Spot Cares: Spot Cares: Spinal Cord Injury Alberta
Spot Power is a locally owned and operated business dedicated to giving back to the communities that have been supporting them for over a decade. The Spot Cares Program was introduced in 2021 and aims to support organizations doing good in the community. Through the Spot Cares Program, Spot Power will be donating 10% of its net profits from the sale of electricity, natural gas, and Internet service to deserving organizations.
“We are so thankful to the thousands of Albertans who have chosen us as their utility provider. It is because of their ongoing support that we are able to give back to our community in this way.”
- Nick Clark, Director of Spot Power
The Spot Cares program is back, and we are excited to share with you another wonderful organization joining the program: Spinal Cord Injury Alberta (SCI-AB).
Since its inception all the way back in 1945, the organization has spurred major change and helped people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities across the country. The need for services for people with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities is as vital today as it was in 1945. In fact, this need will only continue to expand. It’s forecasted that by 2030, the number of Canadians living with spinal cord injuries is expected to climb to 121,000 people as a result of the ageing Canadian population and more injuries due to falls.
SCI-AB aims to fulfill its mission and deliver the best service possible through an emphasis on five core service areas:
- Client services
- Community development
- Peer programs
- Information services
- Active living
Shaun Dyer is the CEO of SCI-AB. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategic goals for the whole organization. In Shaun’s words, he also has “the privilege of supporting some of the most dedicated professionals I’ve ever worked with. I get to clear obstacles to enable them to thrive, which is the best part of my job.” We talked to Shaun to learn more about SCI AB and the impact of their participation in the Spot Cares program on their organization.
Spot Power (SP): How did SCI AB come about?
Shaun Dyer SD): Founded by war veteran John Counsell in 1945, the Canadian Paraplegic Association (now Spinal Cord Injury Canada) began its work from an office in Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens and sought to improve the lives of soldiers returning from war with spinal cord injuries. Prior to World War II, most people died shortly after a spinal cord injury, and the survivors had few options beyond a veteran’s hospital or a nursing home, neither of which were properly equipped.
In the decades since, Spinal Cord Injury Canada has been a part of substantial change that has helped individuals with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities from coast to coast.
With a “peers helping peers” mandate, the organization now has branches in every province. In Alberta, Pierre Gariepy, another survivor of WWII combat and member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, took up the charge. On February 13, 1961, the Canadian Paraplegic Association Alberta was established. In 2011, we celebrated our 50th Anniversary, followed by the adoption of our new name—Spinal Cord Injury Alberta—to better reflect the population we serve.
SP: What a storied history! Can you tell us more about the work you do?
SD: SCI-AB exists to empower people with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities to achieve independence and full community participation, whatever that looks like for each individual client. To put it a different way, we help people adapt, adjust, and thrive following injury. And really, that’s what everyone deserves: to thrive.
We help people thrive through a myriad of programs and services such as peer-to-peer mentoring, employment support, connecting clients to resources, research partnerships, and rehabilitation at our Neuro Rehab Centre where clients have access to critical rehab tools like our Functional Electronic Stimulation (FES) bike. Because we’re a wraparound support and rehab organization, many clients journey with us for years.
SP: What makes your work so important to the spinal cord injury community?
SD: Spinal cord injuries have catastrophic, life-changing consequences not only for the injured person, but for their families and communities of support. SCI-AB helps people navigate the changes and provides essential support, often at the earliest, acute phase of recovery. We often hear our clients talk about how SCI-AB is a key participant in their care network, along with clinicians, rehab staff, and loved ones.
SP: It sounds like incredibly admirable work. How will partnering with Spot Power and the Spot Cares program help SCI AB? What kind of impact will it have on the work you do?
SD: As a not-for-profit charitable organization, SCI-AB depends on the generosity of its donors and partners to help maintain and expand programs and services for clients. Also, as a community organization serving people across Alberta, it’s essential that we connect to companies like Spot Power, through Spot Cares, as a way to help build networks of support and partnership for our clients. Who knows, the next great hire at Spot Power may be someone in a wheelchair.
SP: We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to partner with you. What’s in store for SCI-AB in the coming years? Is there a specific goal that you are working towards?
SD: We’re excited about the future! SCI-AB has a vision to become the best disability support and advocacy agency in the world. Seriously. Over the next five years, we expect to hit 12,000 client contacts. We’re looking to sustain and expand our Neuro Rehab Centre as a service of choice. We aim to expand our network in rural Alberta, hoping to engage peer supporters in every region of the province.
Spot Cares is proud to support Spinal Cord Injury Alberta by donating 10% of the profits from customers' bills to the organization. Spinal Cord Injury Alberta’s mission is to empower persons with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities to achieve independence and full community participation. We believe it is not enough to adapt and adjust but also thrive. By providing a variety of services across Alberta, we help our clients to accomplish that Join us in helping to give back to the local community by switching over to Spot Power today.