Cameron Collects - Cameron has a Business!!!

First Day - Cameron Collects

We have been wanting to create an employment opportunity for Cameron for years but could never find the answers to the multitude of questions - What?  How?  Where?  When? 

Then his support worker had a brilliant idea and Cameron Collects was born.

Cameron Collects is a service to collect recyclable drink containers and recycle them at a Containers for Change WA recycle centre. Cameron has a growing list of businesses and homes that he is collecting from and all proceeds from his recycling goes to Cameron. We will always have a goal that he is saving towards and his first goal is a car. 

Facebook
 www.facebook.com/CameronCollects

Cameron is now 25 years old. He finished school 7 years ago. For seven years he has been a tourist in his own town visiting parks and beaches and tourist locations. He's spent his days visiting shopping centres and eating lunch in food courts. He's sat in libraries to kill time and joined various disability specific groups for social interaction - some good, some not so good. He's danced, drummed, painted and bowled - to his limited ability. But he doesn't always have a reason to get out of bed and embrace the day. Some days he is stuck at home with Mum and some he is dragged around to whatever Mum is doing that day. He hasn't had a purpose. He hasn't had adult plans and goals. He's never rolled out of bed and groaned because it's a work day but he's also never experienced the elation of pay day. 

Cameron's life experience is very different because of his severe brain damage. He still needs 24 hour a day supervision and assistance with every facet of his life - personal care, dressing, toileting, food, communication, safety, interactions, transport. He is one of the lucky meningitis survivors - he learnt to walk, he can eat and drink normal foods, he no longer has any medical conditions (that we know of), he no longer needs any daily medications and he only lost half of his hearing. He is incredibly lucky. You only need to search the hashtag #meningitissurvivor or #meningitis to realize how lucky he is.

But - quality of life is important, mental health is important and these are the areas we have struggled to deal with. There's no manual and no guide book. Cameron is unique, there is not another Cameron so we have to figure everything out for ourselves. 

Instagram
www.instagram.com/cameron_collects 

So this is what we do know - Cameron can carry things and he likes to help people. He loves cars and to go for drives in cars. Cameron loves to meet people and share his Cameron Magic - once you've met him you understand what Cameron Magic is, he leaves smiles and happiness in his wake - despite being non verbal. 

Cameron Collects is perfect for Cameron - he is driving around and helping people, he is carrying containers and when he meets people he spreads a little happiness. He has a purpose and he is contributing to society. We can create meaningful goals for him such as saving to buy a car - something anybody who knows him, knows he will love. 

Twitter
twitter.com/CameronCollects

  

We have registered Cameron Collects as a business and he has an ABN and an excited accountant - who doesn't want to spend his only day off recycling his drink containers. The next step is a logo which we are working on thanks to a special friend and market research from anyone who enters the house. We've created social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and have started posting our achievements over the last month. Cameron has completed two collection days with the support of his support worker and his family and he has started recycling at Containers for Change WA drop off centres. 

We've gone from not having any direction to suddenly having an operating business in less than a month and it's a little overwhelming but Cameron has taken it all in his stride. He loves car rides so driving around the collection route is wonderful for him and he loves meeting people as he collects - he even kissed a baby the first week. He does everything that he can do which is basically carrying bags and boxes to the car. He doesn't have the motor control to empty bins into garbage bags but he waits patiently till he can carry the bag to the car. 

Containers for Change WA
Cameron Collects - Scheme ID
C10382139

His first drop off to a collection centre was educational as we all realized he didn't like the noise of the machines but loved meeting everybody and could carry his containers to be sorted. We've realized that we need several recycling centres in different locations to be able to manage his containers and that relationships need to be developed so that when he arrives each week the situation can be managed so he can cope. It's a steep learning curve at the moment. 

The whole situation is very exciting and evolving by the day - our next business goal is the logo and then to print shirts, caps and car magnets - so we don't feel like burglars each time we stop at strangers houses. We have been blown away with everyone's generosity and support, total strangers sharing Cameron's social media profiles and collecting containers from their friends, family and neighbours for Cameron. We even had to register Cameron for a Containers for Change WA Scheme ID because people wanted to recycle on his behalf. We are deeply humbled and grateful.

Cameron Collects - Ability Not Disability

So here's to a new adventure in Cameron's life. A business. A purpose. Lots of work but wonderful outcomes for Cameron, the environment, his community (he is providing a service) and the disability and meningitis community through increased awareness and understanding. 

Take a look at Cameron Collects social media profiles to follow along on his journey and if you'd like to become one of his registered collections - you can see the areas and days he is collecting on his social media pages - send me a message or email at cameroncollects@iinet.net.au and we'll pop you on the list.