Breaking Barriers

In the past few months, I’ve realized that bringing life to a dream in the form of a business is like putting together a puzzle. I knew what I wanted it to look like, but it takes time and patience to find the pieces and assure they are the right fit. Whether it be real estate, equipment, web design, everything must line up correctly to complete the vision. Perhaps the most important piece of this puzzle is staff.

When opening Kids Kingdom, I knew I wanted to put diversity and inclusion at the centre of our mission. The children and young adults who play here needed to be supported with any physical or intellectual challenges they faced. We have found a wonderful staff who have spent their careers surrounded by children. Early childhood educators with knowledge of child development, who thrived with program planning gave life to things like Mess Makers, and School Readiness. A former day home owner who has cared for 101 children in the community, gives peace of mind and a connection to our customers. We’ve aligned ourselves with a team who could make this thing happen. We had talent, knowledge, and work ethic. However, we were missing a vital piece of the puzzle. Perhaps the most important for the inclusive space we were trying to create. Perspective. Kids Kingdom needed someone who has lived experience. Someone who could not only offer empathy to those with exceptionalities but teach the rest of our staff how we can better support them. That particular piece of our puzzle was found in the form of Leanne.

When she found out Kids Kingdom was opening, Leanne was so happy for the kids in the community, and longed to have a role in seeing it come to fruition. She remembers telling a friend that someday she was going to work there. Little did she know we were in search of her at the time. When I approached her employment supporter enquiring about someone who would be a good fit for our business, she knew Leanne would be perfect. She said she had someone who dreamed of working with children, and the ball began to roll. When she came to her interview her energy and enthusiasm shone brightly, and I knew the moment I met her that she is exactly who we needed to bring on board. Leanne has been a loyal volunteer with the Calvary church, supporting their children’s programs, so she was certainly qualified. We informed her she got the job, and she quite literally jumped for joy. As did I. She was about to combine her passion of working with children, and her knowledge of accommodating those with exceptionalities and quickly proved to be a major asset to our business.

She got the job!

When Leanne found out I had a blog, she was intrigued. She has a story worth being told, and I couldn’t be happier to be the vessel that brings it to the forefront. When I asked her what it was that she thought this blog post should be about, her answer sums up the very reason she was hired.

“I want to tell people why it’s really important to welcome people with all abilities in your community and business, because we have so much to offer. You just have to give us a chance.”

I knew the moment she said that I had to get out my computer. We took advantage of a quiet weekday morning, and she shared with me her story. We laughed and cried, and I learned.

H- When did you first have the dream of working with children?

L- As a child, when the teacher would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer would always be a daycare worker. I would go to Mr. Roberts classroom and help his students with learning disabilities. I hoped someday I could have a job like that.

H- So, you’ve always had your mind set on it. Were there any other goals you had set for yourself that you’ve accomplished?

L- As someone with a disability it takes a lot more work to reach our goals, but with help along the way from my friends and family, I have been able to reach many of my goals, and I’m not finished yet!

Leanne’s list of goals included things that many take for granted as guarantees. When you live with a disability, milestones like graduating high school, driving a car, and living on your own can be even more daunting. Leanne has proudly accomplished her high school graduation, received her learners permit, and has been living in her own apartment with her husband Greg, as she got married in 2012. To quote Leanne’s former teacher Mr Roberts, whose grandson happens to be a loyal customer of Kids Kingdom. “Confidence is instilled.” Thanks to people like him, her supportive parents, loving spouse, and a community full of friends who root for her success, Leanne has worked confidently to create the life of her dreams. She has a “lets do this” attitude that is inspiring to see. The only thing Leanne was hesitant on during her initial interview was checking in customers with the cash register. We assured her that she could learn in her own time and agreed that maybe she would revisit trying it in a few months. On Leanne’s second day of work, she shadowed me as I checked in a customer so she could see how it all worked. She took a deep breath, said “I got this” and shoed me aside. She spent the rest of her shift behind the counter, greeting our customers with a smile and checking them in with ease. One of them being that former teacher. An emotional moment for us all.

The children love her!

To those who need extra supports in order to gain employment: Don’t give up on yourself. The perfect career is out there for you. Align yourself with people who encourage and support you. Leanne is a testament that hard work, community outreach, and being true to yourself can land you in the place you’ve always dreamed to be.

To those who can offer opportunities of employment: There are so many incredible people out there that can benefit your business if you reach out and offer the supports for them. In our case, Leanne’s passion was for children and the young families in her community. You might be looking for someone with a passion for vehicles, art, gardening, or math. Your communities are filled with people of all abilities who might be the missing piece to your puzzle, if they only had the chance.

I have to close this blog off in true Leanne fashion, as these words are perfectly suited to the essence of this post.

“You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”