Meet Jasmine

Jasmine is a caring person who’s taking steps towards her future. She volunteers as a barista at the Salvation Army, helps tutor her younger, home-schooled siblings, and assists her mum Katrina who’s a participant in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) too.

She enjoys drawing art on her phone, taking care of her pet finches and canaries, and nurturing her brood of Araucana chickens and encouraging them to lay their blue eggs (the ones that remind her of Easter).

Jasmine’s thriving at work, where she’s building new skills, and says her employment journey started by chance.

“One day, my support worker and I were out and about, and we came across a Salvos store. We went in and asked if they were looking for a volunteer, and they said yes,” says Jasmine. “That led to my work as a barista.”

“The people there are really friendly and there’s a stack of mini jobs – like sorting clothing and goods that people bring in and serving coffee at the café to customers and volunteers. Any donated items that aren’t intact or can’t be used are sent to Africa to make rugs.”

Jasmine sees her support worker, Sarah, every week. Sarah and Jasmine are a great fit – they like going to the beach, bowling, and visiting the library, and they both enjoy working out too.

They’re currently working together to prepare Jasmine for her future as a driver, starting with learning the road rules and getting Jasmine ready to take the test for her L plates! Hitting the open road will mark a big milestone for Jasmine and her journey towards independence.

Together with her mum, Jasmine's been exploring NDIS therapies and providers – looking at the supports available to help her achieve the goals she’s set for herself.

“The work I’ve been doing has been building my social skills and confidence, and once I’ve built them up a bit more, I’ll explore the next step in paid employment,” says Jasmine. “I’m currently looking at different barista courses.”

And when she can actually squeeze in a break, Jasmine likes to tuck into a pizza and catch up on her favorite reality TV shows.

It’s good to see Jasmine can take that time out to help her reset and thrive even more!

Finished reading? Check out Alan's story here.