Skills Society 2021 AGM Report

SKILLS SOCIETY ANNUAL REPORT 2021

LEANING INTO WHAT REALLY MATTERS Lessons, learnings and opportunities from the last year as we navigated the pandemic together

LEANING INTO WHAT REALLY MATTERS Lessons, learnings and opportunities from the last year as we navigated the pandemic together

Leaning Into What Really Matters.............................................................................................................. 2 A Message of Gratitude from the Board................................................................................................... 3 We are Skills Society.................................................................................................................................... 4 Our Strategic Priorities 2020-2023............................................................................................................14 Skills Society Board of Directors 2020-2021.............................................................................................15 Board Chair Report......................................................................................................................................16 Donor Recognition.......................................................................................................................................18 Fund Development at Skills Society......................................................................................................... 20 Treasurer Report...........................................................................................................................................21 Executive Director Report.......................................................................................................................... 22 An Update on Our Strategic Priorities Over the Past Year...................................................................... 28 The Future of Home: Inclusive Housing Solutions Lab - What We’re Learning....................................36 Learning from Our Skills Community....................................................................................................... 44

LEANING INTO WHAT REALLY MATTERS As we enter year two of our 2020-2023 strategic priorities, we continue to also navigate the pandemic as best we can. This has been a year full of uncertainty and challenge for everyone – but the pandemic has taught us important lessons about what really matters. It has shown us how important our values are in determining the least intrusive and most empowering ways of respecting people’s dignity and their rights as full citizens. It has reminded us that we need to constantly centre the voices and wishes of those we serve in everything we do. And it has taught us about the power of community in sharing resources, building knowledge and what being ‘all in this together’ really means.

This year has been a true demonstration of our ability to embrace and manage complexity, to adapt and evolve and to avoid oversimplifying how we approach our challenges.

We are committed to learning from this last year - and leaning into what really matters. These experiences will inspire thoughtful action towards creating deeper connections and belonging for everyone we serve. And we’ll stay connected to our roots, grounded in a vision for a community where all people are valued citizens.

This is a milestone year for Skills Society and the community of people we serve. As we mark 40 years together, we reflect on how far we’ve come and recognize all the people who have worked so hard to get us here.

As much as we would love to gather everyone together to honour this collective achievement, we are going to postpone the festivities until next year. We look forward to gathering - and celebrating - when it is safe to do so.

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A MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE FROM THE BOARD Over one year ago, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic turned our world upside down. We have all been challenged and impacted in significant ways. The pandemic has changed the way we live, and called on us to make sacrifices both large and small. For the Skills Society family, those sacrifices are keenly felt. The pandemic has meant the pain and uncertainty of separation between the individuals we support and their families and loved ones. It has meant worry, frustration, and loneliness.

If bright spots can be found in such a trying time, one such beacon is the Skills Society staff who have been on the frontlines every day. Throughout the past year, our dedicated staff have been a constant and comforting presence providing crucial supports, finding creative ways to connect individuals with their families and communities, and navigating the evolving landscape of public health restrictions to keep people healthy and safe. The Skills Society Board thanks you for the extraordinary work you do, and for going above and beyond to put the people we serve first. We see how you have risen to this incredibly challenging occasion, and we applaud you with our deepest gratitude.

The path through the pandemic has been difficult, and while we are not there yet, hope is on the horizon. As we travel the rest of this road together, the Skills Society family is strengthened in the knowledge that you, our dedicated staff, are there. Thank you for lighting the way with your perseverance, kindness, and courage.

With sincere thanks, The Skills Society Board

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WE ARE SKILLS SOCIETY

WHO WE SERVE

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We are one of the largest disability service organizations in the Edmonton area. For 40 years we have provided individualized support services to people with developmental disabilities, their families, and the communities in which they live. Our work is complex but our goal is simple: help people with disabilities live safe, dignified and meaningful lives.

Our organization was started in the 1980s by parents who wanted more for their sons and daughters - to reduce their sense of isolation by removing them from “institutions” and placing them back into the arms of society. Today, we remain connected to those roots by keeping our services person-centred and focused on the unique needs of every individual. In doing so, we reduce their isolation and improve their mental health, reduce their healthcare and justice costs, and help them set and achieve personal goals they (and their families) never thought possible.

We provide support services to children and adults with developmental disabilities, survivors of brain injuries, and their families. Support varies depending on the level of need and qualifications for government funding. For some, we may provide a few hours of outreach support each week. For others, it involves 24/7 supported community living. We also work with those who are defined by PDD as having complex service needs.

30 people

50 children

who are brain injury survivors

375 people served

by Skills Society 295 people with developmental disabilities (PDD)

102 people

66 people

with complex behavioural needs

with complex medical needs

PDD Funded Residential Community Living

PDD Funded Supported Independent Living

Decision making and advocacy

159 people funded 47 with complex needs

136 people funded 55 with complex needs

175 people have family to help 120 do not

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VISION A community where all individuals are valued citizens deserving respect, dignity and rights.

MISSION We support individuals with disabilities and their families in their right to learn and grow in the community. Our services strengthen belonging and encourage and support individual choice and opportunity.

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CITIZENSHIP IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO For many of us, citizenship is something we take for granted. It can be defined in many ways, but at its core ​ citizenship​is our sense of value and belonging. This sense of citizenship doesn’t always extend to people with disabilities. That’s why Skills Society was formed - to provide people with disabilities with the same opportunities and choices, the same ability to share their gifts and talents, and the same sense of belonging that we all enjoy. ​Citizenship​is what we strive for every day - and it encompasses the following:

Relationships Surrounded by people who love and care for you, sharing your life with others

Rights Equal access to opportunities, freedom to choose, independence

CITIZENSHIP

Participation Meaningful things to do and places to go, the opportunity to share gifts and talents with others

Belonging Feeling valued, respected, and an important part of society

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OUR CORE VALUES

PRACTICE IN PERSON-CENTRED WAYS

We never forget to keep the voices of those we serve at the centre of our planning and practices.

Why it Matters In the past, people with disabilities were left out of important conversations that affected their lives. We believe that our planning, policies, procedures, and pathways are more effective when they are informed by and responsive to the needs of the people whose lives they impact.

Operating Principles • We focus our services around the lived experiences of the people we support • We plan our services in creative and engaging ways in order to make them meaningful and relevant • We ensure our solutions are the most empowering, least intrusive and safest for the people affected • We build and strengthen healthy relationships in everything we do • We work equally to solve big picture problems and onthe-ground needs

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SEEK CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS

BUILD AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE

By working with others, we build a stronger community of neighbours, leaders and advocates.

In order to continually improve the support we provide, we’re not afraid to learn from others and try new ideas.

Why it Matters We believe that real social change comes from collective effort. By sharing resources and working closely with other like-minded organizations, we raise the voice of the disability community and take a leading role in building more inclusive communities.

Operating Principles • We treat invitations to collaborate as opportunities to help achieve our vision and mission • We use the Action Lab and other initiatives to open up relationships and spur innovative ideas • We look beyond our organization for new and different ways to achieve our vision • We place trust at the centre of any relationship because that’s what enables collaboration • We embrace the sometimes slower nature of collaborative work when it is necessary

Why it Matters In order to become better problem solvers, we work hard to learn through our actions and study excellence in others. We are committed to trying new ideas, seeking input on our work, and building a learning organization each and every day.

Operating Principles • We actively seek out new knowledge and view continuous learning as essential to our role as leaders • We learn through reflecting on our actions and studying the work of others • We strive to mix solutions that are old, new and sometimes surprising • We generously share what we build and learn with others

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EMBRACE COMPLEXITY

ADAPT & EVOLVE

We know that supporting people’s citizenship is complex. Through creativity, determination and collaboration we can tackle any challenge.

We build our supports to adapt to the unique needs of each person. At the same time, we strive to shift our services and priorities to meet changing times.

Why it Matters Helping people with disabilities live fulfilling lives is not an easy, straightforward road. It is complex work - from the needs of the people we serve to the interconnected policies that shape their world. Rather than shy away from these challenges, we meet them head-on with creativity, determination and collective effort.

Why it Matters Life is full of change. We know that if our strategies and systems are too rigid and static, we risk our services becoming less useful or relevant. Instead, we are stronger when we are more agile in responding to changing contexts and uncertain times.

Operating Principles • We experiment with multiple ways to address tough issues in order to improve the chances we find a solution • We embrace ambiguity, difficulty and tension as opportunities for creative thinking and innovative responses • We are comfortable knowing that measuring success in our work is not an exact science with clear answers • We are relentless but patient in our efforts to navigate and make progress on tough issues

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Operating Principles • We stay razor focused on our vision and mission yet flexible in how we pursue them • We constantly scan our world - inside and out - to identify opportunities and barriers for our work • We boldly seek out new insights - even failures - and adapt our work to reflect our learning • We promote clear and constant communication to enable us to pivot quickly if required • We adjust and revisit decisions when new information is presented or as political, social, and environmental contexts shift • We remain open to new solutions in the face of changing times • We listen deeply to understand what is really going on and what is needed

Joan and Kathy cooking and planting tomatoes with others during Virtual CommuniTEA Connection Events

Leaning Into What Really Matters: Spending time outdoors in our neighbourhoods and in nature!

Leaning Into What Really Matters: Fitness, recreation and wellness

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SKILLS HELPS PEOPLE THRIVE IN FIVE PILLARS OF EVERYDAY LIFE We build each of our services to help people with disabilities thrive in five pillars of everyday life.

Supporting the Citizenship of People with Disabilities

What this looks like: • Making a house feel like a home • Building and strengthening connections with roommates, neighbours, friends and family • Establishing healthy and meaningful routines together • Completing day-to-day tasks like budgeting and grocery shopping

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What this looks like: • Making and sustaining friendships along with healthy, romantic relationships • Establishing social networks with friends, neighbors and colleagues • Nurturing family relationships

What this looks like: • Finding and maintaining paid employment • Developing new skills through volunteering • Pursuing education or jobrelated training

Aqnaf and Charlie share a hopeful message to others in their neighbourhood

What this looks like: • Setting and attending medical appointments • Establishing healthy eating habits and exercise routines • Assisting with personal hygiene • Supporting medication management • Supporting mental and emotional wellbeing

What this looks like: • Participating in neighbourhood activities • Sharing talents with the community • Discovering fun and meaningful things to do

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OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 2020-2023 EMERGING PRIORITIES We focus on these emerging priorities to ensure that we continue to effectively navigate, respond to, and thrive in current policy and funding contexts.

Strategically Manage Our Work with People Labelled with Complex Needs Balancing our commitment to serving people with complex needs with the safety and needs of staff and the people we currently serve.

Increase Financial Management & Resiliency Anticipate, monitor and adapt to changes in funding models while continuing to develop new revenue streams.

Adapt Our Organizational Models Develop an understanding of the different organizational models available and develop the relationships and capacity to move quickly to adopt new models if the situation requires it.

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Advance Sector Priorities Be sector leaders, spearheading and participating in system level change processes that show promise of enhancing the lives of people with disabilities.

Get to the Next Level in Data & Evaluation Strengthen our organizational and measurement systems to respond to needs, help improve performance and demonstrate our value.

ONGOING PRIORITIES In addition to the emerging priorities, we continue to focus on the ongoing priorities that ensure our organization remains strong, healthy and able to fulfill our mission in the most effective way possible.

Strengthen our Capacity to Support Citizenship & Deep Belonging in the Lives of the People we Serve.

Supporting people to not just be “in” community but to be “of” community with a sense of reciprocal participation and belonging.

Reinforce Innovation Culture & Capacity Continue to foster a culture of creativity and innovation that values learning and experimentation.

Skills Society Board of Directors Officers of the Board Hart Chapelle, Chair Amy Abbott, Vice Chair Debbie Royer, Secretary Rochelle Mitchell, Treasurer

Returning as Directors Darcy McDonald Carmen Norris Kate Gunn Dianne McConnell

The Slate of Directors to be Ratified for a Second Term Rochelle Mitchell

Continuous Improvement of Internal organizational processes Continue to streamline internal processes to make them more effective, efficient, and user friendly.

Strive to Maintain a ‘Family Feel’ Maintain the ‘family feel’ amongst staff amidst growth and change.

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BOARD CHAIR REPORT Welcome to the Skills Society 2020-2021 AGM Report.

A Year Like No Other 2020-2021 was a year like no other the Skills Society has ever experienced. The global COVID pandemic presented unrelenting daily challenges, large and small, for every member of the Skills Society family. Keeping everyone safe and well was the major preoccupation for the individuals we support, family members, Skills Society senior leadership and staff, as well as directors of the board. On behalf of the board of directors, we wish to express our profound thank you to all the heroes who contributed and continue to contribute to the safety and well- being of our entire family. While the pandemic has not yet abated, we can all see light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccinations and other public health measures will see us safely through to the end. Until then, the Skills Society will continue to support each other in the safest and most sensitive ways possible.

of the PDD Program; and 2) taking stock of how the organization was performing in relation to the challenges presented to COVID-19. This year, the board and senior leaders were joined for part of the retreat by Ms. Carlie Scucatto, PDD Contract Specialist. We thank Carlie for her interest in the Skills Society and the people we support.

Influence and Advocacy The Skills Society Advocacy Committee, headed up by Vice-Chair Amy Abbott worked together with many other organizations from the disability sector to influence Government of Alberta decision makers. Examples include making funding available for sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment, pandemic pay for sector staff and other issues affecting the availability of needed supports.

Skills Society 40-Year Anniversary Fund Development 2021 marks the 40-year anniversary of the Skills Society.

The Skills board and senior leadership wish to recognize and thank all those whose vision, principles, values and hard work built an exceptionally strong foundation upon which the Skills Society has built 40 years of progress.

When it is safe to do so, we will hold an in-person celebration commemorating our collective achievement.

Strategic Thinking and Planning Typically, the Skills Society holds a full-blown, in-person, annual retreat to take stock of emerging trends from the external environment that may impact the organization, think about strategic issues and make plans for successfully navigating the year ahead. This year, because of the pandemic, the board met in the Fall of 2020 for a half-day virtual Zoom mini-retreat. Two issues took center-stage: 1) possible Government of Alberta reforms

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Since its inception, the Skills Society has been raising money to supplement the funding provided by the Government of Alberta for the support of people with developmental and other disabilities. For example, over many years, funds were raised through casinos, raffles and generous gifts from individual citizens and corporations. Some of these funds were used as needed while others were saved for future projects. For more than a decade, disability sector organizations like the Skills Society have been required by the Government of Alberta to do more and more without funding increases. During 2021, Skills Society leadership decided to improve our capacity to raise funds privately. As a result, we entered into a relationship with the Alberta Treasury Branch to invest our savings more strategically and thereby improve our rate of return. In addition, board member Darcy McDonald authored a paper providing insights into current and potential future fund development strategies. In the next fiscal year,

we will follow Darcy’s lead and form a fund development team comprised of board and senior leaders. This initiative will develop and oversee a set of new fund development strategies.

PDD Program Reforms In 2019, the newly elected UCP Government signaled its intention to reform the PDD program because its growth was considered to be unsustainable. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, the Honourable Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Community and Social Services, organized several opportunities for individuals, families and community service providers to express their views about potential reforms (e.g., modify eligibility criteria for the PDD Program). Once the pandemic hit, the Minister curtailed all in-person reform get-togethers. In addition, the Government decided not to implement PDD Program reforms during the pandemic. On behalf of the Skills Society, I want to thank Minister Sawhney for this decision. Individuals, families, advocacy organizations and community service providers had more than enough on our plates, doing our very best to make our way through the perilous pandemic while keeping all concerned safe and well. Once the pandemic has subsided, we look forward to additional opportunities to influence the direction of any future reforms.

University of Alberta Board Interns Each year, the Skills Society invites one or more students from the University of Alberta to intern with the Skills board. This year Folakemi Jolaoso and Lisa Manners joined our team. Both women jumped right in and made significant contributions to our fund development and advocacy initiatives. Thank you both very much. We’ll miss you!

Thank You Skills Staff Team Last but certainly not least, the Skills board thanks our amazing senior leadership team and all of our brave and valuable staff. Your performance during the pandemic has been nothing less than remarkable. The board had front-row seats – watching your high-performance team operate day-in and day-out for an entire year without once taking your eyes off the ball. For this we are truly grateful.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Hart Chapelle, Board Chair

Welcome Two New Board Members At last year’s AGM, we introduced two new board members. Both Kate Gunn and Dr. Dianne McConnell have been everything we expected and more. I want to thank both of them for their passion, their caring natures, their inspiring energy, their deep wells of experience and their wise counsel regarding all manner of complex issues.

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DONOR RECOGNITION “It really has given us time to reflect on what our minds and our hearts desire, what our basic needs are, and what brings us joy. I find that’s how I start my morning - leaning into the day and focusing on what I have the ability to influence. I can influence people to have a good day, to have more understanding about something, to be more patient, and certainly I try to practice that in my own life.”

Lori, Skills Society Leadership

“As a result of the pandemic, we have all experienced some loss in a sense of belonging. This has brought greater empathy - knowing the feeling of not having connections and how lonely it is; reminding us of the importance and the need to create and support deeper connections and belonging for the people we serve.”

Colleen, Skills Society Leadership

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We are grateful to our greater community members and committed partners for joining us in our vision to foster a community where all individuals are valued citizens deserving respect, dignity and rights. We give our heartfelt thanks for your generous support!

Donors 2020/2021 • Frances Urtasun • Robert & Catherine Defrece • Anne-Marie Kallal • Robert Herring • Carol Ewanowich in honor of Graeme Szelewicki • Kate Gunn • Hub International • Yoko Wong • Peter Ashdown • Kristine Ashdown Grants & Endowments • Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation: $230,460 Future of Home: Inclusive Housing Solutions Lab

DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS IN ACTION Erica’s Story •

• • •

•

•

Edmonton Community Foundation CommuniTEA Infusion Project: $10,000 Community Art Program: $16,900 Reusable masks for the citizens we serve Support of the Edmonton Shift Lab Collaboration: $159,800 RBC Foundation: $10,000 CommuniTEA Infusion Project Royal Alexandra Hospital Employees’ Charitable Donation Fund: $2,000 Skills Society Cable Family Endowment Fund at Edmonton Community Foundation Interest earned in 2020: $8,296 Skills Society Endowment Fund at Edmonton Community Foundation Interest earned in 2020: $9,445 United Way COVID-19 Emergency Community Support Fund: $34,000 Food hampers, tablets and sporting goods

Rotary Club of Edmonton Whyte Avenue Christmas stockings for people supported by Skills Society’s Outreach program

The support of community members and committed partners goes a long way in supporting the inclusion and engaged citizenship of people with disabilities. Having access to digital tools and equipment is more important than ever during these times. Thanks to the support of the United Way, people we serve who face barriers to purchasing this equipment received tablets as a means of connecting with friends, family and community and accessing online opportunities and events during this time of physical distancing.

Full citizenship involves equal access to opportunities and the opportunity to share gifts and talents with others. Erica is a lovely, warm outgoing lady and for the past three years has been taking classes at the Orange Hub. Since the start of the pandemic classes have been moved online. Without access to a tablet or computer, it was challenging for Erica to participate. As Erica puts it, having a tablet has “opened up my whole world” - she actively participates in the online classes and is proud of how well she is doing in school.

Erica is a valued member of her class, and her participation contributes to a rich learning experience for her and her classmates - offering one’s perspectives and insights, asking questions, connecting with others, and engaging in learning activities. Erica is very social and enjoys reaching out to and spending time with others; she is thrilled to be connecting with her classmates and friends through video, and continues to share her warmth with others: “I get to see everybody and she gives us time to talk to each other. ...It’s a big difference to see people”.

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FUND DEVELOPMENT AT SKILLS SOCIETY THE PEACOCK AND THE TURKEY So how is fundraising different from fund development?

This piece was written

by Darcy McDonald of the Skills Society board fund development committee

Each month I attend a meeting of the Skills Society Board and each month I am blown away by the way the Skills Society community comes together to travel an unpredictable path through uncharted terrain.

Most days the path forward requires the many microchoices each Skills Society team member makes to ensure people we support feel they are living meaningful lives in the community.

At other times, designing communities in which people with developmental disabilities feel they belong can require bold action, sustained effort into a longer-term view of the future.

The development and implementation of Skills Society’s My Compass tool is a demonstration of this very idea.

Over the past year, Skills Society has been assessing the way it raises funds. It’s a path many not-for-profit organizations are treading to provide some shelter from uncertainty.

Uncertainty in the economy. Uncertainty in government.

Uncertainty in funding.

Although Skills Society is incredibly fortunate to have a community willing to donate time, talent and other resources, it’s clear improvements can be made. A shift from a fundraising mindset to a fund development mindset is the first step.

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Fundraising happens when members of a not-for-profit organization make the choice to raise money for a specific purpose. Parents selling coupon books, or beef jerky, or air fresheners, or recipe books so their children have access to the supplies they need is a fundraising activity. Another is writing a grant application for a program addressing a specific need in their community. Yet another is raising money to fix the building boiler by asking volunteers to work a casino. Each is a separate effort designed to raise money to address a specific need over the short term.

Fund development, by contrast, is a way to get the broader community to engage with the organization’s mission over the longer-term by forging deeper relationships with potential donors while harmonizing multiple fundraising elements. Fund development is the process of uncovering shared values. It is about cultivating meaningful relationships and then providing opportunities for people to invest in areas that are important to them. Making a plan to integrate grant applications, fund-raising sales (coupon books), public events, online donation pages, and any other efforts in ways that are meaningful to potential investors is one example of fund development.

“When you see a fork in the road. Take it” Yogi Berra

TREASURER REPORT Skills Society is standing on the path looking at the fork...

One path, the uncomfortable and unfamiliar path, points towards exploring fund development teeming with learning and possibilities while being fraught with unknowns and their inherent risks.

The other path, the more comfortable and familiar path, points towards continuing with the way we’ve always done things, providing a measure of predictability at the cost of developing greater possibilities for the future.

Fortunately, Skills Society is not known for resting its feathers. It is an authentic learning organization equipping itself with the tools to navigate anything unexpected in the new landscape. Further, Skills Society’s orientation towards learning extends to its broader community of passionate, dedicated, supportive stakeholders.

All that said, most vital for realizing the full potential offered by fund development is an engaged community willing to offer its ideas, talents and perspectives when the road gets bumpy or the bus gets a flat.

As we increase Skills Society’s capacity to develop funds, we are hoping you will join the journey. A journey where you will certainly learn and laugh while making the Skills Society community stronger and more resilient.

“A peacock that rests its feathers is just another turkey”

The pandemic has remained the largest challenge to Skills Society. However, I am pleased to say that to date it has not significantly affected our financial position.

The 2020/2021 fiscal year for Skills Society has ended on a positive note. Our fundraising efforts have resulted in a larger than expected surplus for the year. The federal and provincial government also have provided additional funding for one time pandemic wage top ups for our hard working front line staff.

Skills Society recorded just over $22.20 million revenue in the current year which was almost $254,000 higher than the original budget. Total expenses for the year were $21.93 million, or about $91,000 higher than budget.

Skills Society has a small surplus prior to amortization and casino of just over $272,000 in the current year, compared to a surplus of just over $153,000 reported in 2020. After amortization and casino, Skills recorded a surplus of just over $229,000 in the current year compared to just over $64,000 in the prior year. Due to efficiently managing our budget, Skills Society has been able to replenish reserves back to 2017 levels. This provides some stability as we move ahead.

All government contracts are now in year two of three year terms. Looking to the 2021/2022 year, Skills Society is anticipating a balanced budget.

Rochelle Mitchell, CPA, CA Treasurer

Dolly Parton

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT

Leaning Into What Really Matters Lessons, learnings and opportunities from the last year as we navigated the pandemic together

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Gratitude When I reflect back on the past year and the tough times our Skills community faced, the key word for what really mattered most to me is gratitude. Gratitude for how the people we serve and their families have adapted their lives, been patient, careful and kind to one another during an otherwise stressful time. Gratitude for our amazing leaders on the front lines and in management who have helped people live their lives as safely as possible. Gratitude for our organization and its ability to quickly translate provincial health orders into our own organizational realities, supporting people we serve in their own homes, throughout the city. Gratitude that we haven’t lost anyone in our Skills community to COVID-19.

Gratitude for the leadership everyone has shown in looking out for each other, being empathetic, kind, and offering help in little and big ways. I’m sure the pandemic and all its uncertainty has caused us to reflect on what really matters as individuals and as a community of interconnected people.

I’m pleased that our Skills community is using this report to share their personal reflections, stories and learnings about what has really mattered to them over this past year. As an organization, we want to make sure that these essential lessons aren’t forgotten as the pandemic subsides in the coming months. Here are some other important learnings I’ve taken away from this past year.

It’s ok to feel how you feel As Executive Director of a very fine organization, this year brought about the most uncertainty I’ve ever faced as a leader - working to steward others through tough and everchanging times, as safely as possible. But I was surprised to learn that, in a crisis, there is comfort in normalizing the emotional ups and downs that come with significant challenges and changes. This seems counterintuitive to traditional models where leaders are expected to assure people that everything will be okay - even if they’re not sure themselves. By socializing the idea that it’s ok to feel how we feel - and helping people create self care routines and support systems to keep going - we helped remove the pressure and expectation that people had to feel or behave in a certain way.

This created more space to try new things that might surprise us and boost us up a little bit during a rough time.

and growth moments we would try actions that might move us into strength, compassion and clarity. We all became a little more emotionally intelligent during this past year and learned that being aware of our mental state can help us tune into what really matters and have more empathy for ourselves and others. This acuity allowed our team to grow this past year - and tackle the important challenges we had to face.

One way we socialized this learning was to share this graphic in communications and generative conversations. The truth of this graphic is that a person doesn’t simply move from survival to acceptance to growth in a progressive, linear way.

Some days there are moments and feelings of survival, and other moments where our strength shows up and allows us to grow. We recognized that it was normal for individuals to move rapidly between these stages - and in our acceptance 3 Stages of Pandemic Response

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Relationships, Belonging, Connection

Interdependence

People with developmental disabilities are too often the most isolated citizens in our communities. For 40 years, Skills Society has been working to remove barriers to connection, relationships, and acceptance for the people we serve.

Without a doubt, pandemic safety restrictions led to feelings of isolation for many people, and especially for the people we serve. As a team, we leaned into finding creative ways to grow connections for people and build their relationships with their families and the community. Our community-building initiative led by people with disabilities - the CommuniTEA Infusion Project - pivoted to a virtual platform and included weekly online connection events and other ways to keep active and connected. We were also very fortunate - thanks to a United Way grant - to be able to purchase iPads for those who could not afford to keep connected during these times.

We’re all in this together. This was a phrase we heard over and over from health officials and provincial leaders. I said it myself many times! But as cliche as the phrase became during the pandemic, it contained a deep truth around the importance of connection and the collective sense of purpose we all felt. My hope is that we can build on this spirit long past the pandemic - and that we can centre around the things that really matter. In western world views, there is a cherished and important freedom that each person has a right to be who they want to be as long as it doesn’t infringe on others’ freedoms and rights. In the disability rights space, this is especially important as people with disabilities have historically been held back and oppressed by experts and systems that have defined what they are, what they can achieve and what they should aspire to. The pandemic has brought to the surface a tension between individual rights, freedoms and responsibilities as caring citizens who live together interdependently in the world. Interdependence means one thing that can’t exist without another. It points to the fact that although we might like to think our personal worlds are self-sufficient and independent, the reality is that we depend on countless people and relationships every day whether we are aware of it or not. To eat and sustain ourselves we rely on the front line grocery store clerks, the food that’s grown all over the world, and the delivery trucks that bring it all to our grocery stores. We rely on the creation of electricity and gas to power and heat our homes. We also wouldn’t have streets and neighbourhoods to live in without systems and experts to keep everything clean and safe.

“Safety is not the absence of threat, it is the presence of connection”

Gabor Mate

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This tension between individual wishes and collective wellbeing exists within our Skills family as well. For example, we support people living independently in their own homes - but many of these people have roommates who also receive our services. Each of these individuals has different views, risk tolerances and vulnerabilities related to COVID-19.

While everyone had the right to express their wishes and risk tolerances during the pandemic, their individual choices had a broader impact with their roommates and out into the community. Our mission was to facilitate conversations between roommates and guardians and create shared roommate agreements so that we could balance individual wishes with those of their roommates. This is a localized example of how interdependence and social contracts play out each and every day - a microcosm of the tension that existed in all of our worlds throughout the pandemic. Right now, health experts advise that the end of the pandemic will rely on 75% of the population choosing to get fully vaccinated.

If we - as individuals - choose not to get vaccinated against physician advice, this will have an interdependent ripple effect on the whole of society. It will prevent us all from getting back to the things we enjoyed doing before the pandemic.

We now recognize what interdependence looks like and the responsibility we all have for the other human beings we share the world with. We will lean into this interdependence and the truth around what being ‘in this together’ really means.

There’s a story about people on a boat. A guy decides to dig through the floor of his cabin. Water flows in. Other passengers are upset. But it’s his own cabin, the guy argues, so why should it matter?

Personal choice only goes so far when we’re all on the same boat.

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Kindness The final thing that stood out for me as we stewarded Skills Society throughout the past year was remembering to be kind. As complicated as life is, it is the kindness and care of others that allows us to come through tough times. I became emotional many times this past year seeing the expressions of kindness and compassion in our Skills community. When I spoke to team leaders on the front line in the early days of the pandemic, their passion, fierce loyalty and desire to protect the people we serve was the most heartwarming thing to witness – and something I will never forget. Our employees are true heroes and we are forever grateful for their unwavering commitment. In a crisis, there is certainly darkness, fear and uncertainty – but as the late, great Mr. Rogers used to say, “in those moments of fear and crisis, look for the helpers, you will always find there are people who are helping.”

I also often heard that the people we support were the pillars of positivity and kindness to staff and those around them.

As we often say, people with developmental disabilities are citizen role models we can learn from - embodying what it means to be a good human and a valuable citizen in our community. It is heartening to get a glimpse of this wisdom and kindness through their stories that are shared throughout the report.

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I’m reminded of a story from the great cultural anthropologist Magaret Mead. Dr. Mead was asked what the first signs of human civilization were. It was expected that she would respond with something technical like a wheel or agricultural techniques. Instead, Mead picked up a 10,000-year-old human femur bone that had been broken and then fully healed over time. Mead explained that the first sign of civilization was when humans looked out with care and kindness towards one another and cooperated in community.

To heal our ancient ancestor’s broken thigh bone, it took a community to care for and support the injured person. She explained that in the animal world this doesn’t happen as much – but as humans we have an extraordinary capacity for kindness, selflessness and organizing care. I think we can sometimes forget this simple truth of kindness in our complex world. But leaning into this truth will matter as much into our future as it did in our ancient past.

As the pandemic hopefully comes to a close soon, we will all want to get back to some pre pandemic connection and activities and not want to have to think about quarantine times, masking, distancing, positivity rates, etc… But in that understandable rush to want to forget much about the

pandemic, we don’t want to forget the learning about the things in life that really matter as human beings trying to have dignified, good lives, where we are all valued for who we are and have a deeper sense of belonging.

Thank you to everyone in our Skills family for being there for each other. For being patient and protecting each other as best possible. We see your kindness. You matter.

Ben Weinlick Executive Director

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Emergent Priorities

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 2020-2023

Strategically Manage Our Work with People Labelled with Complex Needs

An update on our strategic priorities over the past year

Our work to serve, support and advocate for people with complex needs continues to be an ongoing focus. Over this past year we have advanced this work through activities that include: •

This piece was written

by Rebecca Rubuliak, Senior Leader of Research and Social Innovation

• •

•

Our strategic priorities are complex - but as events unfold and situations change, we continue to learn more about bringing them to life in meaningful ways and adapting them to meet our evolving needs. This past year, navigating the pandemic and keeping people safe has been the top priority for the Skills leadership team and its Board of Directors. Our strategic priorities have continued to guide our work, while at the same time we have had to adapt and evolve to ensure we’re focusing on what matters to our staff, our families and the people we serve. The lessons of the last year have not been easy but they have resulted in incredible opportunities for growth and change – influencing our work moving forward. In the section that follows, we’re sharing some of the highlights and activities undertaken within our strategic priorities and what we’re learning as we plan the next year.

To understand more about our priorities, see pages 14-15.

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Being part of and sharing learning with groups of service providers that are trying to improve ways of safely serving this community Adopting a new app to support the safety of staff who serve people with complex needs Beginning to establish and fund a social innovation lab to work with Inclusion Alberta, the Canada Mental Health Association, and Scope Society to co-create pathways that can safely support and empower people with complex needs to live full lives in the community Applying our holistic and person-centered approach to supporting people and advancing their place as full citizens in our community

Learning Despite disruptions as a result of the pandemic, several people we serve have also reported being happier due to changes in everyday routines and having less external pressure to keep busy or engaged. Some people have found slowing down, expanding their learning and connecting through technology have been valuable experiences. This feedback has allowed us to reflect on our work and what we may or may not prioritize following the pandemic.

Increase Financial Management and Resiliency

Get to the Next Level in Data and Evaluation

•

Evaluating our success in supporting engaged citizenship is a key priority for Skills so that we can learn, adapt and better serve people. We continue to test and iterate in this space through new data and evaluation processes, including:

• •

•

Participating in the Edmonton Community Foundation’s endowment sustainability training program to build our endowment as a continued ongoing and dependable financial source Continuing to maintain and build relationships with local community funders Developing new policies to lay the foundation to support safe, longer term sustainable growth of endowment and unrestricted funds Exploring a strategy to increase our fund development capacity is underway. As part of this process, input was gathered from our Skills community and stakeholders to understand their perspectives. See pages 20-21 to learn more.

•

•

•

•

Surveys, focus groups and learning conversations with the people we support, their families and guardians and our employees. This feedback allows us to understand lived experience stories and gather meaningful data.

Evaluating our social innovation labs and monitoring progress on our strategic priorities to get real time feedback in order to be responsive to emergent and changing contexts Tracking daily internal data associated with COVID-19 to support our response to the pandemic and ongoing communication with stakeholders Adding a ‘Stories and Surveys’ feature to our MyCompass Planning tool which will help with learning from the people we serve, centre stories they want to share with leadership and funders, and learn more about what supports good quality of life

Highlight This past year we co-designed and created new MyCompass data features, led by our Executive Director and alongside key stakeholders and partners.

These workshops led to Skills Society piloting one of the features called ‘Surveys and Stories’ which allows people to share a short story and/or picture of a highlight from the year. With permission, these stories will help organizational administrators influence positive change, offering a perspective ‘beyond the numbers’ into what people really care about. By centering on the voices of people we serve, we’re able to help organizational leaders and funders see the true strengths and needs of people.

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Advance Sector Priorities Through relationship building with people with disabilities, sector leaders, and government, we continue to seek creative collaborations to engage more allies in systems change.

“The pandemic has allowed people to slow down and pause for reflection. People are just enjoying life and not worrying about where they have to be next.”

•

Penny, Skills Society Leadership • “At the beginning the focus was on waiting until we could get back to pre-pandemic life. Now, people are acknowledging that things have changed, we have changed, and that’s okay. It’s nice to hear people talk about the new things they are looking forward to, and not focusing solely on getting back to what they were doing before the pandemic.”

•

Dawn Marie, Skills Society Leadership

Our Executive Director and Board Chair sit on a number of sector-focused and provincial committees, including as active participants in the Edmonton Service Provider Council.

We have engaged in sector-level advocacy efforts throughout the pandemic in order to centre the voices of those we serve and steward our community through this disruption. In doing so, we are able to shed light on the frailties in our system that can further isolate or marginalize people.

We updated the vision, mission and theory of change for MyCompass Planning to tackle larger social service systems change. This means humanizing disability service interactions and centering the voices of those we serve.

Be Ready to Adapt Our Organizational Models •

•

We elevated our understanding of different organizational models and our interconnected relationships by further engaging with the sector and through ongoing research into new social innovation models.

We continue to explore innovative housing and support models in partnership with Inclusion Alberta, Civida (formerly Capital Region Housing), and Homeward Trust.

Gratitude Navigating the pandemic has demonstrated our team’s ability and capacity to move quickly and adopt new models when the situation required it. Thanks to the hard work and resilience of Skills leadership and the entire organization - including the people we serve, their families and Guardians, our employees and our Board - we adapted and restructured at the first sign of the pandemic in order to keep people safe. We deeply appreciate their support and encouragement.

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Ongoing Priorities Strengthen Our Capacity to Support Citizenship & Deep Belonging in the Lives of the People We Serve.

Growing community connections and deepening a sense of belonging has been challenging during the pandemic.

Though safeguards are essential to protecting people, they can lead to further social isolation. We adapted by: •

•

•

•

Keeping the voices and wishes of those we serve at the centre of our COVID-19 planning and practices. We encouraged people to explore their own preferences, choices, and risk tolerance during COVID-19.

Working to achieve ‘balance’ as we reviewed and implemented COVID-19 procedures to ensure our safeguards supported individual choice, and the mental and physical wellbeing of people we serve.

Pivoting social innovation initiatives online, such as CommuniTEA Infusion and the inclusive community art program offered at Melcor, in order to keep people safe and connected Actively engaging in research that explores the patterns of belonging and dominant support practices we are noticing in our work – thanks to the doctoral research of Paige Reeves, Skills’ Senior Leader of Research and Social Innovation.

Learning Through the Future of Home: Inclusive Housing Solutions Lab, teams engaged in ethnographic research to explore innovative housing and support models that promote the social inclusion of people with developmental disabilities. To discover what we’re understanding about home and the connection to social inclusion and belonging see page 36.

C I T I Z E N S H I P H I G H L I G H T - PA RT I C I PAT I O N

Brittany’s Story Having meaningful things to do, and sharing your gifts and talents with others is an important part of citizenship.

Brittany is a creative and talented artist who works across a wide range of mediums including visual arts, singing, writing, and theatre. Despite the circumstances of COVID-19, over the last year Brittany has continued to work hard on her craft. Brittany performed in this year’s Rising Sun Theatre virtual production titled Threads, and also had a poem published that she co-wrote with another artist - an accomplishment that brings her joy and pride!

Zorg 2020 tells the story of an alien cat who visits Earth.

Brittany has been writing and performing since she was young and loves imagining characters and “getting into character with the character”. Brittany is currently writing a fantasy novel titled Mystical Forests. Her imagination inspires her to write and visually create monsters, aliens, and fantasy creatures, which she shares are her specialty!

An excerpt from Zorg 2020, a poem by Brittany Leitheiser and Breanna Barrington: The only difference I could gather Didn’t really seem to matter.

It’s just one thing; I’ll tell you what.

Promise you’ll keep your lips shut.

Our homes are alike, I must confess.

It’s only a matter of dialect.

Us alien cats from ZORG don’t “Meow” Instead we eek out a big “WOW.” Zorg 2020 can be purchased through the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts

Brittany holding a copy of Zorg 2020

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CITIZENSHIP HIGHLIGHT - RELATIONSHIPS

Andrew & DJ’s Story Sharing your life with others and having people in your life who care about you is an important part of citizenship.

Andrew and DJ have been roommates for over 13 years and have formed a strong friendship. Both love music and have jam sessions, playing instruments together.

Andrew and DJ also enjoy hanging out together in their backyard, soaking up the sun. This year, Andrew and DJ, together with their families, are planting vegetables in raised garden beds in their backyard. Andrew and DJ have plans to share their harvest with neighbours and their support team. By sharing with others, they hope to meet new neighbours and nurture connections with existing ones. Andrew and DJ’s story not only highlights a meaningful relationship between roommates and family, but also a creative way to build connections with neighbours!

Reinforce Innovation Culture & Capacity •

•

•

Over the last year, we continued to prioritize building a creative, curious culture by soliciting ideas from our stakeholders, learning from others, and encouraging creative thinking to support inclusion and connection during the pandemic.

The Skills leadership team participated in several learning workshops focused on embracing complexity, approaching problems differently, and leading in uncertain times.

We continued to steward and participate in social innovation labs, including Edmonton Shift Lab and the Future of Home: Inclusive Housing Solutions Lab.

Highlight The Missions App will be added as a feature for all MyCompass users in the coming months! The people we serve will soon be able to use the MyCompass Missions feature to explore and reflect on new experiences, discover more about themselves, and deepen their connections at home, with others, and with the community.

Continuous Improvement of Internal Organizational Processes

Andrew and DJ next to their garden

Andrew tending the garden

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We continuously ask ourselves: Are we learning? Responding to feedback? Finding efficiencies?

• Continuously improving our communication throughout the pandemic has been a significant area of focus for our team. Clear and ongoing dialogue with the people we serve, their families and Guardians, and our employees and stakeholders has been critical.

• Adapted several of our resources, forms, and training to be accessible and available online. We have new, user-friendly human resources software that allows for tracking and completion of forms and training, and supports with hiring of new staff

Strive to Maintain a ‘Family Feel’ During COVID-19 it has been challenging to maintain a sense of connectedness amongst staff across a large organization like Skills, compounded with the closure of the Skills office and strict physical distancing guidelines. This has driven us to focus on supporting our employees’ mental wellbeing and morale through: • Offering mental wellness videos, team sessions and oneon-one coaching facilitated by a mental wellbeing coach to offer employees practical skills and ways to support their own and their team’s mental health and wellbeing • Hosting virtual employee gatherings to bring people together, share information and answer questions, and ultimately strengthen our connectedness further • Asking for ideas and acting on them from all levels of the organization, honoring people’s wisdom and expertise and including them in Skills projects. This led to the creation of a social committee who have been convening virtual social events during the pandemic.

• Creating a virtual, video celebration of long-term employees, to recognize their commitment to Skills and show our gratitude for their many valued contributions

CITIZENSHIP HIGHLIGHT - BELONGING

Ariel’s Story Belonging - feeling valued, respected, and an important part of something bigger than yourself - is an important part of citizenship. For Ariel, volunteering in the community is an important part of being an engaged citizen: “I love to care for people and help them out as much as I can”.

For over 15 years, Ariel has been volunteering with two fire halls in the City, offering his skills and time helping the fire crews out with a variety of jobs around the fire hall. What Ariel values most about volunteering at the fire halls are the relationships he’s built with the crews.

Enjoying spending time or sharing a meal together and the opportunity to get to know one another: “just being there and being part of the family”. Though COVID-19 has put volunteering at the fire hall on pause, Ariel and the crew continue to stay connected, through phone calls and visiting outdoors. Ariel’s story is a great example of engaged citizenship and belonging - through volunteering, Ariel generously shares his gifts, talents and time with the community and in return is a valued part of the fire hall.

Highlight Skills Society leveraged MyCompass to support employees to connect with each other and share resources. Through the MyCompass Employee Connection Corner, employees are invited to share and interact on the timeline, strengthening connection.

Ariel holding a Fire Station 1 sweatshirt

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SKILLS SOCIETY SHOUT OUT WALL Pictured above is the Shout Out Wall at the Skills Main Office displaying Shout-Outs and tokens of appreciation for others.

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At Skills Society we are committed to highlighting the gratitude we share for one another and contributing to more meaningful relationships with those we work with. One way we do this is through the Shout Out Wall where we display and celebrate Shout-Outs for one another. Below are a few of the many stellar Skills employees who recognized and showed appreciation for others, and what engaged citizenship looks like to them:

“Engaged citizenship to me is all about being a neighbour/friend within both the smaller community, as well as the larger community” Mary

“Participating in society in a way that betters your community while mutually receiving the benefit as well. Imagine the community as an acquaintance; the more you engage with them, the more you get to know them; the more you interact, the more you influence them and are influenced by them”

CITIZENSHIP HIGHLIGHT - RIGHTS

Larry’s Story Larry is an engaged citizen who participated as a core team member in the Future of Home: Inclusive Housing Solutions Lab digging deep into an emergent issue in our community - the right for people with developmental disabilities to have a place to call home. As Larry puts it, “it’s important to have a safe and stable home” and highlighted the importance of creating solutions with, not for, people: “Get their input from their experience through their lifetime. No two people are the same”.

Larry was a valued member of the core team. He shared his experiences and ideas, voiced his concerns related to housing, and collaborated with others to design creative housing solutions. A kind and empathetic listener, when asked what he enjoyed most about participating in the lab he shared, “I enjoyed hearing everyone’s input about a variety of different subjects and learning from each other”.

In the future Larry hopes to see more people having a safe and affordable home that brings them joy and is in a good community.

Mattisen

“Being involved or part of the community that will give me a sense of belonging and that I will be treated equally with respect and dignity regardless of my gender and ethnicity”

Larry and his fellow teammates at one of the Future of Home Lab workshops.

Dinia

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THE FUTURE OF HOME: INCLUSIVE HOUSING SOLUTIONS LAB What We’re Learning This piece was written

by Paige Reeves, Senior Leader of Research and Social Innovation

In our Future of Home: Inclusive Housing Solutions Lab, we have partnered with Inclusion Alberta, Civida (Capital Region Housing), and Homeward Trust to explore affordable and accessible housing solutions that support the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities. This is complex work that requires the coordination and cooperation of multiple stakeholders and deeper insight into the perspectives and experiences of people with disabilities. Using a social innovation approach, this lab seeks to address the current gaps in housing for people with disabilities.

A social innovation approach enabled us to: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Bring diverse stakeholders together Go deep to understand root causes Create solutions with, not for, people Find out what works using small scale tests and talking to people 5. Moving forward with only the ideas that show promise after testing with community

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Leaning into What Really Matters

What We’re Learning About Home

The purpose of this exploration has always been about so much more than creating a physical building. It’s been about creating spaces that people with and without disabilities can call home.

In our exploration together with people with disabilities, allies, and other community members, we’ve learned a few things about what ‘home’ means.

Lesson #1: A house is not the same as a home

Having a safe, stable, and comfortable space to call home is the foundation of a rich and inclusive life.

• •

•

•

•

Having a home is a basic need and right.

When you have a safe space to start your day from, it is easier to go out and explore your neighborhood and community.

When you have a home you are proud of you can invite others in and share food, experiences, and laughter!

Home is where you can experiment and explore what it means to be you! It is a place to express yourself and should be a place where you feel comfortable to be yourself. Your home is a reflection of you!

Home can be a launching point for connection with others! If your home is part of a community you can build relationships with neighbors, find ways to contribute your gifts and talents, and access important resources and amenities.

A house is a dwelling - a physical space that provides shelter. Houses take many shapes and may be duplexes, apartments, or stand alone houses.

A home is the physical space as well as the feelings and sense of ownership, pride, belonging, and warmth that come from being in that space.

We often take our sense of home for granted but not everyone feels like their house is a home. We want everyone to have the opportunity to make their house a home.

Lesson #2: There seem to be some ‘qualities’ of home life that are universal Although everyone’s homelife is unique, there seem to be some qualities that are universal - there are things that most people agree make a house a home.

“Our social service system counts only certain needs - for safety, shelter, food, income, and physical care.

It has few ways of understanding people’s needs for adventure, purpose, connection, or growth.” (p. 24, The Trampoline Effect by Gord Tulloch and Sarah Schulman)

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Safety: Feeling safe inside and outside your home • •

Being able to go for walks in your neighborhood Being able to be in shared/common spaces in the building

Autonomy and Control: Having autonomy and control within and over your space •

• •

Having the freedom to make the space your own/ express your identity - decorate, have plants, have pets, etc.

To be able to choose who you live with - to choose your roommates or to be able to live with your partner To be able to choose your support staff

Connection: Opportunities to connect with friends and neighbors • • • •

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Having a good relationship/spark with your support staff Knowing your neighbors, having a relationship with them To have spaces in your home you can share with others and do things together in Having things to do with others in your home when they visit - food, games, comfy seating area, a garden

Independence: Having your independence recognized and respected • • • •

Space to do things on your own or in the way you like it To have private space Meaningful things to do on your own Having the built environment set up to maximize your independence (i.e. thinking about accessibility)

Belonging: A feeling of ownership and that you belong in the space • • •

To feel like you can be yourself and let your guard down To feel like you can stay as long as you want (i.e. you won’t be kicked out) A sense of pride and ownership

Lesson #3: A sense of community doesn’t just happen on it’s own, it needs to be nurtured We often like to think that if we bring people together they will automatically form strong relationships and work together. But what we, and others, are learning is that this is not always the case. Oftentimes it seems like community needs to be nurtured before it can bloom.

Lesson #4: There are big and small changes we can make to help more people with disabilities feel like their house is a home The way our current housing and support systems are set up can sometimes make it difficult for people with disabilities to be able to feel like they can make their house a home. But we can all play a part in working to help more people with disabilities build a beautiful homelife.

In our exploration we played around with the ways the physical space might be part of nurturing community. The prototypes incorporated shared spaces where residents could gather and engage in activities together. They also incorporated wellness and retail spaces, like coffee shops, as ways of encouraging neighbors to bump into one another.

We also played around with ways community development principles and approaches might be part of nurturing community. The prototypes both had a ‘community concierge’ type role that was responsible for bringing the building to life. The idea being that the concierge could intentionally work to match-make people who might be likely to become friends, plan community gatherings, and curate opportunities for people to have shared experiences. The prototypes also explored the idea of having a ‘social contract’ that all residents would agree to before moving there. This social contract would outline the different roles and responsibilities residents agree to take on as citizens and community members.

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C I T I Z E N S H I P H I G H L I G H T - PA RT I C I PAT I O N

Brandon’s Story Smaller things we can all do An important part of citizenship is having opportunities to share your gifts and talents with others. Brandon is a friendly and kind guy who is passionate about all things technology. For over 7 years he has been managing his own business as a tech specialist supporting people with software installation and troubleshooting and solving technology issues. During the pandemic many people have had to develop tech skills and set up new digital tools as a way to stay connected to others.

Brandon has been supporting the Skills community as a tech coach. In this role he supports people virtually or by phone answering questions to help build their tech know-how, set up new devices, and troubleshoot network or software problems. His skills, expertise and warm nature make him perfect for this role! When asked what he enjoys most about working as a tech coach Brandon replied: “I enjoy helping people with technology problems they have, and like helping people who aren’t as knowledgeable as me about technology.”

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•

• •

Brandon created the portrait above for the Teach Coach flyer

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If you are a support person or family member, always have the person we serve be at the centre of all decisions related to their homelife If you are a support person or family member support the person served to make their space a reflection of them - help them decorate or arrange their home the way they want If you are a support person or family member, support people to have guests in their home if they want Explore creative ways to build connections with neighbours. We often think that by being near or in shared spaces connections and relationships will form. But like community, oftentimes connections too need to be nurtured. This can be done through small gestures that bridge connection. Some ideas include…

• Make an effort to learn your neighbors’ names and chat with them every once in a while • Welcome new neighbors to the neighborhood by saying hello or baking them a treat • Offer to take a neighbour’s dog for walk • Invite the CommuniTEA Infusion Van to your neighborhood or help host a block party

CITIZENSHIP HIGHLIGHT - RELATIONSHIPS

Lisa & Michael’s Story Bigger systems things we can advocate for • •

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Advocate for people to be able to have pets where they live Increase the amount of funding available for ‘innovative’ builds - ‘conventional’ funding structures often aren’t sufficient for what we’re looking to create Ensure buildings are held to a high standard of physical accessibility and incorporate elements of universal design Breakdown stigma associated with affordable or supportive housing models - combatting ‘Not in my backyard’ attitudes Demand more affordable housing options that are also inclusive - for example, rather than being separate buildings, offer affordable suites in regular buildings or a few units in a townhouse development Keep trying to understand the promising patterns and principles that support people with and without disabilities from forming lasting relationships Advocate for sustainable and meaningful paid employment for people with disabilities

Relationships are an important part of citizenship building and nurturing friendships as a way of sharing your life with others. As neighbours, Lisa and Michael have built a caring friendship with one another and enjoy spending time together talking, making art, playing games and sharing meals together. During COVID-19 they have gotten to know each other even more through conversation and often swap recipes. Lisa and Michael both shared enjoying and valuing having one other to talk to and genuinely listen. They are excited to continue growing their friendship.

“I am spending a lot of time talking with Lisa about many things. ...The most important aspect of our relationship is that we do things together” Michael

Their story highlights the important support that can come from friendship. Having a friend to call on for company and support can go a long way in navigating challenging and uncertain times.

Lisa (pictured on the left) making a smoothie for Michael (pictured on the right), which he enjoyed!

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Learning Into What Really Matters: Celebrating and sharing important moments!

Leaning Into What Really Matters: Activities that bring us joy like music, crafts and hobbies

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A Story About Home Julia’s story of buying and maintaining her home Julia is a kind and lovely lady who enjoys music. Prior to 2018, Julia shared a home with her family, but had hopes of one day having a space of her own. After years of exploration and hard work, Julia purchased a condo. Her home brings her a sense of pride and ownership.

space to call her own. She has the freedom to choose and place her furniture and decorations the way she likes and has made renovations to her home: “My home is what I made it. It has my stuff in it the way I like it. I feel safe. It is mine and I am proud of it.”

Julia’s journey of finding and buying a home was a collaborative process. Julia, her family and supports, together, thought about the dreams and wishes Julia had for her home and explored different possibilities of houses and neighbourhoods. By keeping Julia’s wishes and desires at the centre of the process, Julia was able to find a home that brings her joy.

When asked what she loves most about her home, Julia shared: “I love my custom made artwork of my favorite movie Fast and Furious ... I also love the scrapbooking projects and framed family photos and keepsakes on my wall. This reminds me of the important people in my life”.

Some of Julia’s wishes for finding and making her house a home

Julia’s story demonstrates some of the qualities of home life that we are finding are universal in making a house a home, while also highlighting the unique qualities that make Julia’s home her own.

When looking for a home, Julia shared that it was important to find something that was affordable and in a safe and good neighbourhood. Having amenities nearby is one of the many reasons Julia loves her neighbourhood. She is close to stores and restaurants she enjoys, a swimming pool, fitness centre, and a Tim Hortons - a favorite spot to get cold drinks in the summer!

Julia strongly values her connections with family and friends.

Living near family and friends and having space to entertain guests was very important: “I also needed parking spots available so that my friends and family could visit me. ...I also wanted to have somewhere to sit outside. Now I have my own deck where I have a small BBQ and a table and chairs for visitors”.

For Julia, what makes her house a home is that it is a safe

Pictured above is Julia’s custom artwork from the movie series Fast and Furious

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LEARNING FROM OUR SKILLS COMMUNITY An important perspective on what has been challenging and helpful during the pandemic This piece was compiled and written by Rebecca Rubuliak, Senior Leader of Research and Social Innovation

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a great deal of uncertainty to our lives - but we have each experienced these challenges in different ways. We wanted to hear directly from our Skills community about their lived experience during the pandemic and what they needed most from Skills along the way. Three surveys were sent out to the people we serve, their families and Guardians, and our staff to understand their perspectives and hear their ideas on how we could better support their feeling of connectedness. The people we serve were also invited to participate in virtual learning conversations to share their ideas and highlight moments of connectedness during the pandemic. This section highlights some of what we heard and learned from our community.

Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘You’re not alone.’

Brene Brown Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (2013)

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WHAT WE HEARD The Challenge of Staying Connected

Supporting Mental Health & Well-Being

During the pandemic, staying connected has been more difficult than ever - but also more important than ever • COVID-19 and all the changes associated with it have made it challenging to grow connections and deepen a sense of belonging

The people we serve reported being most proud when they were able to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing, along with their work and volunteer opportunities. COVID-19 disrupted many key pieces that contribute to a rich and full life. Even though the safeguards during COVID-19 protect people, it has led to further isolation, requiring a stronger focus on supporting mental health.

People yearn for physical contact with family, friends, pets, support workers and neighbours • While digital tools help with staying connected to others, it is not as meaningful as in-person, face to face connection The challenge of maintaining a ‘family feel’ amongst employees within a large organization like Skills has been made more difficult by COVID-19 • Employees generally reported feeling quite positive and that they belong and are part of the Skills family - while also recognizing the need to continue to get creative around ways to stay connected and support each other • Employees enjoyed staying connected through Zoom and emphasized how important monthly team meetings were especially during the pandemic

Despite these difficulties, people also shared pride in how they adapted as best they could, and how their actions kept them, their loved ones, and their community safe. It may not be a time for thriving but instead a time for perseverance.

Our Skills Society family of employees has navigated unprecedented pressures while helping to steward our community through this pandemic as safely as possible.

Employees shared that they felt their mental health and wellbeing was well-supported through the sessions and supports offered by a wellness coach.

“Now more than ever, we need to have more, or as much as possible, compassion and understanding for one another” Chris, Skills Society Leadership

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LEARNINGS FROM THE LAST YEAR AS WE NAVIGATED THE PANDEMIC TOGETHER Creativity & Collaboration are Key One of the main themes from what we heard was the need to be creative in order to maintain physical and mental wellbeing, to build and nurture connections and community, and to support work and volunteer opportunities wherever possible.

People are finding safe and creative ways to connect with friends, family, neighbours and community virtually.

•

Being creative and advocating has been key to opening opportunities safely during the pandemic

Leaning in to Purpose “I like the values Skills encourages”

Skills Employee One practice that helps build morale and provides comfort in uncertain times is to remember our purpose and the shared vision of our collective work. As Skills Society employees, it is clear we all derive meaning and satisfaction from supporting people with disabilities in living rich and inclusive lives.

“Strong sense of meaningful contributions” Skills Employee

People have taken this time to learn new technology and exercise their creativity and curiosity A FEW ACTIONS WE HAVE TRIED • •

Exploring creative ways to keep engaged and connected with others at home It is very helpful when family members or support staff help research and come up with ideas people can engage with at home

Here are some of the ways we were able to support and respond to what our community shared: Regular and On-going Communication •

“People are able to connect to different things through technology, and are learning and growing. They are connected to the broader community. I hope this continues post pandemic.”

Jan, Skills Society Leadership Having access to outdoor spaces has played a significant role in supporting mental and physical wellbeing, and in-person connections

“ Visit with friends and family in the backyard… participate in neighbour activities… growing garden and flowers in the backyard with neighbours/friends”

Someone we serve

Employees shared that having the opportunity to collaborate and creatively problem solve with co-workers and colleagues brings joy and meaning to their work

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Continue to communicate how important relational check-ins are between the people we serve, their families and Guardians, and our employees Sharing feedback - what we’re hearing and learning with our Skills Community

Pivoting to Virtual Offerings to Stay Connected We know virtual connections are not a replacement for faceto-face connection, and we are all looking forward to being able to connect in person soon. But we hope that some of these virtual offerings have made it a little easier to navigate these tough times.

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CommuniTEA Infusion Project - Weekly virtual events that everyone Skills serves are welcome to join! These events are hosted by people we serve, community volunteers, or the project coordinator - anyone who has a skill or talent they would like to share with the Skills Community!

5th Annual Day of Giving - On December 11th, Skills Society community members and staff gathered online to celebrate the holiday season and generously give back to our community through donations to the Edmonton Food Bank.

Annual General Meeting - People we serve, their families and friends, and supporters of Skills came together online to check in and reflect on the year that’s gone by Inclusive Art Program for Residents of Melcor - This program is offered through a collaboration with Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts and the YMCA Melcor Welcome Village. Classes are taught virtually by an artist from the Nina. Just like before, residents of Melcor and neighbouring community members can get creative and connect with one another!

New Social Committee and MyCompass Employee Connection Corner A committee was formed to respond to employees’ suggestions on how to stay connected and support morale and mental wellbeing during COVID-19. This new social committee has been creatively fostering moments of connection between employees, and sharing ways for our entire Skills community to safely stay engaged and connected!

EXPRESSING OUR GRATITUDE Our sincerest gratitude to our Skills community over this past year as we navigated much uncertainty together. We know it has been challenging and we want to thank everyone for hanging in and doing your part to keep our communities and each other supported, safe, and connected. We will continue to listen in multiple ways to our Skills family, and are committed to building on these lessons as we work together to cultivate community, deepen belonging, and support the engaged citizenship of the amazing people we serve.

For the month of February, the team at Jewell Manor had the idea of filling the walls with love.

People we serve and staff wrote and drew things that they love on mini-paper hearts that were then displayed throughout the building.

The team shared that everyone enjoyed looking for their hearts and seeing what people value in their lives. This story is an example of connection through shared interests and values.

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