Inclusion Selkirk gets a helping hand on way to next phase of Eveline Project
A couple of weeks ago Inclusion Selkirk made a major announcement about future plans for phase two of its new multi-use building which will be located beside their current Wishme business on Eveline St.
In the excitement of the announcement and the major donation that was made that night, a smaller donation was also made by Linda Paluck, Merv Gunter and Tricia Geurts. The three siblings made a generous, $10,000 donation, on behalf of their brother Terry Gunter who passed away earlier this year.
Terry was a resident of Inclusion for many years and this was a way for the family to continue to support them.
“Terry’s always been special to us in our family,” said Paluck.
Terry was born double breach and because of that difficult start had limited mobility and limited ability to communicate.
He spent time at the Manitoba Development Center when he was young but in 1984 was able to come back to Selkirk as part of the Provincial Coming Home program.
“They didn’t think anybody handicapped would be able to live in the community. Mom actually fought with them. They finally brought Terry home and she sat there and listened to them. I was there. He turned in his chair, and I said, ‘You want to go upstairs and listen to your music?’ And he said, ‘Yeah.’ They couldn’t believe it. It was that meeting that made them realize that maybe he could live in the community,” said Paluck.
He came into our community and lived in a residence that was first part of Community Living and then Inclusion Selkirk.
When he came to live in Selkirk he came with three other residents and the family says that he enjoyed living here.
“He was able to work in the day program and felt like he accomplished stuff. He was happy in his home. We’re pleased with Inclusion Selkirk because they are careful about the people they hire and make sure that they are good with the people that they’re going to support. Terry was happy there and he was able to be closer to home and able to join us for everything he wanted to,” said Paluck.
Terry’s brother Merv described Terry as someone who went through many setbacks in his life but never quit.
“Inclusions Selkirk, especially under Maria [Freeman]’s leadership, has been a wonderful place for him to be He was in a day program. He had his family in the residents and also had his immediate family. Like Linda said, he was the center of our family, and we were all devoted to him and he responded to that. I think that that’s what carried him through and it was the best place in the world for him to be,” said Gunter.
Terry’s life has been a great inspiration to his family not only in their advocacy for Terry directly but by inspiring them to help others. Gunter is involved with Continuity Care which helps aging parents plan for their children’s future and Paluck has been on the board of Inclusion Selkirk for several years. His mother also was on the board for many years.
This care and devotion that Inclusion Selkirk’s staff and administration gave to Terry is one of the reasons that the siblings made this generous donation on behalf of Terry.
“The care was purely like it was family. I mean, you can’t ask for more than that. If Inclusion Selkirk can provide that environment for our brother, that’s what they’re doing for other families. They’re just doing all the right things the right way for that community and so, we should extend your support to help them to grow and do more of that,” said Gunter.
