Meet Dwayne – he is the first graduate from our Wednesday night Circle. He wanted to share his own experiences with you;
“I was working two part time and casual jobs when I began Getting Ahead. Those contracts did not give me the stability to get ahead. The time in Getting Ahead taught me basic life skills which I found very valuable- budgeting, time management, as well as understanding our community issues. The group of other people I met were very supportive, and I considered them like family and enjoyed going twice a week. When I went into Circles I really enjoyed the guest speakers we had come in to share information with the group and I learned a lot. I highly recommend this program to everyone struggling.
Through networking at Circles I got my current job with Neighbourhood, Children and Fire Services for the City of London as the Kitchen Coordinator at the Hamilton Road Seniors and Community Centre. I am in charge of all operations in the kitchen such as menu planning, shopping, preparing, determine food costs and budget. I also assist at the front counter greeting people. We have a weekly event on Thursdays that has entertainment and a low cost meal.
My passion is Indigenous cooking and I do catering on the side for Indigenous events and have done classes for students through the board of education in London”.
Dwayne has also had the opportunity to sit on the London for All Poverty Panel. His lived experiences are a pivotal part of systemic change for our community. He is passionate about housing issues, specifically related to our indigenous community. So much so, he is attending the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness Conference with the Poverty Panel to learn more about best practices. We are so proud of Dwayne and celebrate with him in his amazing successes!