Celebrating 10 Years of Friendship: Yves & Erin 

For many people with disabilities, genuine connections are hard to come by. Often, their relationships are the ones with people paid to be with them. ABLE2’s Matching Program matches people with disabilities or “Friends” with volunteer “Allies” based on shared interests, so that they can foster meaningful and intentional friendships based on mutual trust and support. Yves and Erin’s Match is just one of the many Matches that have gained a strong bond through the Matching Program. 

Yves and Erin have been matched since 2014. They share a lot in common, and love getting out into the community on weekends. In the winter, you can find them cheering on the local hockey teams, wandering the malls for exercise, searching thrift stores, or having a coffee and donut at the local Tim Horton’s. However, they love summer the best because they get to enjoy long walks, exploring all the community events, baseball games and boat rides. And Yves will tell you that his favourite activity every year is after the ABLE2 Annual Picnic, when he and Erin pack up and go on a short road trip and spend the night in a hotel. They watch movies at night, sleep in and enjoy breakfast in bed. Yves talks about this trip all year long. 

When asked about their Match, Erin says

“Despite having some of the challenges related to his visual and developmental disability, Yves has such an amazing outlook on life. Nothing gets in his way of wanting to get out and his enjoyment of sporting events or concerts. His laugh and sense of humour are contagious, and he has taught me so much – to enjoy life’s little pleasures and to not let fears or challenges get in the way.  He has very much become a part of my family; he is always welcome for Sunday lunches and Christmas Eve dinners. He has had such a positive impact on my life, and I look forward to many more years of friendship with Yves.”

We asked the staff at his group home about his match with Erin and his main caregiver, Darlene, said

“They are really connected. You don’t see this type of connection very often. Erin is a very special person in Yves’ life. He lights up around her. This relationship definitely works, and we are very keen to support it in any way we can.” 

Yves and Erin’s friendship is proof of the powerful impact that intentional friendships can have, not just on the lives of people with disabilities, but on the volunteers as well. 10 years later, their bond is stronger than ever. Their story is just one of the thousands of stories that ABLE2 has been proud to be a part of over the last 5 decades. 

We invite you to support ABLE2 and join us in empowering lives for 50 more years, so that more individuals like Yves can develop meaningful friendships and build lives of meaning and joy.