Freeing the Spirit, Fulfilling Potential, Together: Volunteering at St. Amant Center

This post should really have been up ages ago. Long before those other ones, even. I've been volunteering with St. Amant Centre since I was in grade 8. Coming from a Catholic elementary school, community service has always been a large part of my education; long before the hours counted to an IB diploma or college scholarships. Thus, St. Amant was a perfect place to start what is now a near 4-year biweekly tradition.

What is St. Amant exactly? It is a center for clients with developmental disabilities and autism; hosting a variety of individualized programs for both residents and out-patients alike. As well, the center has a school for preschool and school-aged children with autism. Since 1974, St. Amant Center has become the largest center in Manitoba where individuals and their families can find the support and services they require.

Of course, being such a large, outreaching center, St. Amant runs a very organized and huge volunteer base. We help in all areas, specifically in the running of adult day programs in the pool or gym. I'm known as a "Fun Zone" volunteer, meaning that I was supposed to do modified games with clients in the gym. I was truly amazed by the endless amount of board games that I've been able to play in the past, not just because of the magnitude, but also for the creativity and time it must have taken for someone to rewrite the rules of games such as Monopoly or Yatzhee in order to make them client-friendly. Also, "Fun Zone" encompassed a "grey" area much larger than gym games, since I often switched to pool or outings depending on the afternoon. These activities likely don't mean much to most of us, but the centre's clients looked forward to these because it got them out of their rooms for a breath of fresh air, so to speak. The supervisors drove us to places such as the Forks or St. Vital park, where the clients (mostly wheelchair bound) were able to get around comfortably and see new things. One unique memory was the day we went to Rona. Yes, you know, the store for all your home-building needs. I  imagine it was weird for shoppers to see 5 wheelchaired clients with their volunteers walking around for an hour in the store, but the aisles were movement-friendly and the Christmas decorations quite interesting!

Having volunteered for almost 4 years, going to St. Amant is almost second nature to me.  I've definitely had my difficulties, mostly in communicating with certain clients. However, I've learned how to communicate nicely yet firmly, especially with the ones who are stubborn or sullen. I love how every afternoon is unique, and you really can't predict what will happen from one Saturday to the next. One time you may be in the gym playing floor hockey, then the next time you'll be in the rec room baking cookies! The friendships I've made with fellow volunteers has been an amazing experience as well. Being a student at Westwood Collegiate (aka the other side of the city), I most likely would never had met them had it not been for St. Amant. As a result of many similar interests, however, a few of us attend "Mini Medical School" at the University of Manitoba. It really happened by accident since none of us knew anybody was going until we ran into each other the first session, but now it's a yearly thing! In conclusion, volunteering at St. Amant has truly been a rewarding experience, and it's definitely something I plan on continuing until I go away for university.

*note: The date displayed is when the name tags were implemented, obviously long after I started volunteering!

CAS Components

Service: Volunteer hours earned through working with clients with special needs.