Local businesses including Providing All Living Support (PALS) and Yarrawonga Pet Resort have joined forces to provide some local NDIS customers, in particular Meagan Lawless with a job opportunity.
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PALS Disability Support Worker Hannah Panter had been looking for suitable work experience for her NDIS customers for a number of weeks before she found the perfect fit at the Yarrawonga Pet Resort.
“Meagan Lawless is my NDIS customer who I work with two days a week. Carol and Peter, Meagan’s parents, wanted to give Meagan more independence, sense of identity and normality,” Hannah said.
“During my time at PALS, I have ‘pounded the pavement’ for three weeks straight trying to find suitable work experience for my NDIS customers but it is hard to find anything suitable locally.
“Yarrawonga Pet Resort were extremely welcoming and open to having Meagan on board with them. Chase straight away jumped on getting Meagan her very own work shirt and making her feel right at home.
“Eliza made it so easy to organise the placement between herself and I.
“When around animals, Meagan is a completely different person, she opens up, laughing and joking with the dogs and cats. I have never seen her so happy before.
“Having a sense of identity, and a safe place she can go to for some work experience means the world to everyone around Meagan.
“Pet Resort is an extremely tidy, well run and friendly place to go and I highly recommend it to anyone. It allows Meagan to have something to be proud of and she has a work bag where she has her own toys for the animals.
“Meagan completes jobs such as dog walking, playing with the cats, playing fetch with the dogs and filling up the water bowls and she loves it all.”
Meagan herself expressed the aspects of work that she enjoys.
“The cats and dogs miss me when I am gone,” Meagan said.
“I like walking Emma the dog, feeding the dogs and patting the cats. I like going to work.”
Meagan’s parents Carol and Peter Lawless have loved the experience Meagan is undergoing as they can see how much she enjoys it and said they are grateful that she has been given the opportunity.
“It is heart-warming to see Meagan so happy and excited after coming home from work,” Mum Carol said.
“Going to the Pet Resort breaks the normal routine at home and gives her something to look forward to.
“Meagan has a real affinity with animals and has a cat named Dancer. She also loves to feed carrots to the goat Fergus and alpaca Beatrice.
“Our sons dog Willow is here every day and Meag is often seen patting her and talking to her.
“This opportunity is giving her a feeling of a sense of achievement of helping others,” added father Peter.
“It is fantastic of the pet resort to agree to take Meagan on and then for them to become more aware of what they have to offer people with a disability.
“Having photos of Meagan taken at the pet resort has given us and others prompts to talk about with Meagan, and they have also given Meagan a work shirt to feel part of a workplace.
“We would like to acknowledge Meagan’s support worker Hannah for perusing this opportunity and hopefully other workplaces will get on board to realise the many benefits of becoming involved with PALS and clients – that they have much to offer as others.
“From our point of view, we are really excited and appreciative of how many people in our community are willing to offer something.”
PALS Yarrawonga Team Leader Chris Panter offered thanks to a number of local businesses who have accepted a number of NDIS customers to complete work experience with them.
“PALS extends their greatest appreciation to Yarrawonga Pet Resort, Yarrawonga IGA, InFrame and TunzaFun Mulwala for allowing our customers to complete work experience with them,” Chris said.
“If any business’ in the local area would be open to welcoming a person with disabilities to doing some work experience with them, please contact head office on 5862 2641.”
