Category: Staff and volunteers

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May 25, 2018

Canucks Autism Network (CAN) is thrilled to announce that Robbie Hsieh has joined our office team in the position of Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator.

In this newly-created role at CAN, made possible through a generous multi-year grant from the North Growth Foundation, Robbie will be working alongside volunteers and staff with autism or other identified barriers to employment. This will include creating accessible recruitment processes for new applicants, creating supportive employment opportunities and developing youth and young adult programming focused on leadership and personal development.

To support these new initiatives and the evolution of CAN’s current youth and young adult programs, Robbie will be working in partnership with CAN’s new Youth Advisory Committee (stay tuned for further details on this new committee).

Robbie brings with him a highly extensive background working in CAN programs and a wealth of experience facilitating employment opportunities in the community.  Robbie first joined CAN as a volunteer in 2012. In the six-and-a-half years since, countless children, youth, young adults and families with autism have benefited from Robbie’s enthusiasm and expertise as both a program staff and volunteer.A male child and a male adult pose for a photo on an outdoor field.

Outside of CAN, Robbie previously worked for Open Door Group as Associate Program Director, connecting numerous individuals with disabilities to successful job opportunities.  Robbie is also currently a Social Innovation Fellow at RADIUS SFU, where he is working with other local change makers to address challenges in refugee and newcomer settlement and integration, health promotion, the future of education, and the future of work in Vancouver.

As CAN celebrates its 10th anniversary of creating barrier-free and accessible environments for individuals and families with autism across BC, we are thrilled to be expanding these efforts within our hiring processes.

“I am extremely excited to be joining CAN in this position,” said Robbie. “CAN’s vision is for every individual with autism to be understood, accepted and supported in all community spaces, and I am very excited to work alongside individuals with autism to advance our employment and leadership initiatives to further this vision province-wide.”

Robbie’s work will also extend outside of our walls, as he works with community partners to share CAN’s knowledge about autism in the workplace and facilitate bridging opportunities for community placements.  Robbie has already initiated conversations with a number of community groups and is eager to connect CAN’s volunteers and staff to other exciting opportunities in their local communities.

In all of these activities, Robbie looks forward to working closely with all key stakeholder groups, including CAN’s Youth Advisory Committee, other self-advocates, community partners, and supporters of accessible employment across the province.

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Apr 17, 2018

Every year, Canucks Autism Network (CAN) invites our volunteers to apply for one of four $500 scholarships to access ACT-Autism Community Training workshops.

Applicants are asked to share why they volunteer with CAN and why they want to receive funding for additional autism training.

Among the four recipients this year is Kyle Boyle. Since 2015, Kyle has volunteered in CAN’s Overnight Camps, Skate and Hockey programs, as well as at Fundraising Events, Family Events and in the office. After becoming a CAN support worker, he still continued to volunteer in our programs and events.

Here is Kyle’s volunteer testimonial:

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When I was 10 years old, I used to play hockey in my driveway and pretend I was Markus Naslund. When I went to hockey practice on Saturday mornings, I would pretend I was Trevor Linden prepping for a game. As I grew older, I realized not everyone grows up sharing these similar experiences.

This is why I began volunteering for Canucks Autism Network (CAN).

The most meaningful experiences I have had while volunteering with CAN are found in the small moments. They are in the smiles of the 18 kids stepping onto the ice every Saturday morning.

A youth hockey team and their coaches pose for a team photo.
CAN’s Vancouver Orcas at the 2018 Special Hockey Tournament in Kelowna. Kyle in top row, third from left.

They are the moments when the fastest, most skilled player on the team stops on a clean breakaway and passes to a player lagging behind so he has the chance to score his first goal.

They are in the moments in between plays when you’re learning about your participant’s favourite animal or their fascination with Zambonis.

They are in the moments when parents recognize the CAN logo on your jacket while you stand in line for coffee and tell you how much CAN has impacted their family.

It’s these small moments that make volunteering for CAN such a special and rewarding experience.

From what I can tell, it’s small moments such as these that makes CAN so meaningful for the families too. Earlier this month, I traveled with the Vancouver Orcas (one of CAN’s two adaptive hockey teams) to Kelowna, where they participated in the annual adaptive hockey tournament.

When I was a kid, my father would take me to Tim Hortons after every hockey practice for a chocolate croissant and a chocolate milk. (As you can tell, I love chocolate.) Growing up with sisters, I always looked forward to those moments when it was just me and my old man.

During the tournament in Kelowna, I had the privilege of having a long conversation with one of the hockey dads. He told me how he shares a similar tradition with his son – Timbits after every CAN practice. His son’s favourite? Chocolate.

For me, spending time with my dad was the best part of playing hockey. It is so humbling to be a part of making that experience a possibility for CAN families too.

It is amazing to see how CAN impacts families beyond the successes on the ice. Every week at CAN, I get to see the enormous impact that the proper level of support can have on a child with autism. And as a graduate student at UBC, I get to look forward to how my experience at CAN will benefit my future career in health care. Having developed the necessary skills to support children with autism, I hope that I can – at least in part – fill a gap in the healthcare system in BC. Be a missing puzzle piece, if you will.

Although I was asked to share my own personal experience volunteering, CAN has never been about the individual. As such, I contacted other members of CAN’s volunteer family and asked them what the bright green Canucks Autism Network volunteer shirt means to them.

I’d like to share a few of those comments. One individual said, “it represents giving hope for children with autism to play sports and be involved in their community.”

Another said “dedication, passion, positivity, and the burning desire to make a difference in the lives of children and families living with autism.”

For me, it’s ensuring that every kid in CAN’s hockey program gets to step on the ice and pretend they’re Bo Horvat or Brock Boeser. It’s helping facilitate the bond between a father and son that hockey can make possible.

And for all the participants in CAN programs, I hope that when they see the green volunteer t-shirt, it means that they see a friend.

Kyle at Overnight Camp in 2015 — his first experience volunteering with CAN.

Learn more about volunteering with CAN at canucksautism.ca/volunteer.

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Mar 8, 2018

Over ten years ago, Katy Harandi gathered around a kitchen table with Vancouver Canucks Co-owners Paolo and Clara Aquilini and envisioned an organization that could provide recreational opportunities and a community of support for families living with autism.

As parents of children with autism, Katy, Paolo and Clara shared an understanding for the struggles associated with an autism diagnosis. It was with this desire to support other families living with autism that Canucks Autism Network (CAN) was formed.

On March 8, International Women Day, we recognize the decade of strong leadership that our invaluable President and CEO, Katy Harandi, has provided to our growing organization. Her spirit, compassion and infectious “I CAN” attitude has inspired a team of hundreds to create a space where every individual with autism can be understood, accepted and supported.

But before leading CAN, Katy’s commitment to those with autism began at home. Motivated to create a better life for her daughter with autism, she researched the field extensively, investigating a wide range of treatments for autism. And in order to supervise her daughter’s at-home support, she underwent countless hours of training from specialists and therapists.

Beyond her personal motivation to better understand autism, Katy was driven to create positive change in the lives of other families with autism, as well. With an MBA from UBC Sauder and a background in computer science, Katy’s acumen and solution-driven mindset have propelled CAN since day one.

A woman holding a mic speaks on stage.

After overseeing the process of becoming a non-profit society and registered charity, Katy and the Aquilinis set about obtaining funding from the Canucks for Kids Fund. In its inaugural year, CAN offered one soccer program at what was then GM Place and an autism awareness curriculum for elementary schools in the Lower Mainland.

From 2008-11, Katy served as CAN’s Chair of the Board, guiding the organization in its formative years as a small, grassroots charity. By 2012, CAN developed the capacity to fill over 2,700 annual program spots in weekly sports lessons, day camps, overnight camps and family events.

But during a critical time in CAN’s 10-year history, we were faced with a vacant Executive Director position. Katy was selected to assume the position of CEO on an interim basis.

What many may not know is that for one year, Katy donated her time in this executive position. While the Board searched for a permanent replacement, Katy represented an extreme rarity in the executive world – a volunteer CEO.

Needless to say, her selflessness and unwavering commitment is what inevitably made her the appropriate choice to assume the permanent position of President and CEO.

But regardless of her title – whether it be Chair of the Board, President, CEO or volunteer – it is Katy’s steadfast leadership since our inaugural year that has allowed CAN to influence the thousands of families with autism that benefit from our programs today.

A girl runs while holding a ball. A woman runs behind her.

Outside of CAN, Katy also serves as President of PALS Autism Society, another non-profit in Vancouver that provides school and adult programs for individuals with autism. It should come as no surprise that she has been a nominee for the YWCA Women of Distinction Award and a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to Canada.

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the countless women like Katy who have dedicated their time and efforts to individuals and families living with autism across BC. They are on our board and in our office, guiding and coordinating our efforts. They are in our programs, delivering support in gyms, arenas, pools and fields. They are at home, providing unconditional love and care.

Thank you for leading the way.

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Oct 6, 2017

“As a student-athlete, I recognize that I am extremely fortunate for all the enjoyable experiences I have had playing sports in my life. I want to do what I can to help children with autism gain some of these lifelong memories too.”

When Kyle McComb joined the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) as a volunteer this past June, he shared these incredibly inspiring words with us.

It is no surprise that after a summer supporting our Multisport and I CAN Bike day camps, he is our selection for CAN’s Exceptional Volunteer Award!

At the end of each season, we choose one volunteer who has truly gone above and beyond in their support for both staff and participants within our programs. A varsity baseball player for UBC, Kyle combined a clear passion for sports and giving back to his community to completely blow our staff away this summer.

Daily briefs with program staff consistently highlighted Kyle’s enthusiasm and natural ability to engage the kids:

“Kyle used clear language and always modeled for the participants what he needed them to do – showing the skills, in addition to telling.”

“He jumped right in! His energy is fabulous.” 

“Kyle jumped in as a coach and did amazingly well leading the entire softball station! In addition to demonstrating the skills with clear and simple instructions, he made sure to use our visual toolkit with the group as well!”

For more tips on engaging individuals with autism in a sports and rec environments, please visit our Helpful Resources webpage!

This Fall, Kyle returns to his busy schedule at UBC as a student-athlete. But as soon as his availability allows, he looks forward to continuing to make a difference in his new staff role as a CAN support worker.

For our participants to have athletes like Kyle to look up to is such an incredible benefit to our programs. Kyle’s genuine enthusiasm for making a difference in his community is representative of so many of the volunteers that CAN is lucky to have.

Each year, we benefit from over 600 volunteers that compassionately and generously donate their time. Whether it’s handing out CAN bracelets at a community info table or demonstrating the perfect swing of a bat in our Multisport program, we could not do what we do without volunteers like Kyle.

A huge thanks to Kyle and every CAN volunteer that makes our programs possible.

For more information on volunteering with the Canucks Autism Network, please visit our Become a Volunteer webpage!

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