60th Annual General Meeting
On June 23rd we held our 60th Annual General Meeting. For the second year it was a virtual event, with over 100 people joining.
 
We welcomed Sue Desjarlais as the agency’s new President and Michelle Mastellotto joined the Executive Committee as the 2nd Vice President. Other changes included Chad Sutherland as 1st Vice President and Robert Tomek moving to the role of Past President. Two new members were elected and welcomed to the Board: Sharon O’Hagan-Wong and Brianne Taggart. We are honoured and fortunate to have such a vast wealth of knowledge and experience among our Board members. A listing of all Board members along with brief bios can be found on our website here.
 
The audited financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2021 were presented to the membership and approved. Our Finance department and our auditors, BDO Canada (Essex office), did a great job working through the logistics of a second mostly offsite audit. We reached a balanced budget with thanks extended to MCCSS for their support and additional streams of revenue for COVID related expenses.

Award presentations returned after they were paused in 2020. It is truly inspiring to recognize those who inspire others. This year's recipients are as follows, and their photos are included in order below:
Sam Raffoul: Bruce Crozier Inspiring Possibilities Memorial Award
Nathan Wuerch: Jeremy Hart Memorial Bursary
Ryan Ritchie: Outstanding Achievement Award – North
David Blackman: Outstanding Achievement Award – South
Jaclyn Hertel : Outstanding Achievement Award – West
Ray Micklea: Outstanding Achievement Award – Central
Phil Roberts: Community Inclusion Award
Jen Rousseau: Kevin McMullan Memorial Award
Also celebrated were employees reaching milestone years of employment. An electronic yearbook showcased employees who have been with the agency for 10, 15, 20, 30, 35 and 40 years.  Claire Market, Director, Human Resources is our second employee to reach 40 years!
 
You can view the slideshows & presentations by visiting the links below:
 
The virtual AGM ended with a kick off for festivities and events to carry us through the year celebrating Community Living Essex County’s 60th anniversary. A wonderful milestone and we’re looking forward to remembering and honouring the agency’s past.
 
Thank you to everyone who participated in the AGM. We hope to see you around the same time next year but hopefully in person for the 61st AGM.
COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic
Last week, we held a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at our office in Essex in partnership with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. This clinic was attended by people receiving supports from Community Living Essex County, and other local service providers.

Richard, along with his support worker, Jeremy, attended from St. Francis Advocates. Richard brought some pictures with him to share with the staff working the vaccine clinic.
Self-Care While Caregiving
“In case of a cabin pressure emergency, put on your own mask first before
assisting others.”
Emergency Instruction for airline passengers
This is an important metaphor for those who spend a great deal of time taking care of others. 

It can be difficult for some people to take the time to self-care. As a consequence of not taking the time for self-care, caregivers can face burnout, stress and fatigue, as well as mental and physical health problems. Caregivers need to take the time for self-care even if it is difficult to do. 

The Ontario Caregiver Organization has an upcoming webinar with practical steps for self-care for Caregivers.  

Follow the below link to register for the upcoming webinar from the Ontario Caregiver Organization about self-care while caregiving taking place on June 29th at 12 pm.
Kelly Runnalls,   
Parent Consultant, Ensemble
ensemble@communitylivingessex.org or 519-776-6483, ext. 225  
June 27th Miracle Day
Once again, every household in Windsor and Essex County is asked to donate non-perishable goods to support the fight against hunger in our community. Place your donations in a box or bag on your front porch by 12pm on June 27th for a no-contact pick-up.

Last year, over 2 million pounds of food was donated to those in need in Windsor and Essex County!
Celebrate 60 Years of
Community Living Essex County!
This year, Community Living Essex County celebrates our 60th anniversary! We've got some exciting initiatives and activities planned throughout the summer, and we created the below video to kick things off. Check it out!
Order Your 60 for 60 Raffle Tickets Today!
With only 4,000 tickets available, be sure to order your raffle tickets before we sell out. Raffle tickets are $25 each or three tickets for $60. Ticket sales will continue until Labour Day, September 6th
 
The 60 for 60 Anniversary Raffle has an outstanding line-up of prizes including a Grand Prize of $10,000 cash, sixty $60 dollar gift cards from a variety of local restaurants, retailers and services from across Essex County and a Travel Gift Package valued at $1,400. There is also an EARLY BIRD draw for a 60 inch television with Netflix that will be held on Friday, July 30th.
 
The remaining draws will be held on Thursday, September 9th, the night of our 60th Anniversary virtual celebrations!
Spotlight on Transformation
Between recently offering second vaccine doses to everyone supported through clinics at our main office, and more flexibility being allowed by the Ministry for recreational activity and brief physical contact during visits, there is a lot of optimism about heading into summer.

Here are some of the things people we support are starting to do and look forward to continuing:
  • With workplaces opening more widely, many of the people we support are heading back to work or starting new jobs
  • Some people are welcoming new pets into their homes
  • People are enjoying the sunshine and water, boating with their families
  • Some families are bringing their classic or sports cars to pick loved ones up for a ride
  • Planning is underway for day trips and summer adventures, like visiting Niagara Falls

We are greatly looking forward to supporting everyone to re-engage with their favourite activities and places they missed during the last 15 months. Thank you to families and to our staff for your patience as these changes are made in compliance with Health Unit and Ministry direction. We look forward to continuing the transformation of our supports in partnership with you all!
Getting Ready for Summer
Now that vaccinations are underway, what can we expect this summer? Dr. Yona Lunsky, Director, Health Care Access Research and Developmental Disabilities (H-CARDD) Program sits down with Dr. Ullanda Niel, Family Physician, Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities, for a conversation to answer your COVID-19 questions on what to expect as we head into summer.

Click on the video above to watch the discussion.
Effects of Adaptive Exercise Programs on the Volunteers Who Help
What are the effects of adaptive exercise programs on the volunteers who help to offer them? A new study aims to find out.

A study will explore the experiences of volunteers providing exercise programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, particularly during the pandemic and pre-pandemic times.

The project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), expands on more than a decade of collaboration between the UWindsor Faculty of Human Kinetics and Community Living Essex County.

Over the years, the partnership between Community Living and APEX has centred around developing inclusive community-based exercise programs to help improve the mental and physical health and confidence of people with intellectual disabilities and help shift marginalizing attitudes through volunteering and building relationships. Our most recent program, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation called “Fit Together”, provided one-on-one fitness training at the University of Windsor’s fitness facility.
We Want to Hear From You!
How Are You Staying Well and Keeping Positive During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Whether it’s a new hobby, healthy habit or a positive change to your daily routine, we want to hear about it! Let us know in the box below. These submissions will be featured in the weekly internal video updates sent out to employees by our Executive Director, Karen Bolger and may be included in upcoming editions of the Possibilities newsletter.
Raspberry Brownies Cheesecake Trifles
Mini desserts are perfect for the summer!

Register online for your free ticket and to receive the recipe in your inbox a few days before the event.

This workshop will be live on YouTube and it is FREE.

To join the live event, click on the link below at the time the workshop is scheduled. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2DHFoLy7Kav4H_eoqEfkBQ

Must See Movies
Fatherhood
A father brings up his baby girl as a single dad after the unexpected death of his wife, who dies a day after their daughter's birth. This heartwarming movie stars Kevin Hart and is now streaming on Netflix.
Recipe of the Week
Fried Ice Cream
Frozen ice cream that is quickly fried to give the ice cream dessert a crunchy and hard outer coating. Serve with different syrups, toppings and whipped cream!
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Weekly Poll Question
Ontario has moved into Phase 1 of our re-opening plan. Have you sat on a restaurant patio yet?
Yes
No
Poll Results
Fathers Day is this weekend. What are you giving your dad?

Fishing or camping gear ~ 4.3%
A new tie ~ 0%
Something Techy ~ 8.7%
Quality time with me, whether over Zoom or socially distanced in-person ~ 17.4%
None of the above ~ 69.6%