Talk at Full Gospel Assembly

On the 22nd of August, Ivy was invited to Full Gospel Assembly to share about Dignity and Services and the programs we offer. The talk was attended by members of the FGA Parents Support Group for parents with children having learning disabilities. Taking this as a good opportunity for self-advocacy, all full-time D&S members attended the event together with Ivy and Helen and we got to meet many parents and their children who had learning disabilities just like us. 

Ivy shared about our history, our current projects and our future aspirations. She then invited Ee Hunt to come up and share his experience with D&S and Ee Hunt shared a very heartfelt sharing about his journey thus far.

It was a new and special experience and we hope to be able to meet with many more communities of persons with learning disabilities and their families to share our experience and learn from one another.

Here are a few pictures of the event.

Ee Hunt sharing about his experience 

Our talk had a very good reception with over 40 parents attending 

Fundraising by PayPal

Less than a month ago, as a joint effort by the different departments in Paypal Malaysia, staff came together to hold a small fundraiser in support of Dignity & Services. 

They very graciously opened their doors to us having a Buka Puasa Bazaar right at their pantry. Small boutique owners sold dresses, sarees and accesories, other staff made home-cooked chicken curry and other delicacies that were all sold out. We were even offered a stall to sell our Bake with Dignity cakes and cookies!

Our nicely decorated booth for the day

Come get our colourful cookies jars now available upon purchase of cookies!

D&S would like to sincerely thank Paypal for their time and support.

Your support helps us go the distance!

A little about Options 2

             OPTIONS is a supported living program run by Dignity & Services with the aim of teaching adults with learning disabilities basic life skills. This concept is based on clear values to help us recognize ourselves as unique individuals capable of making life choices and living independently. These skills are essential especially when our parents or primary caregivers are no longer with us. Options 1 was started in the year 2006 with only 6 members but has since grown to house many more individuals.
             Options 2 was opened in July 2012 with the aim of expanding the reach of the Options program to more individuals with learning disabilities. Despite minor setbacks through the years, Options 2 is now up and going with 6 members joining our program weekly. We are a small group of individuals who come together over the weekend for our overnight stay program. Here we decide for ourselves what we would like to eat, go out grocery shopping to buy all the ingredients, wash, cut and cook meals together, wipe and clean up after we're done, wash our bathrooms and vacuum and mop the floor in our Options home, discuss current affairs and the going-ons in the country, visit places of interest, and go for morning exercises. 

              Options 2 moves at a much slower pace than Options 1. This is important in order to allow us, as individuals to learn and develop without pressure, to learn how to communicate with our peers in our own ways (not necessarily through verbal communication) and to support ourselves and one another in completing daily tasks. Friendships made here are very different from friendships formed outside. We use touch and gestures to communicate, our faces light up at the sight of another friend arriving for the program,  

Here we welcome anyone who would like to be a part of us

Here we do not judge

Here we enjoy companionship 

Here we relate despite our speech difficulties

Here we share jokes without words

Here we share laughter and smiles

Here we love without boundaries

Here we share comfort and tears

Here we do not complain or blame others 

Here we help each other in ways we know how 

Here we are patient and compassionate

Here we help without needing to be asked

Here we look out for one another

Here we lead by example

Here we love.

'The thing about living with any disability is that you adapt, you do what works for you'

Stella Young