Community Living Cambridge Newsletter Spring 2020 Edition

Inspire Possibilities

Photo by Kelly Wylie

Music Therapy

By Kelly Wylie The staff and participants at ADP are excited to welcome Mariah Story! Mariah has kicked off a brand new music therapy program at Community Living Cambridge two days a week which has been a huge success!

Mariah has made great connections with all who are participating and they eagerly anticipate their sessions each week.

Mariah Story

I N T H I S I S S U E

Mariah is an accredited music therapist, earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2019.

She completed her music therapy internship at Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, Ontario, where she honed a personcentered, resource-oriented, and humanistic approach to music therapy in a mental health setting.

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Welcome 2020! Bye 2019 a year in review time for reflection...

AGENCY NEWS SPRING 2020 EDITION Music Therapy P.01 A brief note from the E.D. P.02 Music Therapy continued P.03 Daytrip, AGM, Board news P.04 Advertising P.05

Community Networks P.06 Community Networks P.07 Santa Parade P.08 Elvis Christmas Show P.09 Christmas & Halloween P.10

Thanksgiving P.11 Ken Heard & SOO P.12 Special Olympic Athlete P.13 Stop the Spread P.14 Volunteer Appreciation P.15 160 Hespeler Rd. Cambridge, ON

A B r i e f N o t e f ro m T h e E x e c u t i v e D i re c t o r Greetings to you all. I write to you today as Interim Executive Director, having recently retired from the role of Director of Finance for 10 years. Our Board of Directors is undertaking an executive search at this time. I must share that this has been a most rewarding and challenging experience, particularly during this worldwide COVID-19 outbreak.

I want to assure each of you that Community Living Cambridge is diligently working to flatten the curve of COVID-19, and to prevent any spread within our agency. We are committed to keeping our participants and staff healthy while maintaining our high quality of support during this time. We have implemented a number of active screening protocols, and we are continuously refining our strategy and safety plan in the event there is a confirmed case within our organization. We are working with our sister agencies in the region, our partners at the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services, and the Region of Waterloo Public Health to determine and implement best practices of prevention and care as we prepare for any potentiality. In keeping with the directive from both the federal and provincial governments, our main office and satellite program spaces (Franklin Centre and ADP) have been closed, and all staff relocated to either support residentially or continue their administrative duties from home. Should you require any support, have any questions, or have resources to offer, please call 519-623-7490 and leave a message or email info@clcambridge.ca. Phone and email messages are being checked and returned hourly. Thank you for your continued support of this agency and the people it supports.

I wish you all good health during this challenging period.

Cindy Mackay-Musso Executive Director “There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.� Charles Dickens

A heartfelt thanks to the Staff of Community Living Cambridge, the work you do is inspirational!

We are in this together during these unprecedented times. As we work and adapt day by day navigating through the COVID-19 Pandemic, we wanted to convey how much we appreciate the work of our dedicated staff!

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Music Therapy “Mariah strives to challenge and upend systems that perpetuate discrimination and stigma..�

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Her clinical experience extends to children and adults with developmental and cognitive disabilities and long-term care. She is also an adapted music teacher through KiJengle: Inclusive Music Education & Music Therapy, teaching piano, guitar, and ukulele to a variety of students with exceptionalities.

Photos by Kelly Wylie and Pam Singh

As a practicing music therapist, clinician, and teacher, Mariah strives to challenge and upend systems that perpetuate discrimination and stigma. She is passionate about empowering others with musical tools in order to reinforce growth and restore agency. Mariah’s work embraces the holistic effectiveness of music, recognizing its impact on emotional, psychological, and physiological well-being.

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COMMUNITY LIVING CAMBRIDGE

ACTIVITY GUIDE COMMUNITY LIVING CAMBRIDGE

We regret to inform you that all Day Trips have been cancelled or postponed in response to the State of Emergency declared by Ontario.

In light of the government mandated measures to curb the spread of Covid19, and ensuring the best interests of our participants, staff, hosts and community, are prioritized that we ask for your patience and understanding!

For more information about refunds please Kerri Galvao at kgalvao@clcambridge.ca

COVID-19 CAUTION The best advice is to follow the measures outlined by our federal government. The information can be found here https://www.canada.ca/en/publichealth/services/diseases/2019-novelcoronavirus-infection/preventionrisks.html.

Education on this is important.

Happy Easter

Sunday, April 12, 2020

66th Annual General Meeting Wednesday, June 10, 2020 (further updates to be provided) Paragon Banquet Hall 15 International Village Drive, Cambridge ON We request the attendance of the membership to conduct business.

Doors open at 5:30 pm Meeting commences at 6 pm Call 519-623-7490 for more information

Community Living Cambridge Call for Nominations for 2020-2021 Board of Directors CLC is looking for individuals to serve on our Board of Directors.

Successful applicants will support our mission and ideally will have background experience in construction/building maintenance, sales and marketing, investments, fundraising and not for profit, city/ municipal. Board members are elected to a two-year term.

Nominations for Election to the Board of Directors must be received

by April 20, 2020 (to be determined). or more info please contact Cindy Mackay-Musso, Interim Executive Director at 519-623-7490 ext.

2226 or by email at cmackay-musso@clcambridge.ca This is an opportunity to join a growing agency that supports 500 individuals, employs 350 staff and has a 65 year history of quality services and involvement in the city of Cambridge.

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Happy birthday Tifanny Hilker!

By Jennifer Bennett Tiffany is turning 30 in May! An event will be held for her but the date is yet to be determined. Come by and wish her well.

Soon there’ll be a party!

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Community Networks Employee spotlight!

by Joe Sousa, SES Job Coach

Robert Stinnett at Dare Foods At the time of writing this article, Community Living Cambridge is celebrating its third anniversary of an employment partnership, which is successfully employing nine individuals in full time positions at Dare Foods.

One individual that stands out from this group is Robert Stinnett. Robert has been at Dare since November 2018. In September of 2019, when Dare Foods decided to expand its co-pack operations to include three shifts, Robert volunteered to be the first employee to leave his day position and start working the midnight shift. Six months later, Robert reports that it was indeed the right decision for him and his lifestyle.

An added bonus is that there are far fewer staff on this shift and therefore he has been able to take the lead on many of the duties and show that he can be trusted with more responsibility. Congratulations to Robert for being an outstanding employee and we wish him continued success.

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS OUTING

by Jane Spina, Community Connections Job Coach Here we are again in the middle of the winter.

To beat the winter blues and spend some time connecting, Community Connections participants enjoyed a night out at Play with Clay.

Everyone chose a ceramic piece to paint and glaze. It’s amazing to see how different the colours are after they are fired.

Creativity reigned with works of art ranging from artistic plate painting to brightly coloured unicorns. A great time was had by all.

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Let’s take a look back in 2019 ...

Volunteer Appreciation: Community Participation Supports (CPS) Action Squads Appreciated For Their Efforts

by Joe Sousa SES Job Coach

On Thursday, September 19th, two teams from the CPS Action Squads were invited to the annual Community Support Connections, Volunteer Appreciation Dinner held at Bingemans Conference Centre. Guests were treated to a catered meal, door prizes, and awards of recognition for those who have reached milestones of service.

The Action Squads are groups of approximately four individuals who collectively volunteer their services, with the support of a job coach, at various charitable organizations in the community. Currently there are four squads, with volunteering happening once weekly.

Employment Facilitation Network Awards Breakfast

by Jane Spina Community Connections Job Coach October 10th, 2019 was the 14th Annual Cambridge Employment Facilitation Network’s breakfast at the Galt Country Club honouring community employers who have gone the extra mile in hiring individuals with barriers to employment.

This year Community Living Cambridge was proud to nominate Orangetheory Fitness Cambridge as an inclusive employer in hiring Rachelle Bast as a maintenance staff. Rachel enjoys her job helping to keep the building

Alumni Award winners pose with our hard working job coaches.

clean for all members, and she really appreciates all her coworkers.

Other past nominees who are alumni employers in attendance were Wendy’s, Swiss Chalet and Harvey’s.

We are proud to partner with all these exceptional employers who really shine and are open to providing opportunities to help people connect and help provide new opportunities within the community.

Orangetheory Fitness owners Joe and Katie Todd accept the Employer Recognition Award with employee Rachel Bast (centre).

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CLC & AMJ Campbell’s Nightmare Before Christmas

by Amy Valletta Director of Community Participation Supports

This year’s Santa Claus Parade themed float, Nightmare Before Christmas, was created in partnership with AMJ Campbell Moving and Storage Solutions.

The float, which represents Jack looking into both Christmastown and Halloweentown, was built by Community Living Cambridge participants, staff, and volunteers at the Franklin Centre! The 6-month long project highlights the beautiful intricacies of the two towns and, as Jack realized in the movie, shows that both are perfect just the way they are and do not need to be replicated in the other.

The night of the parade the float was filled with staff, participants, volunteers and supporters of Community Living Cambridge. Their message to everyone was that regardless of where you’re from, Halloweentown or Christmastown, be proud of who you are and the gifts you offer to those around you!

AMJ Campbell and Community Living Cambridge won the award for Best Community Float, which was presented by The Steele Group.

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THE ELVIS CHRISTMAS SHOW AT BINGEMANS SHOWPLACE

by Amy Valletta Director of Community Participation Supports

We had an excellent turnout to see the Elvis Christmas Show at Bingeman’s Showplace on December 11, 2019.

This performance was a sold out show with over 90 individuals from our agency attending. Everyone enjoyed a buffet lunch that included bread/rolls, a variety of salads, two hot entrees, potatoes, vegetables and an excellent assortment of pies and cakes for dessert. Jay Zanier “Elvis” had a voice that brought the house down and a number of Elvis enthusiasts up to their feet to dance the afternoon away.

If you are interested in attending a CLC Recreation trip like this please make sure you are registered to receive the quarterly Activity Guide for information. Contact Kerri Galvao at kgalvao@clcambridge.ca to begin receiving day trip information. Register early to reserve your spot for all Activity Guide trips. You must provide your own support in order to attend. Remember that if you receive Passport dollars the CLC daytrips are an approved event.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the 2020 Community Living Cambridge Day trips!

Thank you to Laura Barroso of Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School, for designating Community Living Cambridge, as your charity of choice!

Laura is the recipient of the France-Anne Sweeny “Making A Difference” Fund in and donated $200 to Community Living Cambridge in Dec. 6, 2019.

Congratulations Laura and all the best in your future endeavors and wonderful work! You have made a difference in helping build an inclusive community for people with developmental disabilities!

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Participant Christmas Dance and Halloween at Franklin

by Amy Valletta Director of Community Participation Supports

May your days be merry and … full of dancing!

On Wednesday, December 4 CLC hosted its annual Participant Christmas Dance at the Newfoundland Club! 250 participants and staff attended the event and danced their way into the holiday season. A big thank you to the organizing committee and agency volunteers who helped with setup and decorations, welcoming guests, serving hot beverages, assisting at the “photo booth” and handing out holiday gifts at the end of the night!

Everyone danced the night away and a great time was had by all!

Each year the Franklin Center staff creates various Halloween day activities; a haunted house, cookie decorating, and a Halloween dance program for the participants. The staff dress up and create a haunted house that would scare even the most seasoned Halloween lover, and this year was no exception! Check out these spook-tac-ular Halloween pictures! A big shout out to the Franklin Centre team for planning and executing yet another great Halloween day at the Franklin Centre!

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Thanks Giving Dinner

by Iona Thompson Manager

Sunday Funday held its second Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday Oct 13. This year we had 81 people attend the event. It was a traditional dinner complete with yummy desserts. The tables also had lovely dĂŠcor with take away treats for Halloween. Special thanks to Joann Drew and Laurie Vibert for making this day special for us all.

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Ken made a pie for Thanks Giving!

by Kelly Frontera On Thanksgiving weekend Kelly assisted Kenny with making a cherry pie from scratch to take home to his family.

Ken was very proud of his pie!

SPECIAL OLYMPICS ONTARIO (SOO) Truck Convoy update

By Sandra Goodwin The truck Convoy raised $133,000 for SOO held Sep. 2019.

134 trucks participated in the Truck convoy. Cambridge Ball Team played against the top 15 drivers and won 18 to 8!

In Sep. 2019 SOO accepted a $10,000 cheque towards the Spring Games to be held in Waterloo Region in 2020.

See page 3 about Go Beyond – 2020 Provincial Spring Games in Waterloo Region for more information!

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SPECIAL OLYMPIC ATHLETE AMBER MURPHY ON HER GUEST SPEAKING APPEARANCE

by Kerri Galvao Manager Amber Murphy from Special Olympics Ontario - Cambridge, was invited to be a guest speaker at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Elementary school in Cambridge on February 18, 2020.

Amber was invited to share her experiences being a special Olympic athlete to the students at St. Vincent De Paul. Amber shared that she has been involved with Special Olympics Ontario – Cambridge for over 10 years. She participates in 5 and 10 Pin bowling. Amber loves to meet new friends which is something being a Special Olympic athlete allows her to do at athletic competitions. Amber’s favourite memory was attending the Prince Edward Island Nationals in 2018. At Amber’s first National competition she brought home a bronze medal in bowling. She hopes to one day participate at the World games in bowling. Amber shared with the students that being involved in Special Olympics has taught her to make new friends, experience new places and most of all have lots of fun. Amber feels that being involved with Special Olympics is not about winning or losing, it’s about

learning about each other, supporting one another and wanted the students to believe in that as well.

During the presentation it was shared that St. Vincent De Paul held a Winter Wonderland Dance that raised more than $ 1500.00 in donations. This money will be used to sponsor 3 Athletes for the 2020 Special Olympic Provincial Games occurring in the Waterloo Region this May, 2020.

One of the 3 athletes sponsored is a Cambridge swimmer, Kiara Wilson! The school is looking forward to cheering on Kiera and all the 2020 Provincial game athletes.

Thank you to Amber Murphy for sharing your story and experiences on being a Special Olympian. Continue sharing your successes as your hard work and dedication in sport and life is shining bright!

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We applaud you for all that you do!

Invitations to the upcoming Volunteer Recognition event to be held April 25th at the Galt Curling Club were sent.

We regret to inform you that this event is cancelled in response to the State of Emergency declared by Ontario.

Contact Sandy Caple for more information.

In December, we welcomed Post Secondary students from Mohawk College and McMaster/Conestoga BScN program. We called on our existing active volunteers for bingo, the parade committee, and for our recent Participant’s Christmas Dance. Volunteers are very important to us. They are critical to all our programs. We try very hard to ensure that they know how much we appreciate the time and effort they give to our agency. Join me in saying “Thank you” to our volunteers whenever you have a chance.

Volunteer Opportunities Bingo Volunteers We are now recruiting more Bingo fundraising volunteers to help with various fundraising bingo events. If you are available on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons for 2.5 hours let us know. Bingo volunteering is fun, low stress, and above all, easy! You can do it with a friend or co-worker. The bingo hall offers 3 training sessions each month at various times. Check it out!

Enhanced Day Programs We are looking for volunteers to help in the Franklin Centre Day programs. Support to facilitate music programs, exercise classes or many other programs. If you have the ability to sing, play the piano or guitar, or a trainer of anything please contact us!

Leisure Buddies We are currently looking for volunteers to go on outings with group home residents. If you are interested in sports and fishing give us a call.

Volunteers for Volunteers Support, mentor, coach. These volunteers will accompany our participants volunteering in other agencies to build confidence and work skills. Commit to 2 hours a week for 6 months.

Contact our Volunteer Coordinator: Sandy Caple for more information on how to get involved and be a Community Living Cambridge “Super Hero”. She can be reached at Franklin Centre Monday-Thursday between 9am & 3:30pm 519-621-0680 or by email: scaple@clcambridge.ca

NOTE: As of Mar. 23, 2020 Ontario enacts Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19. “All organized public events of over fifty (50) people are prohibited”. Check for postponement dates with your organization or the Federal and Provincial Governments for more details!

Effective Wednesday, March 18, all City of Cambridge facilities including City Hall, are closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These closures are in effect until April 5, 2020.

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GO BEYOND – 2020 PROVINCIAL SPRING GAMES IN WATERLOO REGION

by Eunice Kennedy Shriver The 2020 Provincial Spring Games is more than an event, it is a unique opportunity for athletes from across Ontario with intellectual disabilities to showcase their hard work and dedication through sport.

The 3 day experience (May 21 to 23, 2020) will bring more than 2, 500 athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers and spectators to the Waterloo Region for exciting competition across five sports: basketball, bowling, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics and swimming.

In Waterloo region there will be 20 local athletes competing and 4 from Cambridge Ontario who will be swimming at the Provincial Spring Games. They include Bradley Schmidt, Cooper Moore, Tayor Boeru and Kiara Wilson.

Cooper and Kiara will be competing in their first Provincial games!

Bradley Schmidt – Participates in SOO 10 Pin bowling, basketball, 5 Pin bowling, T-ball and swimming. Brad attended the Special Olympics Provincial games in Guelph Ontario in the spring of 2016 (swimming) and attended the Special Olympics National games in Prince Edward Island in the summer of 2018 (swimming). Brad won 2 golds and 1 silver medal in the National Games in PEI in 2018 for swimming.

Cooper Moore – Participates in Skiing, Floor Hockey, golf and swimming. This will be Cooper’s first Provincial games! Cooper’s best Special Olympics memory is going to swim meets and tournaments because he likes to win, cheer on his teammates and also enjoys being an athlete with Special Olympics. Cooper would like to say thank you to all those who support Special Olympics to make this possible for the Athletes and Coaches.

Taylor Boeru – Participates in swimming. Taylor competed in the Kingston Provincial Games in 2012 and received 3 gold and 3 silver medals. Taylor also participates in the Vancouver National Games in 2015 and received 1 gold and 1 silver medal. Taylor describes her best Special Olympic memory as travelling to Vancouver for the 2015 National Games. “It was my first time flying. This was very exciting being on a place for the first time. My whole family came to Vancouver to watch me compete. I met so many new athletes and still keep in touch with them”. Taylor would like to thank everyone for the support to train and become a strong swimmer. She feels grateful because she loves to swim and all the volunteers make it possible to do what she loves. She feels blessed to be a part of such a wonderful organization.

Kiara Wilson – Participates in 5 Pin bowling and swimming. This will be Kiara’s first time competing at the Provincial Games. Kiara’s best Special Olympic Memory was receiving the text from her coach saying she qualified for Provincial Games in 2020. Kiara would like to thank her family, friends and coaches for helping her through all the practices and competitions. She would also like to thank the sponsors for making the Games possible through their sponsorship. She didn’t expect to make it to Provincials. She just tried hard and did her best. She is so excited and honoured to be a part of the Provincial team!

If you would like to become involved with the 2020 Spring Provincial Games in Waterloo Region you can in a number of ways: donation, sponsorship of NOTE: As of Mar. 23, 2020 Ontario enacts Declaration of Emergency due to an athlete and volunteering. For more COVID-19. All 2020 Ontario games have been postponed/cancelled, check with information please visit the website at your sports organization or the Federal and Provincial Governments for more www.2020springgames.com details!

Good luck to all the 2020 Provincial Spring Game Athletes and remember the Special Olympic athlete’s oath “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

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Ways to give and make a difference today!

With your help, we will create opportunities to support people with developmental disabilities to realize their citizenship and aspirations!

1. A donation by mail, or in person, or over the phone.

Our reception staff is available at 519-623-7490 to process your donation over the phone.

2. A donation online via

CanadaHelps.org 3. Enroll in our monthly giving program 4. Give a lasting gift by way of a Planned giving or Endowment

Use gift cards to make everyday purchases which generates fundraising dollars for the organization.

Help us raise funds and put your regular household shopping dollars to work without spending anything additional.

Just spend what your family would typically use at the stores that participate in the program.

A list of major Retailer’s Gift Cards and order form are available at Reception just call 519 623-7490 and inquire when the next order will be placed.

Connect with us! https://twitter.com/ clcambridgeON https://www.facebook.com/ Community Living Cambridge 160 Hespeler Rd. Cambridge, ON N1R 6V7

Phone: 519 623-7490 Fax: 519 740-8073 E-mail: info@clcambridge.ca

About our Newsletter: Published in Issuu Digital Publishing Platform

https://issuu.com/communitylivingcambridge Editor in Chief: Grace Santos Gould Editor, Layout & Design: Grace Santos Gould Proof: Barb Chapman NEWS ARTICLES ARE PRECIOUS: The next edition will be our Summer edition which will be released in July 2020. Please send your articles in as soon as you have them ready. We are always looking for content related to: • Events • Fundraising • Program offerings • Milestone Birthdays and Candid photos • In Memoriam • Advertise with us - ask for rates • Feedback Any content that Inspire Possibilities are greatly appreciated! Send your articles to gsantosgould@clcambridge.ca Thank you!

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