By Elizabeth Bishop
Jennifer has been with Personal Advocacy Service (PAS) in Greenmount for four years and I have come to know her more recently.
We have bonded really well over the last 12 months and enjoy many of the same things.
Jennifer loves her music. At the recent mid-year ‘Footy Fever’ celebration she was one of the first ones to get up on the dance floor and only sat down when the music stopped.
She also loves driving with me, where she requests one of her favourite choruses to be played. We both sing, and Jennifer also does the actions.
At Easter time, Jennifer came to my studio where I had set up the table with the food processor, special lactose-free ingredients and cooking utensils.
We made scones and special Easter chocolates.
We finished off the afternoon together with a lovely afternoon tea once we had both finished the clearing up.
Jennifer took the leftovers home, some to freeze and enjoy later in the week, and some to be shared with her housemates.
Another activity that Jennifer enjoyed was when I took her to a local arts exhibition. A number of the local artists were very happy to let her hold the items and feel the textures.
To finish our afternoon outing, we enjoyed a coffee at the Dome Cafe just across the road.
Jennifer loves the Advocacy program and really enjoys meeting with her other friends and their advocates. It is always a very happy time.
Each evening when I pick her up from home, we have a little chat about her week and how things have been going.
If she has had a difficult time, we always have a little prayer together before we go inside.
She always finds that by the time she goes home she is filled with a lovely peace and asks once again to have the CD playing so she can sing along with the chorus and do the actions. It is a really special way to finish our evening together.
Jennifer is currently enjoying a series of art workshops outside of her normal art classes which I have been able to organise for her.
It has been wonderful to see her blossom as she experiments with new techniques. Her work is showing a lovely freedom and blending of colours.
She will be exhibiting one of her pieces at an exhibition later in the year in celebration of International Day of People with a Disability (December 3) and Disability Awareness Week.
Jennifer has recently moved house so that she can enjoy a little more independence. This has brought about changes and adjustments.
Getting to know Jennifer’s support workers has been a very important part of helping her with day-to-day issues.
Connecting with her PAS friends and their advocates, as well as those who care for her, is creating a lovely ripple effect, giving Jennifer a sense that God is surrounding her with His love, giving her confidence as she settles into her new home.