tammy was employed to oversee the Wongan Hills and surrounds area. Tammy is a local with a background in the industry and the difference that has made in a few short months in amazing. Her team and customer numbers have trippled since her start and there is now a team of 8 support workers covering the central Wheatbelt including Koorda, Dalwallinu, Moora, Meckering, Wylie, Goomalling and Wongan and it’s a growing project. Predominantly government funded, this service is priceless for the community. RHCS’s vision statement says it all; People living as valued citizens, making their own decisions, developing their abilities and growing in their relationships. While Tammy is talking to me, Barbara Kelly, a Kanyanya volunteer comes in to start her day. Annie puts down her Christmas cards and heads to the kitchen. She comes out with a cup of tea for Barbara who greets Annie with such love and fondness. I begin to see that this setup is working wonders for everyone involved.

Part of Tammy’s role is to get locals with disabilities into the work force and one of the organisations she approached was Kanyanya. “They said yes immediately” Tammy explains. “They were very obliging and I can’t speak highly enough of them. People could really take a leaf out of their book. A lot of businesses are sceptical when I approach them but our customers want to work, and want to give back to the community. We don’t just send a customer into a business. There is a support worker that attends and assists with the tasks at hand. It’s about keeping it local and making local connections that enrich the lives of both parties involved” Annie is one of three RHCS customers that volunteers at Kanyanya. She works there every Thursday and loves it. A few months ago Tammy asked her what she gets out of working for Kanyanya, Annie answered, ‘love’. I interrupted the two hard working ladies, shop manager, Ruth Coates and volunteer, Barbara Kelly to ask them how they feel about their new assistants. Their answer speaks volumes. “It’s wonderful having help and it brightens up our day when Annie and the others come in. We benefit from it just as much as they do and it’s wonderful having these smiling faces here.” Ruth reminds me that Kanyanya means “meeting place” and that the shop is run by the Wongan Hills Youth and Community Development Group. As most people know 100% of the shop’s profits go back into the community, contributing to annual events such as the senior citizen lunch and pack the pool. Kanyanya also contributes towards the Chaplin’s program as well as a yearly scholarship. This is just another avenue they have chosen to use that enriches the lives of locals.

Vanessa, Annie’s daughter, now a mother herself and a local hairdresser gives me a bit of her time. “It’s great to see Mum out and about. This is the most community involvement she has ever had and she’s thriving because of it. I think that Regional Home Care Service do a great job and it benefits Mum and others in the same situation more than most people would realise.” Annie happens to be one of our favourite visitors here at the CRC too. She comes to visit almost weekly with one of her other support workers, Jocelyn. They always come in after cooking class at home where they have made a meal, following a recipe of Annie’s choice. The ladies come in for a chat, sit and read a book or sometimes colour in for a while. A big focus in Annie’s individually personalized program is life skills. “Every customer is different and has individual needs,” Tammy says. “We focus on exactly that and no two support programs are the same.” Tammy goes on to tell me how tomorrow she is off to a farm to do a care package assessment for an elderly gentlemen who has been referred to them by his Doctor. The assessment will determine what the potential future customer needs to maintain his independence in his own home. This could be things as simple as running him to town for errands, groceries and appointments to more in depth care including cooking meals and helping with his household chores. “These services can be provided on a long term basis or on a as need basis. We also provide an alternative to the HACC program” Tammy says, proving just how flexible the services are.

Finally I turn to Annie and ask her if she’s looking forward to her Christmas lunch? “Yes!” she answers before my sentence is even finished. “I hope it’s steak!” She turns her attention back to the pile of Christmas cards she’s working her way through. Cards for her colleagues and new found friends. She’s on a deadline with plenty to get done - no different to anyone else this Christmas but more grateful than most, that much I am sure of.