Cameron Collects

Cameron Collects 2023

It's been a while since I have updated you on where we are at with Cameron Collects. To say the last two years have been a roller coaster on a merry go round, spinning backwards might just about describe this incredible journey we're on. But we have hung on for the ride through covid, heat, rain, van breakdowns, cockroaches and ants and we are still smiling. 

Creating Cameron Collects is one of the better ideas I have had. We had no idea the difference starting this business would make for Cameron. In two years we have seen Cameron's confidence grow, his strength improve, his fine and gross motor skills improve, his attempts at language increase, his balance and spatial awareness improve, his ability to predict and prepare for consequences improve. The list goes on and on. 

Cameron is proud to have a business, he is proud to put on his work shirt and hop into his work van. He loves meeting his collectors and he loves catching up with the staff at Containers for Cash Mandurah, when he recycles. On days when he doesn't work it's not unusual for him to point at the clock and sign work to me because he doesn't want to stay home anymore.  

Cameron Collecting 2022

Cameron is still Cameron. He's still cheeky, he will go off and chat to collectors and leave me or his support worker to do all the dirty work but we let him do it because it's building his independence and confidence. He can now lift heavy bags and walk decent distances with bags full of drink containers. He laughs when I wipe my beer covered fingers on his shirt and sings along to songs on the radio with me  without a care in the world. 

He works 4 days a week now, sometimes 5 if we add in extra collections on weekends for difficult or large collections. And he has a community of collectors who care about him and support him, collecting their containers and leaving them out for him to collect. He also has a growing community of business owners supporting him. 

As a business we set ourselves goals to provide a reliable service to Cameron's collectors, so if we say he is going to collect we do everything possible to collect. This has proved difficult at times with covid putting me in bed for weeks and Cameron on the couch for a week. And then there has been CC - Cameron's work van. 

The Cameron Collects Van - CC 2021

CC is over 20 years old and had seen a lot of life when we bought her. Since she joined Cameron Collects she's seen a whole lot more life, often sloshing with beer dregs and cockroaches trying to hide as we've driven thousands of kilometres. She has introduced me to tow truck drivers, the lovely telephone operators at RACWA and the mechanics at Mandurah Mazda. She has been off the road so many times I've lost count and earlier this month I had to make the heart breaking decision to retire her because the costs of repairs were no longer justifiable. 

CC's retirement gave us reason to pause and contemplate the journey we've been on, and whether we want to continue. Without hesitation the family agreed we couldn't stop Cameron Collects, it has to continue.  It's hard work both physically and administratively but what we have created and what it has done for Cameron makes it all worthwhile. So we are going to continue to work hard, save and buy another van but this time a new van so it's more reliable. In the meantime the trusty station wagon that we started in is back doing collections again except this time I now have no car when Cameron has the station wagon (My Little Angel now has her licence and our car) and I am wondering how I used to fit all the collections in the station wagon - we have a lot more collectors now. 

I am so grateful for all the support we've received for Cameron as we've created Cameron Collects. If I thanked everyone personally the list would go on and on but here are a few special mentions: Containers for Change WA, Containers for Cash Mandurah, Mastec, Mandurah Mazda, Glenn Longmire & Associates, all of Cameron's collectors both home and business collectors, Cameron's Drop off Point collectors, Cameron's support workers, our supportive family and friends, the WA Containers for Change community and a special new supporter Duncan. An extra special mention has to go to Cameron's support worker Angela - we couldn't do it without her. As her name suggests, she's our angel. 

Please don't send your drink containers to landfill. If you live in WA please recycle them through Containers for Change WA and if you live in the Perth or Peel regions consider letting Cameron collect them so we can show everyone that people with disabilities have abilities and can work too. 

If you'd like to keep up with our Cameron Collects news we have a Facebook page: Cameron Collects