Corner Brook woman's new group connects people with disabilities

Melissa Woods may be a new socialentrepreneur but the Corner Brook woman has a very clear mandate for her non-profit group: more social inclusion in the city.

The 31-year-oldknows first-hand how hard it can be to connect with people. She has cerebral palsy, a disorder that impedes her muscle movement. She uses a wheelchair and her caregiver ormother often helprelay what shesays.

"I always believed that everyone needs to feel that they belong," she told CBC through Facebook Messenger.

Both Easter Seals and the Victorian Order of Nurses used to run programs in Corner Brook for people with disabilities, but each of them pulled out a few years ago, isolatinga lot ofpeople.

So Woods took matters into her own hands and startedActive Living NL West.

A promise to herself

Her mother, Maxine Woods, said her daughter has never let her disability hold her back. She remembers a phone call from Woods after she'd enrolled in the business administration program at Academy Canada.

"She said, 'You know, Mom, there's nothing around for here for people with physical and intellectual disabilities, so I'd like to try someday," said her mother.

A year after graduation, she honoured that promise to herself and reached out to the Navigate Centre atMemorial University's Grenfell Campus.

Seeing the group come together and enjoying themselves made me feel so proud.- Melissa Woods

Advisor Sean St. George has been impressed by Woods's clear vision.

"Melissa's actually pointed out a gap in theservices that are out therein western N.L.," he said. "She's actually promoting a way to deal with social isolation and Melissa's said to me from day oneshewants social inclusion."

A nose for non-profit work

This spring, hehelped Woods present her non-profitat a Social Innovation Challenge. The goal was to come up with an idea that would give back to the community. Woods finished first, winning$1,500startup funding and year-long memberships to online small business and legal resources.

Though she's been running programs since September, she relies heavily on volunteers and donations but with her numbers going up with each program, she wants the non-profit group to be more financially self-sustaining. She's looking at charging a small fee in the future and tapping into some long-term funding.

A place to belong

Between emails and spreadsheets, Woods still finds time to enjoy what she's created.

This past week, she held a Mother's Day social at a grocery store,where about two dozen participants and support workers made cards and painted pictures.

She said it was wonderfulto sit around a table with others just making crafts and hanging out.

"Seeing the group come together and enjoying themselves made me feel so proud of my accomplishments," said Woods."[My]hard work's paid off."

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