Hey everyone, WE day returns on July 15! For the people we support, their friends and families, support workers and their friends and families!
Hope to see you all there! Poster below:
WE Day on July 15!
It’s COMMUNITY INCLUSION MONTH!
Hey everyone, October is COMMUNITY INCLUSION MONTH – so let’s celebrate inclusion in our communities!
All month long, we will be posting ways to celebrate inclusion, ways to build inclusion, and ways to explore the meaning of inclusion.
To get started, here are some places you can check out all month long for community inclusion month information, events, and posts:
- Here is the page for CLBC’s Widening Our World (WOW) Awards, which will be updated with this year’s winners during Community Inclusion Month. The awards this year will focus on people who helped make a difference in the lives of people with diverse abilities through the COVID-19 pandemic.
- CLBC’s Facebook page and Twitter page will be updated with information and events throughout Community Inclusion Month.
- Inclusion BC is working with CLBC during Community Inclusion Month to raise awareness about inclusive housing. Watch Inclusion BC’s video below, or check it out with their Key to Home website here.
- In keeping with the inclusive housing theme, Inclusion Canada announced they are going to share new resources through their Pathways to Homeownership project.
- Inclusion Canada also has a webpage about deinstitutionalization in Canada. Check out these powerful milestones, experiences, and progress in community inclusion here.
End of an Era…
Hey everyone, as you’ve probably heard, as of tomorrow (May 15th) we will no longer be providing our community support services in Kelowna. This is a bittersweet moment for us, as this decision was not made lightly, and we have many fond memories of the community support program over the years.
So, today, we are celebrating! We are celebrating all of the wonderful people we have supported. We are celebrating all of the wonderful employees that we have worked with as we have provided supports. We are celebrating all of the achievements and memories that have come along with our time providing these services.
As we mark 30 years providing support in our communities, we are grateful that we have had all the opportunities and experiences in community support with you along the way. We remember with joy all the Naramata retreats, the Canucks trips and the sports games, the road trips and the beach days. We remember with pride supporting and celebrating community living month with our friends and colleagues at Pathways. We remember with gratitude all those who participated, supported, and celebrated WE Days with us in Kelowna.
This is absolutely a big change. It marks the end of an era in our agency’s history. But, with every ending, comes a new beginning. We know that all the people we have supported will continue to make great memories and to explore new opportunities with whatever comes next.
Even though the time has come to wish everyone we supported in community support all the best, we will still be around in the community providing our other supports. We will also still be around on here, our own corner of the internet. We welcome you to drop us a line here any time, and you’re always welcome to leave comments for discussion.
Thank you all for being part of our community support here at Community Connections!
Sincerely,
Jackie & Brian
Beat the Cold!
The past week has seen dropping temperatures and chilly weather here in the Okanagan, and across BC…
It’s important to know how to stay safe in the cold! Check out these 7 steps to cold weather safety, ICBC’s winter driving webpage, and Shift Into Winter from the Winter Driving Safety Alliance for more information on how to stay safe.
Community Inclusion Month!
Hey everyone, October is Community Inclusion Month! With the ongoing response to COVID-19, we are celebrating a little differently this year — check out Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran as he proclaims October Community Inclusion Month, an event that has in past years included the Pathways Inclusion Chain:
How are you celebrating Community Inclusion Month this year? Let us know in the comments!
Laurel posAbilities Newsletter!
Hey everyone, check out this special edition of the Laurel posAbilities Newsletter — and keep an eye out for Roy’s experiences with our community support on page 2! Way to go, guys!
Stay safe, strong and healthy…!
Community Support Events Cancelled (Coronavirus (COVID-19))
Hi all:
It is with a heavy heart that we let you know that all group events (community support, etc) are cancelled until further notice.
Notes going forward:
- CSWs will make individual appointments (1:1) with people on their caseloads who would be most negatively affected by going without support
- Please be mindful of where you go (no public spaces (malls, fitness facilities, etc) except a walk at the park, etc) – safe, wide open spaces only.
- Wash your hands and encourage the person we support (PS) to wash theirs often
- If the PS or their CSW are unwell or there is a risk of exposure, err on the side of caution and cancel the appointment
- Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help
- Keep an eye on our website for any info that we come across that may help. (direct link: https://commconn.ca/category/coronavirus-covid-19/ )
This will likely affect the Kelowna community support team more any others.
Please stay safe and be well.
Jackie and Brian
Amit’s Interviews: Sarah Parsons Connect Art Class
Hey out there:
Check out our intrepid reporter Amit Ghosh (with the incomparable Kathy Herbert behind the camera) as he interviews Sarah Parsons at the Connect Art Class at the Kelowna Art Gallery.
Canucks 2020!
Hi everyone:
Here’s a video invite from Amit for the 2020 Canucks Trip – it’s gonna be a blast!
See ya out there!
