Our Latest News
Check out what’s been going on in our world!
Check out what’s been going on in our world!
Noticing gestures of love is like eating good food, it nourishes us. At Astonished! there are many gestures of love to notice. For example, the way the Student Researchers, staff, and volunteer lean in to listen to one another as they ‘check in’ at A! TLC; or the generosity and faithfulness of donors; or the way Core Members keep one another in the loop.
A particular gesture of love is the gorgeous quilt Phyllis Matt created specifically for our annual fundraising event, Wings on Our Wheels ~ Astonished! in Flight 2016.
Phyllis is a Registered Nurse who has lived and worked in many outpost communities in Northern Canada. Phyllis says ‘Part of quilting is about building a “Great Stash” of fabric and friends’. Quilting has been a great way for her to meet new people from all over Canada. She now works and lives in Saskatoon and spends much of her spare time quilting and reading at the lake.
Thank you Phyllis for adding Astonished! to your ‘Great Stash’.
The March A! newsletter highlights some of the variety of life at Astonished! We hope you will take a few minutes to enjoy catching up with us. The big question is ‘How did Rhea Boysen and Katherine Taylor look so fabulous at Wings on Our Wheels ~ Astonished! in Flight when they spent the day racing around doing event preparations’? Thanks to everyone who made it such a great night.
On March 5, 2016 we celebrated our 4th Annual Fundraising Event, Wings on Our Wheels ~ Astonished! in Flight. To get a sense of this remarkable community and fun event please check out our event page. Thank you to everyone who made this wonderful evening possible. This conversation between six year old Mason Lindenbach and his dad Josh will give you a little sense of how much fun we had:
Josh: Mason, this is just like Christmas.
Mason: Dad, this is way funner than Christmas!
Thank you to our event photographer Tanys Rae Photography for sharing her wonderful images of our evening together.
When I think about the Astonished! Core Members one word that comes to mind is ‘resilient’ able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. The process of aging can be especially challenging when you have a complex physical disability. For many of the A! Core Members their wheelchairs are always part of their inclusion in daily life. Having a chair that supports your body as you age, and provides mobility and comfort is essential.
Recently Astonished! Leadership Team member Erin Hilts had a little taste of life on wheels. As part of her Therapeutic Recreation 447 class at the University of Regina she lived one day in a wheelchair. This is Erin’s reflection on her experience.
Today I experienced a different world; I was in a wheelchair for one full day! Only one day and I am not only physically sore but I am emotionally drained as well! Today was a huge eye opener for me; I realized that it is not just talk. People do act differently around you when you’re in a chair and the university is not as accessible as it may seem! I am so fortunate for this opportunity and have a greater respect for those who are starting tomorrow the same way I started today!
Thanks Erin, it is great to have you on the A! Team.
Our January newsletter is a great way to get current with Astonished! The photo above is from our Social Club Games Night on January 8, 2016. We hope you will sit back and relax with the news from Astonished! To read more ………………..
Ella:
I have been the Program Coordinator at Astonished for the past three years and it has been WONDERFUL. Thank you to the Astonished! Community for everything. My experience has been one in a million and I could not have done it without the support of each and every one of you. I fully believe in the good work that Astonished! does and am thrilled to have watched it grow and change during my time with it.
Now, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Katherine Taylor. She is taking over the role of Program Coordinator and is lovely, bright, and just the right person for the job. I know that Katherine will do great things for Astonished! and I am so excited to watch her (from afar!) in action. Astonished! is lucky to have gotten her and she is so lucky to have gotten Astonished! Over to you, Katherine!
Katherine:
Thank-you Ella! It has been such a pleasure learning the ways of Astonished! from such an amazing individual. I am very sad to see Ella go, but also extremely excited for this new opportunity.
A little about myself:
Like Ella mentioned previously, my name is Katherine Taylor. I come from a small town in Saskatchewan, and am happy to reside in Regina again! I completed my Kinesiology degree in the Fall of 2014 from the University of Regina, and then moved to Saskatoon to accept a position with a physiotherapy clinic. Although I enjoyed my time in Saskatoon, I knew Regina was a place that I soon wanted to get back to! Working with the disAbility community has always been a significant part of my life. Throughout high school I volunteered with the Parkland Therapeutic Riding Association, and then once moving to Regina, I found myself involved with organizations such as Creative Options Regina, Best Buddies, and Camp Easter Seal. These organizations expanded my knowledge, experience, and love for this field of work. Some of my favourite things to do are going home to visit the farm, spending time with friends, travelling, and camping in the summertime with my boyfriend. I hope to soon get to know more individuals involved with the Astonished! community as my time here continues!
Cheers!
We work in inclusive community to address barriers facing young adults with complex physical disAbilities (core members) by creating opportunities for teaching and learning, social, recreational and cultural engagement, and for employment and housing.
The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished Inc.
University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, SK S4S 0A2
Phone:
Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, Executive Director, 306-737-9560
E-mail:
BCV@beingastonished.com

