SARC Update - Summer/Fall 2022

SARC

SaskAbilities Saskatoon Opens New Doors

Reconnect with Cosmopolitan Industries

Elmwood Residences Inc Had a Great Summer

COR – Adventuring Together Again, All Summer Long!

Nipawin HandiWorks Says Goodbye

Cosmo Learning Centre Gets Out Into the Community

KIN Summer in Prince Albert

After Waiting Patiently for Three Years... Plus Industries Finally Got to Go on their Great Big Outing

and Training Ramps Up Fall Training

S askAbilities’ mission is to support people experiencing disability with programs and services to enhance their lives. True to our mission, the agency is pleased to share that the Saskatoon Branch of SaskAbilities has two new Quality of Life Program locations through which adults experiencing disability access fun, personcentred, inclusive, and community-based programming year-round.

In the fall of 2021, SaskAbilities opened a new Quality of Life Program location on the west side of Saskatoon in order to better serve individuals residing in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Located on Fletcher Road, this vibrant program provides participants with the opportunity to meet their individual goals, including but not limited to enhanced community involvement through work, volunteering, and social and recreational activities of their choosing. Andrew, one of the first participants to attend the new Quality of Life Program on Fletcher, shares, “Some of my favourite things to do at program are go for drives, go bowling, go mini golfing, and have fun. I really enjoyed our trip to Pike Lake and when we went to a horse show too!”

In the summer of 2022, SaskAbilities was thrilled to open its fifth Quality of Life

SaskAbilities Saskatoon Opens New Doors

Program, a brand new location in the City of Warman. This was a great opportunity for SaskAbilities to expand our community reach, welcoming individuals from Warman and surrounding areas into SaskAbilities’ programs and services within their own community. Warman is a vibrant and growing community, which SaskAbilities is thrilled to be a part of. Since the opening of our new location, participants from SaskAbilities’ Quality of Life Program in Warman have experienced opportunities to contribute their skills and expertise in many ways in their community; a community which has offered a warm welcome to the participants and agency alike. We look forward to exploring all that the city of Warman has to offer us both individually and collectively.

The Saskatoon Branch of SaskAbilities’ two new Quality of Life locations represent community in its truest sense; places of great opportunity for individuals to gather each day, to explore their hopes, dreams, and goals together whether individually or shared. SaskAbilities looks forward to the opportunity to grow alongside the communities around us, and to be able to live, work, and volunteer in Saskatoon and Warman for many years to come!

Reconnect with Cosmopolitan Industries

Last year was Cosmo’s 50th anniversary but Covid procedures in place during 2021 did not allow for a huge street party for program participants to celebrate the milestone together. Taking a page out of the Olympics, the festival was postponed for a year. On September 9, Cosmo participants were greeted by the sight of pop-up tents on the street, a dunk tank station, and a stage in the parking lot ready for the Bone Dogs to perform. With hamburgers and smokies, cotton candy and balloon animals, and a lot of dancing, the party was on and the atmosphere was one of pure joy.

Cosmo has undergone many changes since the last time the public toured our main centre on 34th Street. SAVE THE DATE notices went out for October 5 as the first public Open House in three years was planned for the afternoon. The theme chosen this year was ‘RECONNECT WITH COSMO’ in recognition of the long hiatus and that there are many new changes to be seen.

Most recently Cosmo’s Supported Work area was upgraded from the original industrial look and feel to a modern environment with increased accessibility and features like energy

efficient lighting and non-slip flooring. These renovations were possible due to the financial support of the Ministry of Social Services (CLSD), the Maunders McNeil Foundation, and the Riverside Vipond Golf Classic. Program Participants are proud of their new surroundings.

Cosmo keeps approximately 200,000 plant pots out of the landfill, annually, through contracts with major agricultural research companies and organizations. Supported Work saw the installation of plant pot washing stations which was made possible through additional fundraising,

including the Cans4Cosmo at-home deposit collection service and the Spirit of Cosmo breakfast. The stations are more efficient with greater safety than the tubs that were formerly used. Judging from the smiles on participants, they are greatly appreciated.

Each year Cosmo presents the Howard Stensrud Spirit of Cosmo Award to a person, group, or company who has enhanced the quality of life for adults with intellectual and related disabilities in Saskatoon and area. The award is the centerpiece of an annual breakfast, held on November 23, this year. Nominations for the award are accepted at any time through the cosmoindustries.com website. Information on the award, past recipients and tickets to the breakfast are available there as well.

Elmwood Residences Inc

Had a Great Summer

The residents of Elmwood have had an exciting summer! This year, residents were finally able to attend many fun outdoor events, sporting games, day camps, and events taking place in our very own backyard.

Throughout summer we’ve enjoyed many delicious BBQs in the hot summer weather - there is nothing better than enjoying your favourite summer snacks with friends and family! And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we kicked off July with a Hawaiian Luau! At this year’s Luau, we invited family members to join us in celebration. Everyone got to beat the heat with a Hawaiian shaved ice; residents were able to experience a pig roast and anxiously waited to enjoy the delicious meat which was served for supper. It was a memorable day, and we cannot wait for next year!

As July carried on, it was filled with laughter, entertainment, delicious food, and endless sunshine! A large part of our summer outings involved the day camp outings – which is a program Elmwood operates with the help of several summer grants. Residents were so excited to attend annual events once again such as Jazz Fest, Taste of Saskatchewan, and the Fringe Fest. Other activities included ice cream outings, walks by the river, camping at the Manor, the Farmer’s Market, a cruise on the Prairie Lily, and lunch at the Berry Barn.

Fast forward to August, and the residents were able to attend the Saskatoon Ex, where they were treated to delicious carnival snacks, entertainment, and beautiful weather. Folk Fest was another huge hit! Residents who visited the event had the time of their lives visiting the pavilions and stopping to try different foods and take in each country’s traditional performances.

Now let’s switch gears...as always, SILP spent time exploring our wonderful city and participants had a variety of activity options to choose from, which included mini golf at Fuddruckers, go karting at the Stoked Centre, swimming at the outdoor pools, and beach days where they could relax and unwind after a busy week. Another SILP group drove out and spent the day at Manitou Beach where they had a wonderful lakeside picnic! Afterwards, they had the choice to spend the afternoon at the Manitou Spa or explore the town. A couple of people chose to spend their July saving up their money so they could attend a Roughrider game! The Riders had plenty of extra support from some big fans that day.

We would like to thank the Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon, the City of Saskatoon - Your Local Government Community Grant program, and Canada Summer Jobs on behalf of the Government of Canada for supporting the residents to take part in all these summer activities.

To learn more and see what we’ve been up to, check us out on Facebook @ElmwoodResidencesInc.

Adventuring Together Again, All Summer Long!

It was a busy and sun-filled summer for the COR family. Picnic blankets were well used as we gathered for beach days and our weekly Wednesday barbeques in Wascana Park. From backyard gettogethers to garage parties, we simply enjoyed being able to reconnect in person with our friends, family, and being surrounded by our community once again.

Despite the distance experienced over the last few years, it was easy to see how much reconnecting in person meant to each and every one of us. It was a familiar feeling of picking up where we left off with a buzzing excitement to take on the summer together. Having the opportunity to nurture relationships both new and old, sustain connections within the community, and truly give those we support a meaningful summer experience was deeply impactful to all of us.

Paddling our way through the hot summer months, canoeing and kayaking on Wascana Lake flourished once again for another season. Thanks to our partnership with the Wascana Marina, we explored our passions for the water or discovered we even had one at all. Seeing self-confidence grow in so many from starting as a spectator to gaining the courage to get on the water was incredible.

For those of us who are lovers of the land, we regularly came together to put on many kilometres on our walking shoes while out exploring Regina parks and pathways. Some of us simply relished in the grass while enjoying laughs, good company, and watching others play disc golf.

The COR photography club expanded their connections this year; from parks to back alley art installations, vintage clothing stores, and beautiful murals at the heart of the city. The photo club, as part of the COR Studio, is gearing up for a fall photography showcase. Stay tuned as we transform the entrance of the COR studio into a projected visual experience celebrating all the photographers this fall!

Niapwin HandiWorks Says Goodbye

At the end of September, Nipawin Handi-Works said goodbye to our Assistant Managing Director, Pam Yates.

Pam has retired after more than 26 years of service to our organization. She and her husband are moving to live closer to their family and enjoy retirement and grandparenting. We held a Retirement Party for Pam on September 7 at the Nipawin Regional Park.

Board members, retirees, staff, participants, family, and friends gathered together to celebrate Pam and wish her well in this next chapter.

Cosmo Learning Centre Gets Out in the Community

The Cosmopolitan Learning Centre would like to show everyone what we have been up to over the summer of 2022.

The activities and adventures have taken us over land, sea, and sky. We are happy to provide the participants with programs that provide new experiences as well as some of their favourite ones. This summer saw the participants go to the Skypark and learn to drive race cars, learn to climb the climbing walls, and play mini golf.

Other adventures took us on boat rides on Wascana Lake and campouts in the backyard with hotdogs, smores, and campfire stories.

Our Carnival had games of chance, prizes, and tattoos. We also couldn’t get through the hot days of summer without a good old water fight with everyone winning by cooling off. We hope the pictures show the joy and happiness that a day at Cosmo brings the participants and staff.

KIN Summer in Prince Albert

Summer 2022 at KIN Enterprises has been nothing short of amazing! On June 29, to kick off summer, we invited the Moo Cow Ice Cream Truck to each KIN location to serve up some amazing ice cream for all of our participants and staff. July was filled with many adventures to the Hillbilly Homestead farm, Alfred Jenkins Park, splash parks around the city of Prince Albert, BBQs at Little Red Park and Kinsmen Park, and to the Red River Roping Club. Our participants and staff loved getting back in the community, meeting new people, and enjoying all the city and surrounding areas had to offer!

On July 15, we teamed up with North Star Screenprinting in Prince Albert to start a KIN Clothing Line and participants are extremely proud to be representing their KIN gear!

On July 20, our KIN 40 location hosted a BBQ and lawn games tournament for all of the Programs at KIN. It was a great day with so many smiles and rekindling with old friends. There were many exciting activities happening in the program as well: Minute to Win It tournaments, Talent Shows, Karaoke and dance parties, Art shows, and watching our beautiful gardens grow!

August was a month for the books as the beautiful weather allowed for so many fun events and trips! August 11 was Miracle Treat Day at Dairy Queen, and KIN purchased 138 blizzards to support the Children’s hospital. On August 12, KIN partnered up with Fresh Air Cinemas

to host ‘The 2nd Annual Night at the Drive In.’ The Drive In was a special event for all of KIN’s participants, staff, and caregivers to enjoy an evening out. We had hotdogs, popcorn, snacks, and prizes to give away; it was a great evening and we are already looking forward to next year! On August 24, we had our Light Assembly Program head out to the Melfort Wave Pool,followed by a beautiful day out at Emma Lake at the end of August. On August 30, the Sage Program departed from Prince Albert for a three-night stay in Edmonton. Everyone enjoyed their stay at a beautiful Airbnb and visits to Fort Edmonton, Edmonton Zoo, West Edmonton Mall, the Science Centre, and Imax theatre. It was a trip to remember; many memories made with our wonderful staff and participants.

As we gear up for the busy Fall and Winter months, our staff attended a two-day Workshop with Koralie Gaudry at Gaudry Consulting on September 6 and 7. The focus for the workshop was teambuilding and teamwork. We look forward to all the new tips and tricks learned as we continue to introduce and implement new Programs with our participants. We are excited to welcome some new staff to our team in the Fall and many new participants!

After Waiting Patiently for Three Years...

Plus Industries Finally Got to Go on their Great Big Outing

Supported Living Program staff from Plus Industries, Melfort, SK had planned an outing in 2019 for a group of participants to occur in 2021. Due to COVID-19, the trip was postponed until this August. This caused a lot of disappointment among the participants, but they all continued to save their money and attend meetings.

On August 7, 2022 a group of 11 participants and two Supported Living Program staff headed out to Alberta and visited Edmonton, Calgary, and Banff.

During the first couple days, we toured West Edmonton mall—everyone enjoyed the movie in 3D, Galaxyland, The World Waterpark, the shopping, the food, and our stay at the Fantasyland hotel. On the fourth day, we drove to Calgary and went to the mall, out for supper, and then to the hotel’s pool and hot tub to relax before another big day. On the fifth day, we went to the Telus Spark Science Centre followed by the Calgary Zoo—whew! That was AWESOME! But that was A LOT of walking and tired everyone out. For two of our participants with asthma, we rented a wheelchair for when they needed a break.

We had originally planned to stay for five days, but all was going so well and everyone was having so much fun that we had to plan something else! The staff decided that there was enough in the budget to squeeze in a horseback ride tour in Banff!

The participants had no idea that a pit stop was being made in Banff – they thought they were heading home. As we were getting into the mountains, everyone was fascinated with the beautiful views. Most of the participants wanted to walk around the town and do some shopping, so we did that and most of them got souveniers. After that, we drove to our next location where some people went horseback riding, while others played games like I-spy and enjoyed the view.

Everyone was so tired and had so much fun. We all returned safely home on Saturday, August 13.

With each experience, you learn things along the way and may reflect on what you could do differently to add to the experience. While everyone had a lot of fun and we were grateful to finally head out on our big adventure, we’re looking forward to planning a future trip with this experience in mind.

We can’t wait to get away again and keep exploring!

SARC’s Education and Training

Ramps Up Fall Training

We are excited to welcome you back to inperson training, whether that be at the SARC Training Centre or other locations, for a variety of in-person training sessions – Leap, Person-Centred Essentials, Mental Health First Aid, and so much more. If you are interested in connecting with your colleagues and hearing from great facilitators on a variety of topics, then check out our events calendar and e-news as events are regularly added.

In addition to our in-person offerings, we also have numerous online training sessions that are available upon demand in a variety of areas, such as Med Assist, Positive Behaviour Support, and Supported Employment Success, to name a few.

Did you know?

SARC facilitators can deliver training to organizations that are interested in training their employees as a group. We offer organizations this option with many of our programs – Person-centred Essentials, NTG Dementia, Mental Health First Aid, and PART, to name a few! Inquire today and have our facilitator come to you, virtually or in-person! For more information go to sarclearningcentral.ca

New to Education and Training

The Indigenous Speaker Series for Truth and Reconciliation – Part 1 & 2

In partnership with Elmwood Residences, Canadian Deafblind Association (CDBA), Community Living Service Delivery (CLSD), and SARC, we are pleased to offer a two-part speaker series for Truth and Reconciliation featuring Dr. Jaris Swidrovich and Dr. Raven Sinclair. This series is available to board directors and employees working in the disability service sector. If interested in learning more visit our website .

ELEVATE

Looking for an online leadership and professional development program for nonprofit board directors? Do you want information on best practices and trends to help you in your role of leading and governing an organization? If you answered ‘yes’, look no further than ELEVATE – re-launching this fall!

What’s New?

• Additional content – 14 modules in total

• Increased flexibility – take the modules you want, when you want, in the order you want

• Additional resources – videos, templates, and reference guides

What’s the Same?

• Great features – hosted online, narrated, interactive

• Learner access – have one year (from date of registration) to access content and resources

• Certificate of Completion – for those learners who complete all modules

For more information and updates, stay tuned to SARC Learning Central .

SARC Fall Conference and Awards Banquet

We are happy to say that our Fall Conference this year will be held inperson on October 26 & 27 in Regina, at the Atlas Hotel! This conference is for senior management, executive directors, and boards of directors and provides professional development and networking opportunities with other nonprofit and disability service sector leaders. To learn more and to register, visit the Fall Conference program page on our website.

Join us for the SARC Awards Banquet on the evening of October 26. At this annual banquet, recipients are presented with their awards in front of family, friends, SARC Members, government dignitaries, and special guests. These awards are an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the people that SARC Members support, and the businesses they partner with, that are committed to community development and inclusive employment.

Duty to Accommodate – coming in November

Nearly every employer will need to deal with a duty to accommodate at some point in time and has likely already been doing it for years without calling it ‘a duty to accommodate’. If you are in a supervisory role and want to learn more about the legislation that pertains to the duty to accommodate, as well as the Human Rights Act as it relates to this duty, this is the session for you. Stay tuned to our events calendar and e-news, as registration will open soon for these November sessions.