Halloween is Just Around the Corner! |
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Halloween will be here before you know it! Earlier this week, Hayden worked on completing a fun pumpkin project, pictured above. Awesome job Hayden! |
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Enjoying a Beautiful Fall Afternoon |
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Over the weekend Zina visited the Comber Museum and explored the old Maple Grove school, which was built in 1894. Zina loves history and was excited to use the old water pump that is still on the property.
We hope you make some time to enjoy the beautiful fall weather that is on its way this weekend!
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Call for Participation: The Evaluation Committee |
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Are you interested in helping us improve?
One of the next steps in the agency’s evolution of supports and services is to create a committee to oversee the evaluation of agency initiatives and transformation efforts. The Committee will help to determine whether agency goals are being achieved, what is working and not working, and the reasons why. The Committee will contribute to the development of evaluation strategies and tools, comprehensively analyze data, report findings, and make recommendations to senior leadership.
We are looking to include people served, families, direct support professionals and Admin/HR employees.
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From everyone’s earliest years we understand the need for friends. As young children we are so comforted by knowing we have friends. Why else did “BFF” become part of our young vocabulary?
As our kids with intellectual disabilities become adults who no longer have the daily community support of the school system, it becomes more challenging to provide daily opportunities to make and maintain friends.
How do we as family provide our adult children and their support network, opportunities to create friendships?
Here are some ideas to help build friendships:
Make a Relationship Journal
- list those who are possible friends
- add their addresses, phone numbers and birthdays (you as the parent can collect this info first)
- highlight how they know each other and what activities they have done together
- give this journal to the individual or to their support worker
- either the individual or the support worker can make a call to explore the possibility of coming for a visit
Buy some postcards.
- Send a postcard with a simple “Hello!”- as a reminder to a friend that you haven’t forgotten them
Buy some birthday cards to send to the contacts in the journal.
Building friendships will take some effort but the value that it will have for your family member will be immeasurable. Everyone wants and needs a friend. What are you waiting for? Make everyone’s life more exciting and filled with possibilities and satisfaction!
Marilyn and the Ensemble Family Committee
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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! |
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In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) we're asking you to support local inclusive employers! |
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Are you free for lunch on Thursday, October 27th? Join the Career Compass team for a lunch mob at Chuck's Roadhouse in Leamington from 12pm-2pm!
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Join us in celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month by lighting up your business or house with purple and blue lights!
Don't forget to follow Career Compass on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about National Disability Awareness Month (NDEAM) and inclusive hiring! |
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Do you know someone that is hiring? You could win a $50 gift card! Click the link below to complete an Employer Referral Form. |
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The Jingle Bell Run, Walk & Wheel is
Back!
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Join us on Sunday, November 13th at Ken Knapp Ford in beautiful downtown Essex in support of Community Living Essex County!
After two years of virtual events, we're coming back together to celebrate this Essex County tradition! This event features a 2K and 5km walk, 5km run, 10km run and a Little Elf Run for children 6 and under! All participants will receive a medal and a t-shirt, and chip timing will be provided by WRACE.
Participate on your own or as part of a team with your friends, family members or coworkers! Don't forget to dress up in festive holiday attire!
The Jingle Bell Run, Walk & Wheel’s mission is to promote a healthy lifestyle and inclusive communities. The proceeds raised from this fabulous, festive event are directed to Community Living Essex County, a not-for-profit organization providing supports and services to over 700 children, youth, and adults with an intellectual disability.
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New Day is happy to announce that $376 was raised from their Domino's Pizza fundraiser. They received a cheque and photo with Dana and Ray (member on the New Day Executive Board). Dana owns several Domino's Pizza locations in the area. Thank you Domino’s for supporting New Day's fundraiser.
The Speaking Out Planning Committee held their conference October 14th - 16th in beautiful Port Elgin, Ontario. New Day was happy to help put this on because they haven't been there in over three years. There was a lot of work involved in the conference, from setting up the speaker's gifts, arranging the bags for everyone to take home, introducing the speakers, handing out and collecting the evaluations, giving out the prizes and sharing the closing remarks. Everyone enjoyed themselves.
Brianne Taggart had the chance to go to the beach at Unifor with another member of New Day and take some pictures. It was a fun time!
The Kim Sparling Award was given out on Saturday afternoon. The Kim Sparling award is in memorial to Kim, a self-advocate, who passed away in 2011. This award is given out every year to a self-advocate and a $500 cheque is given to help them pursue their dreams. Brianne received this wonderful award and she is so grateful.
New Day had their meeting on October 18th. They discussed mental health, participated in a small drawing activity, talked about Wellness Wednesday, did a mental health check-in, and discussed the Accessibility Committee and the Evaluation Committee.
Some New Day members will be attending the Staying Connected Network event on October 27th.
It has been a busy month for New Day!
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Beware of Spam Text Messages |
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If you have a cell phone, you’ve probably received text messages from people you don’t know. You may have even replied with a “who is this” type of response. But beware - it could be a scammer trying to steal your personal and financial information. Scammers send fake text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information — things like your password, account number, or Social Insurace number. If they get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers.
Scammers often try to get you to click on links in text messages by promising you something. Scammers might:
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promise free prizes, gift cards, or coupons — but they’re not real
- offer you a low or no interest credit card — but there’s no deal and probably no card
- promise to help you pay off your student loans — but they won’t
Scammers also send fake messages that say they have information about your account or a transaction. Scammers might:
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity on your account — but they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your payment information — but there isn’t
- send you a fake invoice and tell you to contact them if you didn’t authorize the purchase — but it’s a scam
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send you a package delivery notification — but it’s fake
If you get a text message you weren’t expecting and it asks you to give some personal or financial information, don’t click on any links. Legitimate companies won’t ask for information about your account by text.
- If you think the message might be real, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real - not the information in the text message.
What to do if you’ve received phishing texts or other types of spam:
To prevent them from messaging you again, your phone may have an option to filter and block spam or messages from unknown senders. In Ontario, Contact the Fraud Reporting System (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre) or call toll-free at 1-888-495-8501 to report scams
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MyCommunityHub is Upgrading Their Platform |
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We are excited to announce that MyCommunityHub is upgrading their digital application to provide everyone with a better user experience with lots of great features and functions. Updates include a new receipt design, email notifications for when a spot becomes available from the waitlist, a community calendar and more. You may even discover a new class or activity along the way! This also means that you will need to create a new account. Your current username and password will no longer work on the new platform.
Starting October 27th our registrations will be available on the new version of MyCommunityHub.
While we get ready to post new sessions, please use the account creation link below to create your new account.
MyCommunityHub apologizes for any inconveniences caused by the transition to the new application.
Note: both versions of MyCommunityHub will be running simultaneously, so current registrations will exist on the current platform, and new registrations (starting October 27) will only be available on the new platform.
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Community Living Essex is Hiring & We Need Your Help! |
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Halloween Broomsticks & Brushes |
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Get into the Halloween spirit early and creatively paint a Halloween ceramic pumpkin, while quantities last, for a $10 admission/donation fee. This event takes place on Saturday, October 22nd from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm at Tecumseh Mall. All proceeds from this event are in support of Crime Stoppers.
Each pumpkin painter will receive a Tecumseh Mall swag bag filled with gear from the mall and Crime Stoppers, with some luck bags containing a gift card anywhere from $10 to $20 from participating retailers, while quantities last.
There are pumpkins available, accommodating 12 spots per hour.
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All Ages Pumpkin Carving Contest! |
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Support the John McGivney Children's Centre and enter a Pumpkin Carving Contest! All ages welcome and there are four categories and prizes!
This event is taking place in the parking lot at Cortina Gourmet Market (4300 Howard Ave.) on Saturday, October 22 from 12:00 - 4:00 pm. Head out for a day of family-friendly fun and show off your carving skills while enjoying tasty treats at the market!
Entries are $12 each and include 1 pumpkin that you can bring home after your submission. Entrants will have between the hours of 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm to carve their pumpkin and submit it for photographs. Winners will be announced and contacted on October 23rd.
Categories:
- Kids - ages 0-12 (must be supervised by a parent or guardian)
- Teens - ages 13-17
- Adults - ages 18+
- People's Choice (Decided the following week on the Cortina Gourmet Market Facebook page!)
Each category has its own $100 prize pack with items and gift cards from great local businesses.
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Walkerville Pop Up Market |
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Stroll through Walkerville for the day as local businesses in the heart of Walkerville and other vendors from across the city join together to create a day full of seeing, shopping, and supporting local. |
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Our Planet
Our Planet is a documentary series focusing on the wide diversity of habitats around the world, from the remote Arctic wilderness and mysterious deep oceans to the vast landscapes of Africa and diverse jungles of South America. Now streaming on Netflix.
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Creamy Mushroom Soup
What is more nourishing than a warm bowl of soup on a chilly night? This recipe for Creamy Mushroom Soup is very simple to make yet very satisfying. Rosemary and garlic “chips” are added to the mix for beautiful flavor and texture.
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Laughter is the Best Medicine |
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What are your favourite parts of the fall season?
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Campfires and chilly evenings
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Raking and jumping in leaves
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Carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds
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What is your go-to Halloween candy?
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups ~ 34.1%
Snickers ~ 9.8%
Twix ~ 7.3%
Kit Kat ~ 34.1%
Potato chips ~ 9.8%
Candy Corn ~ 4.9%
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