Kinships Celebrated in Prince Albert

It has been three months since KIN Enterprises has closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All of the staff and participants remain at home with exception of management and a few service delivery staff at the KIN 15 Workshop. However, we were extremely happy to announce the reopening of the Starlight Restaurant on Wednesday, June 17th!

The term ‘KIN Family’ has certainly held true over the last three months. Although all members of KIN have remained apart, we take every opportunity to stay connected during this time of uncertainty. KIN Konnections, a Facebook group, was formed shortly after the closure to aid in the upset of routine. KIN staff, participants, caregivers and Board members fill the page on a daily basis to connect and brighten spirits. Daily activities, games, challenges, etc., are created to bring joy to everyone’s day. Gift cards, prizes and meals have been mailed and hand delivered to doorsteps over the past three months! Zoom coffee dates, scavenger hunts, and bingo have become a regular evening activity for the KIN Konnections group. Smiles, laughter and genuine happiness fill the virtual world as we all come together as one big family!

On May 29th, KIN held a parade throughout the city of Prince Albert. Over 50 vehicles, including the Prince Albert Police, Prince Albert Fire Department, Prince Albert Parkland Ambulance, city councillors, Prince Albert Food Box and Kin staff took to the streets of Prince Albert to connect with all of the participants and the community. During the parade, KIN celebrated Disability Service Professionals Week and a retirement of two longterm staff. Amazing community support during the day left staff and family members in tears of joy and happiness as we were so proud to be a part of something special!

We all look forward to being together again! Until then, the KIN family will remain connected in every way we know how. Staff are working hard at home to bring the best programs to our participants and the management team is hard at work developing a reopening plan that is safe for everyone at KIN. Many renovations are underway at KIN and we are very excited to welcome staff and participants to their new and improved areas!

Stay Safe & Stay Healthy, your friends at KIN Enterprises.

Show ing F t i Ind t ie ’ Lo l T t Telemi le 44 ti lent

With the arrival of a new executive director, Ray Whitton, to Futuristic Industries in December 2018, so too came a music program that saw one of its participants featured on this year’s Telemiracle broadcast on March 8th.

The music program began Friday afternoons from 1:45 pm until 2:30 pm and in its infancy focused on music appreciation, genres, expression, and “how it makes me feel”.

With an abundance of talent within Humboldt and area, Futuristic Industries began reaching out for volunteers to perform and share their gifts with its participants. Each week brought a new opportunity to learn more about music and build meaningful relationships outside our walls.

It wasn’t long before participants began asking to sing, dance, and learn to play instruments on their own to perform for one another each week.

In November of 2019 Telemiracle began its search for Saskatchewan talent to fill out its show in March. Morris Matieshen (a singing standout) approached staff and asked if there was any way he could audition in Saskatoon because as Morris put it, “I like to sing but I also want to help people”.

With John Denver’s “Sunshine on my Shoulder” as his ammunition, Morris made it to the audition and wowed the judges with his beautiful voice and heartfelt performance.

It was an easy decision for them to make and Morris had reserved his spot for the show in late December.

Morris practiced relentlessly in preparation and held a fundraising concert in Humboldt where he had the opportunity to perform his song of choice in front of 120 people, raising almost $5,000.00 for the Kinsmen Foundation!

We are so proud of Morris’ efforts, talent, and sense of community.

Branching Out

Prairie Branches is pleased and excited to share that we have branched our services out to Kerrobert where we established a Community-Based Day Program. In February 2020, we opened our newest program in Kerrobert with five participants joining us right away! There are spaces available for five more individuals in the Kerrobert region to join the program.

The community of Kerrobert has been more than welcoming to our agency! The local Kinsmen and Legion members have been very generous in offering a space in their building to meet and do some activities. We have already received tremendous community support and we can’t wait to officially launch the program when our province opens up again.

COVID-19 protocols have changed our current programming; however, in the few short weeks we were open, the excited participants enjoyed many activities. This included a walking program, swimming in Kindersley, small business ventures, crafts, games, social activities and a community coffee house. The participants are definitely missing their activities; however, they still get to visit with the staff on a weekly basis and look forward to being together again soon. Some of the participants have employment or volunteer work in the community.

Prairie Branches is proud to offer quality personcentered services to some very deserving individuals. Once we get started back up we will have an official opening ceremony where the community can celebrate this much-needed service and the individuals it serves. The community of Kerrobert has opened their arms to our agency and we have hired some amazing staff there.

T ning Le f Adj the Unknown t to

First and foremost, all of us here at Turning Leaf Support Services hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. There is no doubt it has been a stressful, uncertain season, and we hope that you have seen some unexpected gifts come out of this tricky time. Maybe it’s the chance to spend more time at home with family, enjoying more frequent contact with friends and family thanks to technology, tackling projects that have been on the list for a long time, relishing in the slower pace of things, or feeling a sense of gratitude for the simple joys.

Here at Turning Leaf, our response to COVID-19 was swift and focused. Our top priority was and always will be the health and safety of our employees and participants. With this in mind, every decision we made in response to the pandemic has had their well-being at the centre of it.

Before we share how we navigated the pandemic, here is a little about us:

WHAT IS TURNING LEAF SUPPORT SERVICES?

We are a non-profit, charitable organization that provides person-centred, crisis and treatment services to vulnerable and marginalized individuals living with mental illness and intellectual challenges in our community.

WHO DOES TURNING LEAF SUPPORT?

The participants of our programs are often deeply impacted by their circumstances which can become barriers to living safely and independently in the community. Trauma, homelessness, poverty,

addictions, discrimination, sexual exploitation, societal stigmas, and lack of access to resources are some of the barriers our participants face every day.

COVID-19 RESPONSE

Over the last three months since COVID-19 hit, we have constantly adjusted our sails to ensure uninterrupted delivery of services to the individuals in the province who count on our support every day. We immediately reallocated our resources where they were needed, and our team was so willing to be wherever they had to be to maintain our participants’ support.

We adapted the way we support our staff and participants by engaging in new and creative ways such as virtual trainings and meetings, utilizing and promoting local services available such as free transit and support from Riverside Mission, Salvation Army, and Hunger in Moose Jaw. Management has met with participants as needed while social distancing on lawns, through windows, and in parks, and staff have been preparing meals and distributing them to participants to fill their freezers. One of the outcomes of how we adapted that we are very proud of is that we have been able to maintain stable housing for all of our participants throughout the pandemic.

We continue to meet needs in unique ways. We are assembling and distributing emergency and essentials hampers regularly, delivering coffee and snacks to participants daily, and upholding social distancing by providing bikes for staff and participants’ transportation. We have seen people in the community step up to help, including a generous anonymous donor who provided cell phones with plans to our participants so they could remain connected remotely and so they had a way to reach out if they were in crisis. We have had some of our employees’ families sew and donate handmade reusable masks to help keep our staff and participants safe.

In terms of caring for our employees during this time, we were deeply committed to maintaining a happy work environment by encouraging dialogue about anxieties and ensuring access to supports through the organization such as counseling and meeting virtually, checking in regularly, and making room for time off to deal with personal or family issues.

Through it all, we witnessed our team and this community come together, though physically apart, in ways we’ve never seen before. It has changed us. We are better for it, and so are the people we support.

We are so grateful to be a SARC member and we deeply value its commitment to fostering independence, inclusion, and opportunity in the community.

Be safe and well everyone!

My Ci

le of Life

BY EDWARD FUNK, SUPPORTED BY SOUTHWEST HOMES

At the age of 16, I was separated from my family and community to move into Valley View Institution, where I remained for 55 years. Now I am fortunate to live in my own beautiful home, and call Swift Current, my community.

With the help of my supporter, I am setting 2020, as my year to widen my family circle, to reconnect with individuals who were a part of my life!!

My journey of rebuilding begins with a visit to where my roots all began.

I was born in Main Centre, Sask. While there we visited the community cemetery.

After reflecting on my father, and paternal grandparent’s graves, we took a stroll through the grounds, and found more family sites.

It felt great being there. 140 KM on the road. I enjoyed my day on the road.

Explo ing Co mopolit New No n Ind t m l ie t

Cosmopolitan Industries, at the time of this writing, is entering its third month of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although all of our locations remain empty without activity, laughter and excitement amongst the participants and staff, the programs we would normally offer in our buildings remain very much alive and active. The shift with the closure forced all of us to embrace the change, and create a new normal of working remotely while staying focussed on what is still Cosmo’s mission of “Creating opportunities, providing support and challenging participants.”

Creativity amongst all our Direct Support Professionals has been evident through this entire process with all forging ahead to create various programs that could be delivered remotely. Some of these programs include virtual fitness twice per week; travel slideshows; weekly Rhythm Band practises; find Friday and make Monday art classes; horticulture club and a read along class. There is also community involvement that consists of neighbourhood walks and sight seeing drives in our wheelchair van which is perfectly designed to offer ample social distance for those in ‘need’ of getting out of the house.

Our partnership with other community-based organizations has been very positive. Many of our staff have been deployed to group homes to provide daily activity and additional support to individuals within their homes. Programs offered are crafts, recycling, video chats, board games, beauty groups and the list is endless.

We were even able to offer a temporary work from home option for many participants, when a mail preparation customer contacted us for their annual mail out. An exciting opportunity for many.

For others, who have settled into a new routine at home, we are providing weekly calls by various staff members, as a way to stay connected, to brighten someone’s day and to allow us to continue to evaluate the needs of support required, the longer Cosmo remains closed. Missing each other is apparent; however, over all, everyone is making the best of their days. Hats off to all the staff who are creating positive moments to help everyone get through this. We look forward to the day when we welcome our friends back to Cosmo!

A New B ilding P New Oppo t nitie e ent in Nip win

Handi-Works has been busy these past few months. We have moved locations. We sold our former building south of Nipawin to John Deer and purchased a building that used to be Neufeld Seeds on Railway Ave West. The new location was four separate buildings and needed some renovations to be one building. Having to be shut down for the COVID-19 quarantine, we had plenty of time to move what needed to be moved, renovate and paint, as well as set up the new building. We hope that the new building will give us more access to the community and opportunities for the people we support.

Our staff have been doing their best to continue with programming activities and exercises. They have created rooms on an app called Zooroom and everyone who wants to logs on at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm to participate in a craft, play bingo, read a book, or whatever else is planned for the day.

On Fridays, the staff go to each home to drop off a package for the following week based on what is planned for the week. They practice safe distancing and the participants really like this because they know they are missed and able to see the staff.

We are anxious to see what our new normal looks like and how the participants like our new location and building.

Stay safe, and we are in this together.

N vig ting Ch nge Whe tl nd Region t l Cent e

This past year has been a significantly more challenging year than past years.

Our organization began operating out of a new building, welcomed a new Executive Director in the agency, and experienced all the changes that go with that.

In addition, COVID-19 hit in the spring. We all know how difficult that has been on our participants, staff, community members, partners and the world in general.

Our group homes did not have internet until this spring. Up until now, our participants have been Facetiming with other group homes and families near and far to keep the connections alive. We have started a pen pal project with another agency and have been doing a lot of walking around the community!

The staff have been doing many new and interesting things with the participants— from painting rocks to Yardzee and giant Jenga!

It has been interesting trying to encourage participants to continue with daily routines, and participants have found it challenging to not be able to attend regular day programs and see familiar faces. We had some participants who have had milestone birthdays and have gotten creative in our celebrations—parades, balloons, lawn ornaments and a lot of honking!

Despite all the challenges we have seen, everyone is keeping busy, healthy, and very happy. Staff have been encouraged to use the EAP program or other supports as needed and we are watching for burnout as some casual staff opted to work for secondary employers throughout COVID-19.

This has been an opportune time for staff to continue training, so a computer was installed in the staff room for staff to access online training.

While it has been difficult getting PPE supplies, we have been fortunate enough to be part of a larger umbrella that connects all of us in the region together to share what is working, what is not, and where to find supplies. Thank you to all who came forward with suggestions and tips!

It is a learning curve going through a pandemic and no amount of preparation assures you are ready for it. We had already been working on updating our Emergency Preparedness Plan and now staff realize how important updated documents can be, as well as regular review of processes and plans for evacuation in a variety of scenarios, so that is definitely a positive.

Ed pd yo

tion nd T ining te - we n’t w it to ll in the f ll! ee

The Education and Training team has been exceptionally busy over the last few months, despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing us to postpone all inperson events. We would like to update you on what we have been working on, as well as let you know what to expect when in-person training starts back up in fall.

IN PERSON TRAINING ADJUSTED TO MEET LEARNER NEEDS

When SARC made the difficult decision in March to cancel in-person training events, we got creative with how we moved forward with in-person professional development.

The Leap program spans from September-May annually, but due to COVID-19, we brought the last two sessions to Leap Learners virtually. Thank you to our Leap Learners who tuned in virtually, and congratulations to this year’s 25 Leap Graduates! Here is what one Learner said about the experience: “It was great how innovative you’ve been to complete the Leap year!”

Leap registration for the 2020- 2021 year opened on July 6. Executive Directors and Senior Managers – don’t hesitate to register for this management skills development program as we are limited in the number of people who can attend this year due to COVID-19 guidelines. Check out the Leap page on SARC Learning Central for more information and to register. SARC’s three Supported Employment Workshops, normally held in-person, were held virtually for employees at Inclusion Saskatchewan in May. This program is intended for Supported Employment Professionals who assist people with barriers to find and maintain employment.

SARC’s new NTG Dementia Training, typically an in-person session, is currently being delivered virtually. Starting in fall, in-person sessions will be available. We’ve received great feedback about this program already, which is intended for anyone who supports someone who is aging and experiencing disability.

COMING SOON!

SARC has been busy developing our newest training program – Venture - The Supervisor’s Skill Path. This online program is six modules of interactive content to be taken over a 90 day timeframe. It is designed to help new supervisors, or those wanting to enhance their skill sets, to build the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need for a successful career in the nonprofit sector. For more information, visit the Venture page on SARC Learning Central. This program will launch in fall/winter of this year!

SARC’s three Supported Employment Workshops are currently being reviewed and will be moving from an in-person training format to an online format. This program will be available on-demand through an online interactive platform featuring four modules on supported employment best practices. A variety of helpful tools and resources accompany this training, which will be helpful for Supported Employment Professionals who are assisting job seekers to secure and maintain employment.

COVID PROTOCOLS FOR IN-PERSON TRAINING

We are very excited to see you in person once again, but before that time comes, we are meticulously planning and creating procedures so that all of our Learners, facilitators, and staff continue to be safe. For up-to-date steps that we are taking to ensure health and safety, please see our COVID-19 web page on SARC Learning Central. If you register for an in-person event for fall, you will receive additional details on what you can expect from SARC and what is expected of Learners, including details on physical distancing, entrances/exits, lunch, and much more.

We can’t wait to see everyone again!

DO YOU HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO YOU WANT TO TRAIN? CONTACT US TO DISCUSS OUR CUSTOMIZED VIRTUAL TRAINING OPTIONS FOR A NUMBER OF OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS!

Contact Us

Office: 111 Cardinal Crescent

Phone: (306) 933-0616

Fax: (306) 653-3932

E-mail: contact@sarcan.sk.ca

www.sarcsarcan.ca