“In a world where you can be anything, be KIND.”

To Cherilyn Sharkey, these words on her email signature are more than an inspirational quote. They’re words that she lives by every single day. In her role as Public Relations Manager for the Camrose Association for Community Living (CAFCL), Cherilyn knows just how powerful kindness can be and how it can positively impact lives.

Cherilyn also knows that kindness can come from understanding and education. It’s something she has experienced firsthand during school presentations by CAFCL individuals. One individual with cerebral palsy does a presentation on body confidence. “It's cool for the kids to see the things that she can do, like bowling and swimming, even though she's in a wheelchair,” says Cherilyn.

CAFCL is a registered non-profit charitable organization dedicated to assisting people with disabilities, people with acquired brain injury and families facing barriers to healthy child development. From housing to day camps to education and community outreach, CAFCL does it all. They even have an inclusive community choir, SingAble, in partnership with the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus.

With such a robust offering, CAFCL is able to maintain and expand their programs through a mixture of government funding and fundraising. When Cherilyn started at CAFCL 10 years ago, her main job was planning and organizing the Charity Auction—their biggest annual fundraiser—that she continues to spearhead today. Due to the pandemic, the past couple of years has taken the auction online as a virtual event. But Cherilyn knows she can count on her community’s support.

“We have such a good group of faithful sponsors—people who are behind us every year. I send an e-mail and they send me a cheque…even after telling them that we're not doing an in-person event,” she says. “I appreciate them so much.”

Throughout her years at the CAFCL, Cherilyn has often witnessed the power of kindness in action. One of her favourite examples happened a few years ago during the organization’s #Accepted campaign. Craig, a CAFCL’s client who volunteers with the local Camrose Kodiaks junior hockey team had been featured in the campaign with a couple of Kodiaks players. Craig was scheduled to make an onstage appearance at the Charity Auction, so Cherilyn contacted the team to see if a couple of the Kodiaks could join him on stage. That evening, the whole team showed up.

“It was a really powerful moment,” Cherilyn says. “Our vision is that each person is an accepted and participating community member… We want people to know that they're included in our community and we want them to be able to give back when they can.” 

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