The Extraordinary Initiative

13/05/2022

Hello 👋

It’s been awhile but we are still here.

Listening.
Learning.
Reflecting.
Networking.

Following our launch last year many barriers have presented themselves in the form of funding, resourcing and overloaded and fragmented systems as well as myself needing to maintain personal balance with my time whilst I also advocate for my champion son on a daily basis.

Despite these setbacks as a result of the launch I was connected with other like-minded parents with lived experience who are passionate about advocating for change.

Today we had a fruitful meeting with the Queensland Mental Health Commission regarding Systems Advocacy. I was reminded that change takes time but the collective voice that is forming fuels my passion that we can make a difference.

As our Founder states ‘to succumb to the enormity of the problem is to fail the one’.

In the meantime I continue to be connected through this Initiative with champion parents/carers of young people facing distressing and challenging circumstances and I offer my ear, encouragement and knowledge where I can.

Thanks for staying on the journey.

17/03/2022

Director Bobby Rubio said that Float is inspired by his son, who is autistic, and that he identified with the father from the short. Rubio said that the boy from the short is "different from other children" since he can float. He commented that while "the father loves his son wholeheartedly without restriction" at first, this begins to be altered by what the other people say; as a result, he has to choose between deciding they are right and ignoring their thoughts.

This is "Pixar - Float" by Tony Pham on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

11/03/2022

Written by Karen Herson, this op-ed for Entrepreneur shares that groups representing a of perspectives, including people with , outperform those with similar skills.

Herson is the the President and CEO of Concepts Communications, one of our certified Disability Owned Business Enterprises. http://ow.ly/v5P750I9wrx

[ID: Blue background with white quote reading: Taking steps to increase disability inclusion — whether in the workplace, marketplace, supply chain or all of the above — allows businesses of all sizes to benefit from more perspectives on how to innovate and drive change in today’s increasingly diverse world.- Karen Herson, President/CEO, Concepts, Inc.}

11/03/2022

AUTISM THERAPY DOG
This is incredibly generous for someone aged 10 - 18 with Autism!

If you have the time, energy and finances to welcome a dog into your life and believe you would benefit from a Therapy Dog I encourage you to nominate.

NOTE
- Recipient must live within the Moreton Bay or Brisbane City Council (at time of receiving gift)

Applications close 20th March.

April is Autism awareness month!
To celebrate we are donating an Autism Therapy Dog
to a child with ASD!

It costs in excess of $40,000 to raise and train a Therapy Dog.
At this stage NDIS will not fund ASD Therapy Dog's.
As a community we need to support each other, and this is our way of giving back to our incredible ASD community!

If you would like to apply for, or nominate someone, to be the lucky recipient of the beautiful, loving and incredible Miss Elsa, please head to our website www.wholeself.net.au and complete the application form.
Applications close midnight Sunday 20th March 2022

11/11/2021

Farewell and a HUGE Thankyou to our Social Work Placement students Ell & Cathy who were the backbone of establishing this grassroots initiative. All the best with your next girls - you will be an asset to whatever you put your hand to 👏

26/10/2021

👕 You can be on our team!

⭐️Join the TEI movement and support the work we do! Click the link below to get yours now.

This unisex T-shirt is changing the lives of young people living with disabilities and their families. Initially design for the launch The Extraordinary Initiative project these shirts are comfortable and raise awareness and funds for the work we are doing to support young people and their families....

19/10/2021

We loved partnering with Jigsaw last weekend and their amazing trainees 👏

18/10/2021

Let us say an Extraordinary Thank You to Nick and the Team at Chris’ IGA Carina for their generous donation. We are truly grateful for their support in making our Community Launch Event a reality.

https://www.igacarina.com.au/

17/10/2021

And to everyone that came yesterday - thankyou! We loved meeting you and hope you had a wonderful morning in the beautiful sunshine ☀️

17/10/2021

Yesterday was made possible by the Lord Mayor's Community Fund and we are honoured to have the support of .ryan.murphy

17/10/2021

Yesterday was possible because of of the DREAM TEAM made up of 40+ volunteers from
aus Brisbane Students

Setup, Carpark and Packdown team Thankyou!
📸 Thankyou!
All our friendly Hosts & Stall Team Thankyou!
MC .t.biggs 🎤 Thankyou!

And a very special mention to Ell & Cathy our Social Worker Placement students who have been the hands and feet since day 1.

And Event Manager extraordinaire!

Thankyou 👏 👏 👏