Rubi’s progress during her time at Avenue has been transformational. During her early days at Avenue, Rubi preferred to work from a quiet room, spending much of her day removed from the bustle of the hub, as she was very socially anxious.
But now, thanks to Rubi’s own determination and the innovative thinking of support staff, Rubi feels comfortable working in the broader hub among her teammates for most of the day.
Support worker Neale and Markets Team Coordinator Odessa have played an important role in Rubi’s progress, with Neale thinking outside the box to encourage Rubi’s confidence and communication skills – including supporting her to interview staff members for an internal podcast!
Odessa agrees. She finds that Rubi is motivated by independence when it comes to her work in the Markets and Order Fulfilment teams, and the support staff at Avenue are considerate of this.
“We ask Rubi what part of the task she would like to do and which part she would like the staff to do, and this helps Rubi to complete the task better as she knows what barriers her Tourettes presents. For example, when packing an order, staff will help roll the posters into the tube and then Rubi will sign the Avenue card and put the label on,” said Odessa.
Odessa can attest to the leaps and bounds Rubi has made since joining Avenue.
“Rubi hardly now spends time in a quiet room and hangs out with more people, completing some tasks with at least one other person. Rubi is now able to advocate more for herself, for example asking for space when she needs it. Her Tourettes has improved a lot since starting at Avenue.
“Rubi is also more accepting of new people and happy to meet and work with new people,” said Odessa.
Rubi’s progress speaks for itself. She now frequently leaves her comfort zone behind in pursuit of personal growth. She aims to eat lunch with a different person in the hub every day, in an effort to make new friends and enhance her social skills.
Her confidence has increased so much that she’s even learned to answer the phone at the reception desk and take visitors on tours of the hub, lending a hand to Michelle, our community engagement lead.
Rubi still has future goals within her sights. She says she is working towards building the confidence to attend an Avenue Markets stall with her fellow team members, and share in the experience that her work in the hub produces. She would also like to attend an Avenue social.
“I want to go swimming at the pool across the oval,” said Rubi.
For now, Rubi reflects on how far she’s come, and the important things she has learnt about herself. “I’ve learnt that I’m a hard worker and I’ve learnt how to help people,” said Rubi.