Norm McLeod Awards

Randy Jacobson, 2005 Community Inclusion Leadership Award

Living life to its fullest

Donna Desjardins and Randy Jacobson are excited. Tonight Randy is to receive the 2005 Norm McLeod Community Inclusion Leadership Award. The expression on Donna's face is pure joy. The expression on Randy's is "I-can't-believe-I'm-here!" and there is a definite twinkle in the man's eye. He is joking and laughing with Donna as they pull up chairs by the fireplace.

Donna has known Randy for two and a half years, in her various roles on PDD boards and in the community of St. Paul. When she first met him she thought he seemed to be rather shy. Today she calls him, "... the advocate for self-advocates!" Randy's leadership and nurturing skills have become more than evident.

Randy Jacobson (centre) receives the Dreamweaver awards from the Hon. Yvonne Fritz, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports (right), and Betty Thompson, Chair PDD Provincial Board (left).

In his early days, after graduating from the Alberta Vocational School, Randy became dean of the student residence. "The campus was made of just mobile trailers," he recalls. "I organized recreation for the ones staying in residence and became kind of a den mother to them," he chuckles.

Comments Donna, "I think that's where Randy's greatest gift to the community is—he cares for everybody that he touches." Donna turns to him, "Isn't that right, Randy?"

"Well, I like the idea of it," he quips. More laughter.

Randy and Donna relate another tale. A fellow self-advocate was frustrated because he couldn't follow what was being written at the Leadership Training he attended with Randy. He took it upon himself to arrange for literacy tutoring. Randy offered to help the tutor. He developed a series of lettered flash cards to assist the student with his spelling and pronunciation. "As far as his skills … and to get somewhere himself, I feel as though he could do it if he put his mind to it," says Randy.

Yet another of Randy's projects is an effort to establish a Big Brother-style organization in St. Paul. He initially approached the Foster Care Association, but realized they dealt exclusively with people who wanted to take on full-time parenting roles. That's not what Randy had in mind, and so he continues to gradually make contacts and lay the groundwork for his dream. The prestige of the Norm McLeod Community Inclusion Leadership Award may just give this initiative the impetus it needs.

In the meantime, Randy has taken steps to become an unofficial big brother, "I really like the boy and he likes me. He's the sweetest little guy I ever did meet," adding, "I work with his mother, too."

Randy reflects on his personal parenting experience, "My daughter, you know, I gave her a little tough love at home. Today, when I talk to her, gee, I couldn't have a better kid in my life than my own daughter. She had Big Sisters. That just struck me, you know, I'd like to try something like that."

Randy's daughter and her fiancé are with him tonight celebrating the recognition he's about to receive and he decides to return to the ballroom where he left the two of them holding his place at the table.

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