Category: Stuff we did

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ZEN ZONE!

Hey there everyone and welcome to the ZEN ZONE, where we take time out each Friday in April to zoom in on stress management information, resources, and strategies.

So let’s start at the beginning: what is stress?

Stress is “the body’s response to a real or perceived threat” and it’s meant to “get people ready for some kind of action to get them out of danger” — and, it can be either helpful, or unhelpful. We’re going to focus on dealing with unhelpful stress. Over the coming month we will have a look at the strategies found in the brochure below, under “what can I do about it” — and we’ll try to find ways to make those strategies something we can do each day.

As we’re exploring our own stress management strategies this month, we can use The Stress Management Society’s 30 Day Challenge resources to get started — check out their calendar to help track the activities you want to do for physical, mental and emotional wellbeing for 30 days, and their tips and tricks for choosing activities to try!

22-04-01-Brochure-Stress-NTNL-brochure-2014-webDownload
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April 2022: Health and Safety month!

Hey everyone, we are launching our annual Health and Safety month today for April 2022! *And no, this is not an April Fools joke (though we posted a Friday Funny earlier – check it out here!)

Each year we take time in April to focus in on promoting health and safety for everyone we support, caregivers, and employees. We are going to be including a very special focus this year on stress management, which we thought would be helpful as we all continue to cope with COVID-19 in our communities.

You can expect to see weekly posts on Mondays covering different health and safety topics, from Healthy Habits to Home Safety. You can also expect to see weekly posts on Fridays zooming in on stress management strategies. We’ll be including information and sharing resources from our teams during the week, too.

Got a great safety resource or an interesting piece of health info? Don’t be shy – sharing is caring! Drop it in a comment below or send it over in an email!

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Virtual events with SAOR!

Hey everyone, there are a number of really cool events to attend virtually or by phone through Self Advocates of the Rockies (SAOR) — get connected, and find out what’s happening next:

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Check out the Freaky Geeky Talk Show every Monday (July 5, 12, 19, 26) from 7-8 pm MST (6-7 pm Pacific) with Kimberly (email: k.earl@realmbc.ca) using the Google Meet Link (https://meet.google.com/chv-dfsh-nqc) and Dial Number: 1-778-747-9247 with PIN: 572 532 691#.

Participate in Ray’s Phone Tree every Thursday (July 8, 15, 22, 29) from 11:30 am-12 pm MST (10:30 am-11 am Pacific) with Raymond (email Janine Moore at j.moore@realmbc.ca for info).

Jump in with Breaking Away From the Covid Blues Presents: My Summer Bucket List on July 21 from 1-2 pm MST (12-1 pm Pacific) with Lynnetta (email Shanda Johnson at s.johnson@realmbc.ca for info) using the Google Meet Link (https://meet.google.com/osy-vnsv-din) and Dial Number: 1-613-778-3895 with PIN: ‪464 255 934#.

Chill with Ray’s Retro Friday Night Music on July 23 from 5-6 pm MST (4-5 pm Pacific) with Raymond (email Shanda Johnson at s.johnson@realmbc.ca for info) using the Google Meet Link (https://meet.google.com/cfs-kpth-rrg).

Get involved in Arts & Crafts with Kim on July 29 from 2-3 pm MST (1-2 pm Pacific) with Kimberly (email for more info & supplies to k.earl@realmbc.ca) using the Google Meet Link (https://meet.google.com/ydk-javb-xao) and Dial Number: 1-289-349-9404 with PIN: 456 104 362#.

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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

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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!

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Harold and Eva’s Epic Adventure!

Harold N in Penticton

Hey everyone:

Got the COOLEST note from Eva C – she and Harold N had an amazing adventure to Penticton from their home in Nelson to see a Roy Orbison tribute. Please check out her note and the pictures below and.. way to go you two…!


Hello Brian
Harold and I wanted to say Hello from our little adventure to Penticton yesterday and on our way back today .
We went to a Roy Orbison Tribute band performance from Victoria called” The Lonely “
Awesome Band!!
We stayed in a motel overnight in Penticton.
I help Harold doing recycling every week and we save up money for tix and food like this Event . We are skipping the Elvis Festival this year . Just to take a break. So this was a perfect :)….
….Here are photos and you can use them on the website HN is cool with that.
Cheers
Eva and Harold

  • Harold at the Deadwood Cafe in Greenwood
  • Orbison Tribute “The Lonely Band”
  • Eva and Harold
  • Harold and the King
  • Friends having dinner at Theo’s
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WE HEARD YOU: Did you know…?

Each year we send out a survey and ask for your feedback. Last spring, we asked you two questions about your quality of life in your community:

  • How could all services in your town better meet your needs?
  • Is there anything that you would like to see in your community that speaks to your interests?

We got back lots of ideas about services, about recreation, and about transportation. Thanks!

Since we looked at the ideas and suggestions we got back, it seemed to us that people might not know that their communities are working hard to meet these needs – so we thought we would share what we know is currently going on.

Here is some information about what’s going on in the Okanagan, and in our Province:

2020 Feedback-Info Bulletin – OkanaganDownload

Here is some information about what’s going on in the Kootenays, and in our Province:

2020 Feedback-Info Bulletin – KootenaysDownload

Check it out! Feel free to pass along to others.

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