New iPad Gives Ella Increased Independence 
Ella was one of the recipients of the Apple iPads purchased through our 2020 Giving Tuesday fundraiser. She is very excited to put it to use and check out all of the great apps that are available to increase her independence. She is also planning on joining in the Science with Sandra Virtual Support session! Congratulations, Ella!
Mobile Vaccination Clinic - Wednesday, May 5
As a reminder - we are preparing to offer a Mobile Vaccination Clinic on Wednesday May 5th, from 9:00am until 4:00pm at our main office in Essex. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit nurses will be administering the Moderna vaccine.

In order to receive an appointment for this clinic, each person needs to complete the following registration form. If a person supported and Essential Caregiver are both to be vaccinated, the form must be completed twice. This must be filled out NO LATER THAN 8PM ON THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH to be assured an appointment.

The requirements for the people receiving vaccines are:
  • Arrive with sufficient support to assist a person supported where needed. Caregivers will be required to wear both a medical grade mask and face shield;
  • Answer questions from the WECHU team as asked. If the person receiving the vaccine is not able to give verbal consent, ensure a signed consent form is brought with them (the consent can be downloaded using the link below).
  • Bring a valid Ontario Health Card; 
  • Arrive at your scheduled vaccination time. Do not arrive more than 5 minutes early; 
  • There will be directions around parking – for most it will be in the front of the building where they will enter and we will have a team available to provide directions, check people in, etc;
  • Follow the direction of the team onsite to ensure you are waiting in the appropriate area. Be sure to maintain 6ft social distance from other people at all times;
  • Follow all directional signage, do not cross back through the building; 
  • Be prepared to wait for a minimum of 15 minutes following your vaccination. No one will be allowed to leave without being cleared by the nurse 15 minutes following the inoculation.

We are very thankful for the strong partnership we’ve developed with the WECHU and we are thrilled to be working with our community partners to be able to provide this opportunity.
A Bright Side in Dark Times
After every tenth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine administered at the Lawlor Pharmacy in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood, the place erupts like a bar on a busy Saturday night: owner and manager Kyro Maseh rings a bell and yells “shots in the arm!”, his staff responding in kind with “COVID gone!”, as bemused customers look on.
It’s a ritual that Maseh began as a way to keep spirits high in the midst of a scary and stressful COVID-19 third wave in Ontario.
“We just thought that there has to be a way to motivate the staff and motivate people getting vaccinated because we're going to be doing this a lot,” he told CTV’s Your Morning on Friday. Read the story here.
Local COVID-19 Vaccination Updates
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's website has been updated with a listing of all current eligible populations for the COVID-19 vaccine.  

New appointment times are added daily. If you are having difficulty securing an appointment, please check back every morning for available timeslots.

For those unable to book online, help is available by contacting the WECHU’s booking hotline at 226-773-2200, available from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Friday and 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Saturday and Sunday. Due to high call volumes, it may take multiple attempts to speak with a Windsor-Essex County Health Unit representative.
Spotlight on Transformation
Transformation is a process that can happen slowly or all at once. It felt like COVID-19 hit us very suddenly and changed things overnight, and now we are slowly transforming into our new reality.

One of the things that really helped with our current transformation has been the availability of vaccines. The agency did a great job of avoiding COVID-19 infections for the early part of the pandemic, but we experienced some scary outbreaks in December and January.

Starting in January, our staff were prioritized for vaccines and we had an 80% response rate from our team members. Slowly, people we support were offered vaccines through their physicians and prioritized clinics.

Earlier this month, we ran a clinic at our head office to offer vaccinations to anyone whom we provide with 24-hour supports. Last week we were finally able to schedule clinic appointments for anyone supported in ISS who had not already qualified for medical reasons or by age.

The agency is planning to host another clinic next week to assist people with developmental disabilities who live at home and are unable to attend mass vaccination clinics to receive their vaccine. This will hopefully bring some peace of mind for those families.

As a community, we look forward to coming out of this global change process together, stronger, and ready to move toward something better.
Connect with Ensemble
Ensemble is a parent-directed resource for families caring for someone with a disability that provides support from birth through adulthood. Our name, Ensemble, is French for “together” and was chosen for the strength and resiliency found in the connections we build between families and within the community. Ensemble inspires possibilities for our children by promoting family leadership so that families thrive and become active members in the community.

Visit www.ensembleunderstands.com to find out more or connect with Kelly at the information below!
Kelly Runnalls,   
Parent Consultant, Ensemble
ensemble@communitylivingessex.org or 519-776-6483, ext. 225  
Painted Pot Herb Garden
Terracotta pots and saucers offer the perfect blank canvas to create beautiful, unique works of art and add color and class to any outdoor space. Since Mother’s Day is right around the corner, create a gift for your mother that would not only be useful, but would add some pizzazz to her back patio. Creating a colourful herb garden would be a great way to not only spruce up the space, but to provide fresh ingredients for the dishes she loves to cook!

Materials needed:
  • Terracotta pots of varying sizes
  • Terracotta saucers – matching the sizes of the pots
  • Terracotta pot sealer – available in aerosol cans at your local craft store
  • Rag
  • Paint – a base colour and one or two accent colours
  • Paintbrushes
  • Small styrofoam cups
  • Turkey baster
  • Potting soil and small stones
  • Herbs, flowers or succulents

Step 1: Clean the pots using a damp rag, wipe the pots and saucers to remove dirt and dust. Allow them to dry.
Step 2: Seal the terracotta pots and saucers using a terracotta sealer, in a well-ventilated or outdoor area, spray the outsides and inside rims of the pots and all sides of the saucers. Make sure you follow the instructions on the spray can for best results. Two or more coats may be required. Allow to dry per the instructions.
Step 3: Paint your pots with your base colour and a paintbrush, paint the inner rim and outside of the pots. Allow to dry for two hours. Apply a second coat if needed.

Step 4: Paint your saucers with your accent colours. Allow to dry for two hours. Flip and paint the saucer bottoms. Allow 2 hours to dry. Add a second coat if needed.
Step 5: Apply drip effect once your pots and saucers are dry, place them upside-down on three styrofoam cups. This will prevent the dripping paint from sticking the pots to your work surface. Pour a small amount of your accent colour into your turkey baster and squeeze it gently around the bottom rim of your pots. Allow the paint to drip naturally down the sides.

If you are using one accent colour, use a paintbrush to smooth the accent colour across the bottom of the pot and allow to dry overnight before planting.

If you are using two, allow the first accent colour to dry for two hours before applying the next. Use a paintbrush to smooth the second accent colour across the bottom of the pots and allow to dry overnight.
Step 6: Pot your plants, potted plants need proper drainage to grow and thrive. A great way to ensure this is to fill with small rocks, covering the bottoms and drainage holes before adding soil. To fill the pots choose your herbs, some examples are: lavender, sweet basil, Thai basil, German thyme, and sweet mint.
Step 7: Display your project, these pots look great displayed together. Arrange them to add a splash of colour to your outdoor space.
Membership - Join Us!

Membership Benefits Include:

  • Voting rights
  • Invitation to virtual AGM
  • Electronic Communications
  • Closer Look mailer
  • Annual report
  • I'm All INclusion window cling (corporate members)
  • I'm All Inclusion accessory (individual members)
  • Membership card

Do you believe in inclusion? Join us today!
Meditation and Mindset
Free Online Workshop
Come on a powerful meditative journey into your mind to understand the power of your mind to heal your body and heal your life.

Meditation has been proven to be the fastest way to switch on the internal stream of chemicals that allows us to heal our bodies and heal our lives and to literally create a greater life.

  • Learn the science behind the immense power of meditation.
  • Take meditation to a higher level.
  • Discover how meditation changes the mind and enhances the brain's structure.
  • Learn how meditation heals the body and builds new cells.
  • Discover how magnificent you and your brain truly are.
  • Participate in a powerful guided group meditation.

Register below for an extraordinary LIVE Online Workshop.

Friday, April 30, 2021, 7:00 PM – Saturday, May 1, 2021, 3:00 AM
Twelfth Night Performance set in 1919 New York
60 Hour Shakespeare invites audiences across the globe to tune in live to a virtual production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

After a sudden end to the passage from Italy to America, Viola fears her brother, Sebastian, has drowned. She begins a new life disguised as Cesario, employed by the notorious and lovelorn Don Orsino. From her apartment in the Ansonia Hotel, southern belle, Olivia rails against his love suits in the company of Malvolia, the concierge, and Maria, her maid. Cesario is asked for a favour that will lead Viola to a bar full of strife and Feste, the bartender, moonlighting as a jazz singer, with prohibition and fate about to change everything.

Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 2:30 PM
Recipe of the Week
Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
These buffalo chicken enchiladas are filled with tender rotisserie chicken, lots of cheese and, of course, Buffalo sauce. They are a craveworthy, easy and delicious meal. The entire family will ask for them again and again.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Weekly Poll Question
The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend! Are you going to work in your garden?
Yes
No
Poll Results
What is the oldest Disney film?

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ~ 44.2%
Pinocchio ~ 23.3%
Dumbo ~ 23.3%
Fantasia ~ 9.3%

The correct answer is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.