COMING in SEPTEMBER 2020!
Our newest fundraising initiative -
Social
with a
purpose
!
We are re-vamping our traditional fall fundraising event, Coffee Break. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our continued efforts to keep our clients, care partners, staff, volunteers, community partners, and donors safe through physical distancing measures,
Social
with a
purpose
has been developed in collaboration with Alzheimer Societies across Ontario!
What is Social
with a
purpose? Simply put, it is an in-person (while physically distancing) or virtual gathering for the purpose of being social, having fun, and raising money for the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County.
We will provide pre-recorded event options that may include such things as a motivational speaker, paint night, wine-tasting, cooking lessons, or more. Of course, participants can host a "Coffee Break" if they want to continue a tradition, or have the option of creating their own event.
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Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
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The Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County is known as a trusted authority on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and the provider of leading-edge education, support services, and social programs for persons living with dementia, and their care partners. With that role comes great responsibility.
The events of recent weeks have been marked by devastating anti-Black racism, prompting widespread protests and community uprisings around the world. Racism against Black, Indigenous and People of Colour has a long and documented history, and we have witnessed protests before. The intensity of the world's reaction, however, brings hope that this time, our society's response will be different and enduring.
The Alzheimer Society has always emphasized the rights of persons living with dementia, and their care partners; however, we recognize that there is much more we need to do to ensure that individuals of all races and ethnicities in our community have the same access to our programs and services, and that we can do better to support diversity and inclusiveness in our organization. The Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County, its Board of Directors and Staff, are committed to using the trust and influence we hold to confront racism and discrimination. We will be taking steps to make a difference.
Diversity and inclusion are core to our values and have been identified as a priority in our strategic plan. We will examine our work with a more robust commitment to these goals. We will reflect on our own behaviours and decision-making processes to identify and mitigate implicit bias. We will embrace continuous learning to enhance inclusion and educate ourselves and our colleagues to promote diversity.
To bring about real and lasting change, we must put our values into action by demonstrating what we believe in.
Here is our commitment to all our stakeholders:
- We will reach out to our community to ask how we can better support diversity and inclusiveness in our organization. We have already started to compile some excellent resources to assist with a better understanding of the issues and to support our discussions about some actions we can take.
- We will ask tough questions about our own organization to ensure individuals of all races in our community have the same access to the Alzheimer Society’s programs and services.
- We will open the dialogue with our Staff and Volunteers to ensure our team fully understands the issues and our organizational commitment to diversity and inclusion, and to ask how we can make our workplace more inclusive.
- We will add our voices to the dialogue, as it takes everyone to be part of the solution.
- We will let you know how we plan to address the issues we identify.
We would love to hear your thoughts on how the Alzheimer Society can help address the issue of systemic racism. Please feel free to provide your comments and share your ideas
here
.
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New Grants to Support our Work!
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The Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County is excited about two new grants which have been approved to support our important work!
We will receive
$22,500
from the
United Way Simcoe Muskoka
as part of the Government of Canada’s
Emergency Community Support Fund
,
to support the development and delivery of
activity kits
to individuals living with dementia who are experiencing social isolation in the community and long-term care homes. This funding will help to provide immediate essential services to some of our most vulnerable residents impacted by COVID-19. The project will be implemented in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Muskoka. For more information about how to access a free activity kit, please see below.
The
Community Foundation of Orillia and Area
has also approved a
$2,000
grant to support the delivery of programs and services in that region.
We are deeply grateful for this crucial support during an unprecedented and challenging time.
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FREE Activity Kits Available!
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The Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County is thrilled to announce that we have received funding from the Canada Emergency Community Support Fund through the United Way Simcoe Muskoka to create and distribute activity kits to our clients! Kits are available for a range of abilities and interests and are meant to help keep people living with dementia engaged during this time of physical distancing.
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*NEW* Program - Virtual Care for Carers
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If you are feeling increased stress and anxiety in your role as a care partner during the COVID-19 pandemic, then this series is for you. Designed to address these issues, the
Virtual Care for Carers
series consists of 4 taped sessions that you can view when convenient from the comfort of your own home. The 5
th
session will be a live interactive opportunity, where participants can ask questions, share experiences, and continue to build on their knowledge. Topics covered include:
- Caregiver Burnout
- The Power of Emotion
- Mindful Self-Compassion
- Self-Care
To access the free video series, registration is required by calling Dana Bessette at 705-722-1066 ext. 225 or emailing
dbessette@alzheimersociety.ca
This series is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program and is a partnership with Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County.
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North Simcoe Muskoka Specialized Geriatric Services Program Resources
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The Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County collaborates with the local Specialized Geriatric Services (SGS) Program to optimize the health and well-being of frail seniors and their care partners in North Simcoe Muskoka.
We recently participated in a series of videos produced by SGS for Seniors Month in June, focusing on:
- Confusion in Older Adults
- Social Engagement and Caregiving
- Polypharmacy and the Older Adult
- Falls and Mobility
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We are pleased to share our
2019-2020 Annual Report
, which highlights the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County’s accomplishments over the past year, and the need, now more than ever, for the support of our community through these challenging times. We hope you’ll take the time to learn more about how you, along with thousands of other caring individuals across Simcoe County, are helping to support persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and their care partners.
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Introducing our 2020-2021 Board of Directors
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The Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County is pleased to introduce the Board of Directors for the coming year:
Chair:
Ann-Marie Kungl
Vice-Chair:
Jordan Weber
Treasurer:
Dan McMahon
Secretary:
Valerie Powell
Directors:
Melissa Faulkner
Jonathan Friedman
Deena-Kay Froese
Betty Jones
Tara Maxwell
Many thanks to this committed group of amazing volunteers for their leadership, dedication and support!
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Meet another amazing volunteer!
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Sylvia Taylor, a retired teacher, helps support Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County public awareness activities by participating in Health Fairs in Orillia and area. Sylvia manages the Society’s information booth that includes lots of information about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. She chats with people, listens to their stories, answers questions, and directs them to resources about dementia.
Sylvia shares that this role has given her more empathy for people as they journey through the disease. “Each person has a different perspective,” she says. “You can’t make assumptions about people.” The first time at a Health Fair, Sylvia worked with a retired nurse who was very helpful. The next time, she had more confidence.
Thank you, Sylvia, for providing information and a bit of encouragement to those who are living with and caring for those with dementia.
If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities with the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County, please contact Marguerite Glanfield at
mglanfield@alzheimersociety.ca.
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Great Canadian Giving Challenge
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We had a great response to our first
Great Canadian Giving Challenge
in partnership with CanadaHelps.org, and we thank everyone who donated! We held a random draw for donations received between June 18
th
and June 30
th
, 2020 for a beautiful, hand-crafted quilt made by one of our generous, long-time volunteers.
Congratulations to Chip W. of Orillia who is the winner of the quilt!
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Please note that our schedule of operations has changed for the summer, as follows:
Monday to Thursday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday
8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Regular hours of operation will resume on September 8
th
, 2020.
Over the coming weeks, we will be planning for our “new normal” in terms of operations in the Barrie and Orillia offices, and the safe delivery of programs and services across Simcoe County, based on Public Health advice and Ministry of Health guidelines. We will keep you apprised as our plans are developed.
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Congratulations to our 2020 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's TOP INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM FUNDRAISERS!
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We can’t thank those who participated in our virtual 2020 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s on May 31, 2020 enough! We apologize for the delay in tallying all donations due to challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are pleased to finally be able to announce our top Team and Individual Participant fundraisers!
Congratulations and Thank You!
Top Teams
Top Individual Participants
1.
The Goldie Gang 1. Matthew Vorstermans
2.
#bestteamever Simcoe 2. Krys Belland
3.
Orillia Minor Hockey Association 3. Susan Hunt
We also want to acknowledge and thank our amazing Board and Staff Teams, and our sponsor IG Wealth Management, for their incredible local fundraising efforts!
Thanks again to all who participated in and supported the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s during this unprecedented and extremely difficult time. We look forward to your involvement again in 2021!
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For further information on how you can support the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County by making a donation, please contact Sandy MacNevin, Fund Development Officer at
fdo@alzheimersociety.ca
.
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