If you stopped by Something Beautiful Café on April 2, you may have noticed Cory, Joan and Brett’s cheerful faces as they greeted you at the door.
In honour of Autism Awareness Day, the trio sold handmade keychains and used the opportunity to help educate the community about autism. All three are participants in Community Living Interlake (CLI), an organization that supports individuals living with intellectual disabilities.
Charlotte Gauthier, CLI day program manager, said many participants enjoy making keychains — and even more so, showing them off.
“The individuals are so proud of their work and enjoy sharing it with the community,” she said.
The keychains feature colourful beads and a special autism emblem.
Each one stands out for its vibrant design and is uniquely crafted by a CLI participant. Every keychain comes with a personal autograph signed on the back of an info card.
Joan said she enjoys being creative with the beads and it takes her about 30 minutes to design each one.
“People should come to Something Beautiful and see them. They will want to buy them because they are really nice,” she said.
CLI participants rotate their keychain display every month, often designing new creations to reflect specific disability awareness days or months.
Raising awareness is an important part of the initiative, Gauthier said, because it promotes inclusion in the community.
Keychains sell for $12.50 each, with all proceeds going back to CLI to help fund participant activities and purchase supplies for future creations.
