Dear Community Member,
This year has been a roller coaster, to say the least. Early on we had hoped the end of the pandemic – and the hardship, isolation, and exclusion it had deepened for people and families we support – was near. But the virus and its variants made 2021 an exercise in perseverance, perhaps at times even more so than the previous year.
Add to that a deepening housing crisis, increased cost of living, and labour challenges that continue to disproportionately affect children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families.
But there was cause for cheer – and it came from you.
Our community has shown boundless generosity and willingness to help. You created and supported fundraisers. You donated household items and food, school supplies, and Christmas presents. You offered words of encouragement and kindness. You publicly rallied for disability rights and inclusion during Community Living Month. You volunteered to deliver coffee, weed our gardens, remove illegally dumped trash, and join our board.
And that only scratches the surface.
Then there was the speed at which you acted. One donor, for example, saw on social media we were only $10,000 short of our $50,000 Rev Up Independence Donation Drive goal to purchase a reliable and discreet vehicle for people we support, and within minutes arrived with a $1,500 contribution. Can we raise the rest before the year is out? We are encouraged because of you.
Your generosity shows your support for the right to dignity, choice, and inclusion that are the foundation of the Community Living movement. And it shows you care about those we support, our team members, and the work we do to open doors in an inclusive community.
Our staff, especially those on the frontline, continue to provide essential services to the people we support. They have worked hard to support people in daily living, community connection, education, employment, advocacy, and more while ensuring a high standard of safety for people they support, their colleagues, and themselves. Despite constantly shifting provincial and public health measures, they remain professional and resilient. And we applaud them.
Everyone is eager to see the other side of this pandemic, and we trust our community is equally eager to continue to embrace inclusion and diversity in all its forms in 2022. We look forward with renewed optimism to a full return to community in the months ahead, too, especially as we celebrate Community Living Huntsville’s 60th anniversary. More to come on that in future but suffice to say we want to make our Diamond Jubilee one to remember.
Thank you for your continued support.
Suzanne Willett
Executive Director
Community Living Huntsville
