Linda Viscardis:  

Wow! Where do I begin. I left Crestwood in 1976 and went to Trent University. My good friend Walter Della Mora introduced me to his cousin Dennis Viscardis, and I knew I would marry him the day we met! I got my B.A. in French and English literature. After graduation in 1979, I got a job at The Quaker Oats Company of Canada - I started out in the mail room, was promoted to the steno pool, was promoted to secretary of the Manager of Distribution and Planning, then was promoted to Warehousing and Inventory Control Co-ordinator. I was responsible for making sure all Quaker product was where it was supposed to be all across Canada, when it was supposed to be there. (If you carry a grudge for not having your oatmeal available from 1979 - 1986, it was my fault!) In 1980, Dennis and I married. In 1984, our daughter Laura was born. In 1987, our son Robert was born. Two amazing children - the millionaire's family! However, Laura was born with multiple disabilities, which put a few wrinkles in our plans. Even now, 26 years later, we have not ironed all those wrinkles out! I left my position at Quaker Oats to focus on helping Laura to learn to talk, walk, etc. It was a lot of work! But very rewarding. Den and I decided Laura would need a sibling, so ... along came Robbie. I became an advocate for our daughter's educational and citizenship rights, which kept me very busy. Then, I became an advocate for our son's educational rights. My work as an advocate caught the eye of organizations across the country. I wrote a lot on the subject of disability, and began doing some adult education on the subject. I was part of a large movement away from institutional thinking about people who live with disabilities. I was responsible for several successful local initiatives, most of which continue today without my involvement. Over the years, when I was not tied so tightly to Laura's needs, I was able to work in various capacities in the community development field. I was Executive Director of a Community Living Association; I was a Team Leader for a community development programme at what is now the Ontario Early Years Centre, and I was a Facilitator for a grassroots group of over 350 families who had a son or daughter living with a disability. Later, I became a journalist, writing for several online news programmes. At the age of 17, our daughter left school to begin her new life. This meant that I was no longer able to work outside the home. So, I began a consulting business - Viscardis & Associates. My focus was, and continues to be, doing all I can to promote a "strong healthy community." Now, I work with an amazing company, as a healthy lifestyle and life transformation coach. I help people who are ready to take full control of their health and their finances to make significant change in their lives. It is truly amazing, and humbling, to see people's lives transform before my eyes! It is so rewarding to see a strong, healthy community growing in front of me!! My Vision: A global community where all people are welcomed and warmly embraced, have reciprocal relationships and participate meaningfully as contributing citizens. When this happens, we will have a strong, healthy community. My Mission: To be a change agent; to encourage and inspire others to discover their God-given potential (physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially), and then to use that potential to inspire others to go out and make change in the world. I am seeking like-minded people who are interested in leaving a positive impact on the world - who would love to leave a legacy of health and wealth to their family, friends and their community. I am looking for people to join me in my mission to change the health and wealth of our "community," one person at a time. I am looking for people with the following characteristics: - faithful - available - teachable - passionate - able to make things happen - a team player - connected - has a heart of service If this sounds like you, and if you are ready to make some changes in your life, I would love to chat with you - to see how we can work together. I hope you all remember me as a person who cared deeply about others, and who did her very best in her studies. Of course, I'm sure people remember me as a very quiet, introverted person who had few good friends and would rather spend time in a good book than at a party. I always wanted to be a secretary when I grew up. My family and friends thought that was a good idea. As it turns out, they were right - I did become a secretary for a while. I was very good at it! But it didn't really fulfill me. Many years ago, I discovered yoga. This is something I absolutely love, and I practise every day. When I am stressed, you'll find me doing meditative poses. I also spend a great deal of time praying, as I have really focused these last several years on my relationship with God. I have two people who made a huge impact on my life: John McKnight: is a world renowned community developer (out of Washington State) who told me that if I surrounded our...Expand for more