Community Living Mattawa

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1 Community Living Mattawa Vision Statement That all persons live in a state of dignity, have the opportunity for individual choice, and live and participate as valued members of the community. Mission Statement To support people with development disabilities to know, understand and practice their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and to participate fully in their community CLM NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2016 UPDATES & EVENTS Introduction Welcome to Community Living Mattawa s Winter 2016 Newsletter. Enclosed in this edition, you will find articles celebrating the various activities the consumers were involved in during the months of November, December, and January; articles recognizing the dedication and commitment of the members of the Board of Directors; an article that provides an update on our annual Membership Drive; articles recognizing staff achievements and changes; and an article that provides an update on the Ministry of Community and Social Services Transformation initiative. I welcome any comments or suggestions you have for improving Community Living Mattawa s newsletter or the overall services and supports provided by the agency. Please comments to me at david@communitylivingmattawa.org or call (705) Warmest regards, David Spencer Executive Director Community Living Mattawa In an effort to reduce mailing costs, we are trying to change to ing as many newsletters as possible to members and families. If you would like to receive your newsletter electronically rather than receiving a paper copy, please forward your address to me at the address listed below. I hope that you enjoy the newsletter.

2 Consumer News Community Evening at the Papineau Cameron Fire Department Fire Safety On October 15 th, 2015, Shelly and Cynthia took the Bissett Residents to the Papineau Cameron Fire Department for a Community Evening on Fire Safety. There were many home safety displays to investigate as well as the Jaws of Life, Fire Extinguishers, and of course we had the chance to examine the Fire Truck. We also watched The ABC Fire Safety Movie. The evening was very informative and interesting. The Consumers, who attend, had a chance to sit in the Fire Truck. They were very excited and intrigued. Thank you Papineau Cameron Fire Department for a great evening and making us feel so welcome!

3 Consumer News cont d Christmas Float The theme for this year s Christmas float was the Minions. Community Living Mattawa borrowed a trailer from Lisette and Dan Leblanc. The trailer was decorated with colourful lighted trees, garland; clear and multi coloured Christmas lights and a bright Merry Christmas signs. On the night of the Santa Claus parade, Scott and Mike carried the Community Living banner; the float was pulled by Dan Leblanc. The Minions were Scott; Christiane, Dawn, Brett, Larry, David and Sarah and they rode on the float. Natalie and Ron gave out candies along the way. Everyone had a great time and really got into the Christmas spirit.

4 Consumer News cont d Drop In Night 25 people attended the party. There was food, dancing and karaoke. Gilles Pilon volunteered his time to lead the karaoke and was a big hit. Mike assisted with the playing of the music. There was an excellent collection of music played and it had many people singing along to the songs. After the dancing the gifts were presented to everyone in attendance. The person who enjoyed their gift the most was Gord who received a candy cane hockey stick with NHL logos on it. It was a great celebration and it was great to see the smiles on everyone s face. On December 15 th, 2015, the Drop-in Night held its annual Christmas Party. The party was organized by Sharon with assistance from Mariel, Cynthia, Gail, Shelly, and Natalie. Sharon was pleased with the teamwork that took place in successfully putting the party together. In preparation for the party, Sharon and Cheryl went to North Bay to the Dollarama at the Northgate Square. Sharon was pleased to see that the Dollarama had a gift that was personal for everyone attending the party. Sharon likes knowing all of the consumers wishes so that she can purchase the right gift that is personal and special.

5 Consumer News cont d Quilt raffle 4 years ago, Sharon began a Quilting project with everyone who attended the Community Participation Supports Program including Sarah who picked out the pattern for the quilt. They have put in some long hard work making the quilt. In December 2015, the quilt was finally complete. The quilt was then used for a Raffle draw among the staff and Consumers at Community Living Mattawa. The sale of the quilt tickets brought in $ to help with extra activities and outings for the Consumers. The draw was held on December 18, 2015 and the lucky winner was Derek. Derek was very excited and he decided to give the quilt to him Mom for Christmas. Everyone was very pleased with their master piece. Happy Birthday Community Living Mattawa had the honour of celebrating Derek s 30 th birthday on January 5 th, 2016 at the CPS program. Derek celebrated his special day with family and friends. Derek looks forward to coming every day to the Community Participation Supports Program.

6 Consumer News cont d Happy Birthday (Cont d) Community Living Mattawa had the honour of celebrating Dawn s 28 th Birthday on January 5 th, 2016 at Myrt s Restaurant. Dawn celebrated with all her friends and family. They all had a great time. Community Living Mattawa had the honour of celebrating Larry s 58 th Birthday at CPS on January 18 th, Larry loves watching all the big machinery doing their jobs. He finds them very fascinating. Board News Annual General Meeting Community Living Mattawa s Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at our Valois property located at 533 Valois Drive. The meeting was open to members of the Association, employees of Community Living, consumers and their families. The Annual Reports from the Board Chair, the Executive Director, the Accommodations Manager, and the Community Services Manager were presented; the Association s previous year s financials were reviewed; one employee was recognized for her years of service to the Association; and the auditors were chosen for the financial audit. Copies of the Annual Report or the Audited Financial Statements, are available upon request. Please David Spencer, Executive Director, at david@communitylivingmattawa.org.

7 Board News (Cont d) Thank you to Retiring Board Member The Annual General Meeting marked the end of the term for Board Member Caron Murphy. Caron concluded three years on the Board of Directors and served as Secretary of the Board for one of those three years. Community Living Mattawa thanks Caron for her time and dedication to the Board and wishes her well in her future endeavours Board of Directors Community Living Mattawa would like to recognize the 2016 Board of Directors and thank them for volunteering their time to help lead the organization for the next year. The 2016 Board is as follows: Mr. Ben Holst Ms. Tanya Bélanger Ms. Monique Bangs Ms. Amy Morrison Ms. Monique Antoine Ms. Tracy Bellaire Mr. Richard Grenier Board Chair Board Vice-Chair Board Treasurer Board Secretary Board Director Board Director Board Director 2015 Membership Drive Results In October and November 2015, Community Living Mattawa held its annual Membership Drive. The membership drive provides members the opportunity to renew their membership to the Association and continue to support the Vision and Mission of Community Living Mattawa. This year s membership drive resulted in 43 personal memberships and 19 corporate memberships. Membership is always an option for people or corporations, so if you know a person or a business that would be interested in supporting our Association, please let them know about membership. Board Christmas Party The Annual Board Christmas Party was held on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at Myrt s Restaurant. Over 50 people joined the Board of Directors to celebrate the holiday season. Myrt s, once again, put on a terrific turkey dinner buffet with stuffing, potatoes, gravy, vegetables, buns, French fries, and dessert. The Board members delivered gifts to all of the consumers and employees in attendance. It was a great celebration that brought all levels of the organization together.

8 Employee News Employee Recognition Natalie Dumont was recognized at the Annual General Meeting for 20 years of service to Community Living Mattawa. We congratulate Natalie on her achievement and thank her for her dedication to the Association. New Employees Community Living Mattawa welcomes two new employees to the team. Kim Lapierre and Monique Guay joined Community Living Mattawa on January 20, Both Kim and Monique will be working in a variety of programs across the agency. Permanent Regular Part-time Positions Community Living Mattawa congratulates Shelly Condie and Marcie Campbell for being the successful applicants for the recently posted Regular Part-time Support Worker 1 positions. Shelly and Marcie both bring consistency to these positions, which is a great benefit to the consumers. Ministry Updates Ministry of Community and Social Services Update In the December Issue of the Ministry s Spotlight on Transformation publication, the Ministry made the following announcement: Independence, inclusion and choice are principles at the core of our developmental services transformation. They guide every decision we make. With these principles in mind, I am committed to shifting Ontario away from sheltered workshops and towards more inclusive options such as employment and meaningful community participation. And, as a first step, agencies are being directed to not fill any vacancies that occur in sheltered workshops from now on.

9 Ministry Updates (Cont d) Ministry of Community and Social Services Update I recognize that it is vital for the shift to be gradual and person-centred so that there is a smooth transition for the individuals participating in these settings. This is not about taking away supports, and no program will be phased out without appropriate alternatives in place. Instead, agencies will work closely with individuals and families to offer inclusive supports that best meet their needs and preferences. My ministry staff will be engaging with the sector, partner ministries and other key stakeholders in the coming months to carefully plan this transition. Although this is a complex issue with strong views on multiple sides, we are determined to get it right so that people with developmental disabilities have every opportunity for greater choice and inclusion. That said; we know we can shift to more inclusive options. Throughout the province, many agencies have already moved away from the sheltered workshop model. This is consistent with the direction that other jurisdictions across North America and elsewhere have successfully adopted. The shift away from sheltered workshops is not only about employment it is ultimately about greater community inclusion. Jobs are only one of the options an individual can choose to pursue. A person may prefer to focus on community participation, such as volunteering or recreational opportunities. A complete shift away from sheltered workshops will take several years, based on what other jurisdictions have experienced. So while our journey is long, our destination is clear: to build a more inclusive Ontario where people with developmental disabilities can live as independently as possible, fully included in their communities. I am confident we are on the right path. Dr. Helena Jaczek, Minister For more information about this directive or any aspect of the Ministry s Transformation Initiative, the Ministry has provided the following contact information: Ministry of Community and Social Services Community Supports Policy Branch Tel: Toll-free tel: Fax: Toll-free fax: DStransformation.css@ontario.ca Read more about developmental services at

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