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

VIDEO: Transit Training

Hey everyone, the City of Kelowna has released an on-demand video that helps viewers learn how to take transit within the Kelowna Regional Transit System (Lake Country to Peachland). It covers how to access and use fares, board and ride the bus, read schedules and use trip planning tools. You can access the free video by filling out an online registration form at smartTRIPS.ca.  Registration ensures their staff can provide essential additional resources and a complimentary transit fare product.

Here is some more information from the City:

The video is part of a suite of public education materials created for the City’s pilot Transit Travel Training Program. Offered by the City of Kelowna in partnership with BC Transit and Central Okanagan Public Schools, the program is made possible with grant funding provided by the BC Ministry of Health. The pilot aims to test a program delivery model to reduce barriers that youth and older adults may face in taking transit. 

For more information about the program, visit smartTRIPS.ca, email events@smartTRIPS.ca or call 1-800-469-7830. 


Grocery Shopping Support – COMMUNITY CARE

Hey everyone, there is a Shop-by-Phone program available in Kelowna in partnership with Save-on-Foods (Mission) offering weekly service to Community Care clients who need help with grocery shopping and delivery.

Check out their brochure (below) and contact Neda (Volunteer Services Coordinator – Central Okanagan) if you have questions or are interested in obtaining a referral: 250.980.1558.

Have a Great Weekend!

Better Homes & Gardens (June 9, 2020)

Hey everyone, we wanted to say HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND to you all! Please remember to be safe and healthy while you are “doing your thing” — whether “your thing” is Halloween, Dia de Los Muertos, or something else entirely!

Don’t forget about the Spook-tacular Live-Stream happening tonight, or the Virtual Halloween Dance happening tomorrow!

No matter what you’re celebrating (safely) this weekend, send us a picture of how you “made it great” and we’ll post it next week!

Spook-tacular Live-Stream!

Hey everyone, this week’s social distancing reminder is an invitation to the Nelson Cares LIVE-STREAM SPOOKTACULAR happening next Friday night!

Hi folks,

In honour of Community Inclusion Month, we are going to try something different this Spook-tober…

We are going to have our most excellent DJ, Lucas, return for a live streaming Halloween music event on Friday October the 30th! The event will take place on zoom, and the log in is the same for any self-advocacy meeting (see poster below) Lucas will be sharing tunes while the rest of us can use the chat bar to converse and the video to show off our costumes and react together. Maybe folks will feel like dancing in their house or just listening is fine too.

Either way, please feel free to dress up, dance in your room, or have a little house party with your pod and enjoy the tunes together!

Hope to see you there, it begins at 6:00.

Matthew Wilson-Birks, Advisor, The Nelson Self-Advocacy Group (Click here to find us on Facebook), Nelson CARES Society

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!

Shopping Shenanigans

With the holiday season nearly upon us, many turn to shopping for presents and checking out what is new in stores.

While this can get stressful, Denise, Dave, Doreen and Samantha took a break from the frenzy to have a spot of fun – check out their video!

Thanks for sharing with us, guys!

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