Helping achieve personal goals and dreams
50 Years of Community Living
Helping achieve personal goals and dreams.
Rick Harrington, supervisor of community support services with Community Living, stands by as client Steve Ellis dumps more topsoil onto the garden this spring. Community Living starts its 50th year in operation today.
Sarah Frank/North Star file photo
PARRY SOUND - For 26 years, Community Living has helped Sandra Hunt with her banking and grocery shopping. Providing assistance with a few household tasks is one of the many ways the community organization helps those with developmental disabilities maintain normal, full lives.
For 47-year-old Hunt, it means she can live in her own apartment.
"I can do laundry myself, it's just a couple things that I need some help to do," she said, noting she enjoys the time she spends with staff when they come to visit.
Next year, Community Living, which serves 155 people locally, turns 50. Today, the organization holds their 49th Annual General Meeting, officially leading into their 50th year.
The organization, which now helps those with disabilities find work, get the right education, and live well in their homes, began when a group of concerned parents came together to create educational opportunities for their children, said Jo-Anne Demick, executive director at Community Living.
"At the time school was not an option if you lived in Parry Sound and had a developmental disability," she said. "Forty-nine years ago if families looked for supports or services, they were referred to the provincial institutions as no local community services existed."
Demick started out with the organization as a residential worker in the community group home, 33 years ago.
"The whole agency has grown so much since I started," she said, noting when she first started, it was only one group home in town. "Now, we're able to provide a whole continuum of services."
According to Demick, before Community Living, it was normal for those with developmental disabilities to live in institutions - tearing apart families and further leading people to perceive those with disabilities as "different" and "not one of us".
Currently, Community Living provides individualized services, each tailored to the specific needs of those using the organization.
One of the most popular services is the organization's respite care.
"It gives families a break from time to time," said Demick.
Respite care also provides a break for the child or adult with the disability, said Paula Mullen, director of children and youth services at Community Living.
"It also gives the child a break from the family," she said, noting it could give the child a chance to engage in some activities the rest of the family has no interest in. "On the other hand, it gives the other members of the family some time to enjoy activities without the demands of the child or youth with special needs."
One of the year's highlights, is the summer children's camp - allowing all children in the community to interact with each other.
Mullen said the best part of her job is moving forward offering services that promote inclusion - part of the organization's mandate.
"We really want the children and youth to learn the skills that will allow them to be valued, contributing members of society," said Mullen, who describes her job as both challenging and rewarding. "It's always amazing to see the tremendous amount of work families put in to get the right services for their son or daughter - if we can help facilitate that, all the better."
Brad Horne, said people often forget Community Living is an employer in the community, with 85 to 95 employees, including 13 summer students.
"We have part-time jobs, full-time jobs, seasonal - we even had a community cultivator summer position at the Community Garden," He said. "It was a fantastic summer."
Helen Brook has used Community Living since she moved to Parry Sound approximately seven years ago.
Sixty-eight-year-old Brook said a staff member comes Monday to help her with banking and Thursday to help with grocery shopping.
Throughout her years in town, Brook has worked at Dairy Queen and the Georgian Inn, among a few other small jobs.
In her spare time, she loves participating in track and field events.
"I go in the 50 metre and 25 metre runs and the softball throwing event," she said, noting that she is allowed to use her walker in the running events.
"I have met so many nice people at Community Living," she said. "They help me out a lot. Sometimes they bring me some work to do to make some money."
During the summer, those working with Community Living can be seen at The Cabana - the snack shop at Wabuno Beach, or working in the community garden.
Demick said getting those with disabilities involved in the garden allows the individuals to take on a leadership role, contributing back to the community.
"Activities like (working in the garden) give a sense of value and self-worth," said Demick.
Community Living just launched a new strategic plan, detailing the goals and plans for the organization for the next five years.
Demick said she would like to see their employment and volunteer services programs further developed, to allow for more people to participate actively in the community.
"We just really want to allow people to have the best lives they can possibly have," she said. "We want to support every person in achieving their personal goals and dreams."