Surrey carpenter teaches trades to people with developmental disabilities

When Jim Hobbs first introduced one of his students to a skill saw, he watched her recoil at the noise. Five minutes later, she was cutting scrap plywood and the two were having a great time.

Hobbs, 35, is a general contractor and carpenter from Surrey who volunteers as a host with Kudoz, an organization that connects people with cognitive and developmental disabilities, also known as kudoers, with hosts who have a skill or hobby to share. 

Volunteers create an online profile describing themselves and the activity they offer, and participants sign up to spend one-on-one time.

Participants are primarily 19 years and older and have varying degrees of ability. Andie Froese, engagement curator at Kudoz, said many have goals they are working toward —  such as using transit independently or applying for their first jobs.

Hobbs has volunteered for four years and gets together with participants to teach them how to build a birdhouse with pre-cut pieces he brings for the two of them to assemble. If a participant is interested in doing more, Hobbs will show them how to use his power tools and, in some cases, take them to one of his job sites to look around.

Mutual learning

"We get together and have an amazing time," Hobbs told Stephen Quinn, host of The Early Edition. "And it's not just about experience, it's about learning too," he said.

That learning, says Hobbs, goes both ways.

Hobbs said spending time with participants has shown him "new ways to communicate with people now on site and in my personal life." He told Quinn the experience has even had an impact on his own professional life.

He said it's taught him how to be a better communicator after being on job sites where previously he would just "bark, bark, bark" all the time at the crew.

Hobbs encourages others to sign up and share what they can with participants. The Kudoz program attracted him because the commitment time is flexible. Participants and teachers connect online and find a time that works with their schedules to spend time together.

Froese said the organization is always looking for new hosts and Kudoz is open to offering a wide-range of activities and skills. Participants can choose from a large menu of options that include: cycling, martial arts, cooking, sewing, burlesque dancing, town tours, first aid and card playing.

To hear the complete interview with Jim Hobbs click on the audio link below:

Get What You Give is a new feature on The Early Edition that highlights volunteers all around the Lower Mainland making a difference in their communities. If you have a similar story, we'd love to share it. Why do you love to help others? And how has volunteering improved your life? Send us an email at earlyed@cbc.ca