S.C.A.P.D. Newsletter Fall 2009 Fundraising at S.C.A.P.D. “Opening Doors and Minds” For over 30 years, the Simcoe County Association for the Physically Disabled has been supporting individuals with physical disabilities to assist them to lead dignified, productive and independent lives in our community. The Association receives financial supports from the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) for our personal support services. However, many of our other programs depend on United Way contributions and monies raised through donations and fundraising activities. Funds raised support our Public Education, Program Volunteer Program, Elaine House (our supportive living home in Barrie) and our Community Development Initiatives. Our 2009 fundraising initiatives include: Annual Charity Golf Tournament (as part of the Tim Horton’s Charity Golf Tour). This year’s tournament (our 2nd) saw 42 golfers come out to Innisbrook Golf Course in Innisfil for some great food; great fun and raised over $2800 for S.C.A.P.D. programs! Thank you to everyone involved in making this day such a great success! BINGO – Every other Wednesday from 1:30 – 3:00pm, proceeds from games played at Barrie Charity Bingo, 52 Bayfield St are donated to S.C.A.P.D. Come join in on the excitement! Not a bingo player? Be a volunteer, just 2hrs every other week in a non-smoking environment and provide an extremely valuable contribution to our organization. Call our main office at 737-3263 to find out more. The Martels Concert! Yes, its official, the Martels will be performing Saturday, September 26th at Burl’s Creek Event Park to support S.C.A.P.D., Habitat for Humanity and the Oro-Medonte Firefighters Association. Tickets are just $30 each. For where to get tickets, see our ad on the next page. It promises to be a great day! See you there! S.C.A.P.D. Annual General Meeting Tuesday, Sept. 22nd, 2009 Hawk Ridge Golf & Country Club 1151 Hurlwood Lane, Orillia, ON Schedule of Events: 1:30 pm-5:00 pm Simcoe County Accessibility Network Meeting 2:00 pm-3:00 pm Session – The Gift of Support and What it Means to You 3:30 pm-4:30 pm Session – “Accentuate the Positive” 5:30 pm Dinner Members $10; Non-members $15 6:30 pm General Business Meeting 7:30 pm Keynote Speaker -“Call to Action” – Planning for Age Friendly Communities Please call to confirm attendance by September 8th, as space is limited. The Robert Kerr Accessibility Award In June, MP Patrick Brown joined John Tom, owner of MEDIchair Barrie and Barrie Councilor and Accessibility Committee member Alex Nuttall along with other task force members, to announce an annual award created as a tribute to the accomplishments of the late Robert Kerr, an advocate for disabled persons. This award will recognize the contributions of the individual, business, agency or group from Barrie who has reached out to disabled persons resulting in a more inclusive community. The award will include a trophy and a $500 cash award generously donated by MEDIchair. Nomination forms can be obtained from MP Brown’s office or website www.servingbarrie.com, the City of Barrie website, www.cityofbarrie.ca, or through our office at 44 Cedar Pointe Drive or our website, www.scapd.on.ca The deadline for submissions is September 30th. The Martels Rock and Roll Show In support of Habitat for Humanity-Huronia, Oro-Medonte Firefighters Association, and the Simcoe County Association for the Physically Disabled Date: Saturday, September 26, 2009 Location: Burl’s Creek Event Park, 8th Line of Oro/Medonte on Hwy 11 Time: Noon to 6:00pm; Gates open at 11:00am Ticket Information: $30 ea Available at charity offices and www.ticktbreak.com Event Details: Must be legal drinking age. Rain or Shine. Camping available. Bring your own chair. Coolers prohibited. INTERNET PRESALE! GET $5 OFF Use one of the following promo codes: SCAPD, OMFFA, HABITAT www.ticketbreak.com Association News by Executive Director, Dan McGale You don’t hear much about the Local Health Integration Networks in the news, but the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN, as it is called, has recently taken over the responsibility for funding and approving budgets and contracts for all Community Support Service agencies and the CCAC in Simcoe and Muskoka. The Ontario Ministry of Health & Long Term Care has delegated the planning, funding and evaluation of many local health care services to these new organizations. Both the Board of Directors and senior staff at S.C.A.P.D. have been actively involved in the emerging work of this group as we develop a local health care system that serves the needs of all residents in our region. During February and March of this year S.C.A.P.D. was developing our new contract with the NSM LHIN. As part of this new reporting relationship, you will find a copy of this contract on the S.C.A.P.D. web site, under funding sources – MSAA. This is a requirement for all groups funded through the NSM LHIN, so if you are interested take a look at the web pages for S.C.A.P.D. and other groups funded through this organization. One of the major projects that the NSM LHIN has developed is the Regional Falls Coalition, which is working to reduce the number and severity of falls in seniors within our region. This has been identified as one of the major reasons why seniors use emergency rooms and end up in hospital. The new Accessibility Resource Centre, hosted at the S.C.A.P.D. main office in Barrie, is a participant in this group, as a preventive measure to assist seniors and others experiencing mobility issues. Our plans to complete a consumer survey last summer were put on hold as we hoped to be a pilot project for the new standardized survey that is being developed for the region. The completion of this project has been delayed, so S.C.A.P.D. will be moving forward with our own survey this summer. We have recently hired a summer student to complete the interviews and summarize the responses to the survey from the individuals who use our Attendant Care and Friendly Visiting services. These results will be reviewed by management and the Board of Directors in late summer/early fall to look for opportunities to further enhance our services to meet consumer needs. The Provincial government is currently reviewing the Disability legislation in Ontario, and may be planning to discontinue the Ontarians for Disabilities Act, once the standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act have been approved for implementation. There have been some significant developments locally that have been initiated by Accessibility Advisory Committees in Simcoe County. S.C.A.P.D. hopes that these positive developments will continue in all of our communities, and the energy and momentum created by the committees will continue, even if the legislation changes. It is through the individual and group efforts and dedication of these volunteers that our communities have moved forward with accessibility planning. Introducing the new Chair of the Board of Directors Gail Winter was first elected to the S.C.A.P.D. Board of Directors in 2004, and has been an active participant on the Board throughout this period. After this year’s AGM in Sept., Gail will be assuming the role of Chair of the Board for the upcoming year. She served as Vice Chair of the Board over the past year. Gail has a diversified background in business, teaching and health care. Gail’s accreditations include Registered Holistic Nutritionist as well as Register Nutritional Consulting Practitioner. In her life Gail has faced some of the challenges involved in living with a disability, thereby bringing a first hand perspective to the Board table. Gail has been the Chair of the Board Nominating Committee for several years, and has been an active participant in support of S.C.A.P.D.’s fundraising ventures. Educational Event “Cognitive Changes and Multiple Sclerosis” Dr Anthony Feinstein, who is trained in medicine, psychiatry and neuropsychiatry, and who practices and conducts research on cognitive changes associated with MS, will be speaking at St Joseph’s High School at 243 Cundles Rd in Barrie on September 16th, 2009. Multiple Sclerosis, Simcoe County Chapter, invites you to attend this event which is from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009. MS Simcoe County chapter thanks Bayer Pharmaceuticals for providing the chapter with an unrestricted educational grant BOARD OF DIRECTORS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY The Board of Directors of the Simcoe County Association for the Physically Disabled is currently recruiting individuals to join the Board of Directors for the upcoming year. We are looking for individuals who have an interest in improving the quality of life for adults with physical disabilities throughout Simcoe County. We are currently seeking individuals with expertise in accounting, marketing or the health care sector, to round out our team. We offer: An opportunity to volunteer along with other professionals, family members and adults with physical disabilities Board Development and Orientation, and Volunteer recognition Opportunity to serve your community, build new skills, or enhance existing skills. Reimbursement for travel expenses outside of Barrie area Board meetings occur in the early evening, once per month. Committee meeting times are flexible based on the availability of committee members, and committee tasks. If you are interested in assisting the Association in continuing to build our presence and programs within Simcoe County, please forward your resume by Monday, August 17, 2009. Attn: Nominating Committee, Simcoe County Association for the Physically Disabled 44 Cedar Pointe Drive, Unit # 1102, Barrie, Ontario, L4N 5R7 Fax (705) 737-1874 or email scapd@scapd.on.ca Our website has a new look! We’ve redesigned to make it easier to find the information you need. As well we have incorporated the W3C Accessibility Initiatives guidelines to help our site be accessible to all. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. www.scapd.on.ca Does affordable housing matter to you? The Ontario government is developing a new, long-term housing strategy to make it easier for Ontario families to find and maintain affordable housing. This strategy will provide a framework for affordable housing in ON for the next 10 years. The government is seeking your opinion on the proposed vision, principles and goals that will ultimately frame the strategy, and to help identify initiatives that can be taken to support these directions. Between now and December 31, 2009, the public is encouraged to provide input to assist in building this plan. This consultation is about how to make the housing system work better. A number of consultations are scheduled for ON but none in York/Simcoe/Muskoka areas. An online questionnaire at http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page6405.aspx and opinions are encouraged via email directed to housingstrategy.mah@ontario.ca or letter to Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, 777 Bay St 2nd floor, Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Toll Free:1-800-668-0230 (from within York, Simcoe, Muskoka area) Deadline is December 31st, 2009 North Simcoe Muskoka Community Care Access Centre, Connecting People to Services One of the primary service functions of Community Care Access Centres (CCAC) is to provide Information and Referral services to the community. Information & Referral services provide a connecting point for individuals to access services they need. Information & Referral has often been the forgotten mandate of the CCAC, with some people viewing it as a simple “add on” service provided when CCAC staff are serving its clients or are answering phone calls from individuals seeking information about CCAC services. The value of Information & Referral services is much more significant than this. The CCAC has a legislated responsibility for meeting the publics’ need for timely and accurate information about services and to provide assistance in navigating the system, connecting individuals to organizations who provide the services that they require. The Partnership: North Simcoe Muskoka CCAC and Community Connection have formed a unique partnership to create a single, seamless solution to public Information and Referral services in the North Simcoe Muskoka region. Community Connection has decades of experience in the area of community information and referral and community database management. They are an accredited 211 service provider with an established call centre staffed by Certified Information and Referral Specialists. Community Connection partners with Information Barrie, Information Orillia and Community Link North Simcoe to maintain a database repository containing thousands of up to date records about organizations providing services in the North Simcoe Muskoka catchment area. All database records are updated annually, at a minimum. The partnership between North Simcoe Muskoka CCAC and Community Connection builds upon existing system capacity, eliminating the duplication of activities that would be required if multiple Information & Referral services were offered to the community. 211 There are eight 211 service providers in Ontario. 211 is a three digit phone number to access free, confidential, multilingual information about community, social, health and related government services available to residents. The 211 service is currently available to residents of Simcoe County and the Muskoka region as of November 2008. Individuals who do not have access to the 211 phone number can access 211 services by dialling (866) 743-7818, which is a toll free phone number. The 211 service will be made available to all residents in Ontario by 2011. Information & Referral services in North Simcoe Muskoka are now offered through several channels to ensure people receive the help they need. These channels include a 7 day a week multilingual telephone help line, online searchable directories and e-mail options. Individuals seeking information about health and human services provided in North Simcoe Muskoka are encouraged to access information on-line or by calling a 211 Information Specialist. This includes staff at partner agencies who are trying to assist their clients’ access services. 211 Information Specialists have a good understanding of CCAC services. If it is identified that a caller requires CCAC services they will be transferred to a CCAC Client Care Coordinator to arrange for services. These protocols will ensure callers are directly connected to the appropriate personnel the first time they call. Information Resources in North Simcoe Muskoka A new web site has been launched called Information Resources in North Simcoe Muskoka which can be accessed at www.NorthSimcoeMuskoka.info. Individuals can do independent on-line searches or send an e-mail to a 211 Information Specialist. Individuals are able to chat on-line with a 211 Information Specialist. Searches can be done for the entire North Simcoe Muskoka region or by specific planning area. If a user identifies errors or missing information in the database, they can contact Community Connection directly from within the on-line solution so that the necessary updates to the record can be made. The Good Food Box; Simcoe County Good Food Box Network What is The Good Food Box? The Good Food Box is a large buying club that operates once a month. You pre-order and pay cash at the beginning of each month at an order site location. The box is picked up on a set date later that month. The fresh fruits and vegetables are purchased through local wholesalers. Volunteers sort and pack the boxes for distribution. The Good Food Box Program is for everyone! Why Should I Join the Good Food Box Program? You get a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at wholesale prices. The more people who buy the better value you get. It is a way you can help make healthier choices easier for your family. Healthy eating helps prevent disease and reduces health care costs. What’s in Each Good Food Box? The box contains a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables which could include: lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, celery, and cabbage. The basics each month are potatoes, onions, carrots and apples. Each month you receive a newsletter with food information and recipes with the box. How Much Does it Cost? The small box costs $10 and the large box $15. Where are Good Food Box Programs Located? There are six Good Food Box programs in Simcoe County. See the list below for a program closest to you. Call the main contact number for information; i.e. ordering and pickup schedules and locations and volunteer opportunities. Information is also available by calling Your Health Connection at 721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 or visiting the 211 website www.211simcoecounty.ca Simcoe County Good Food Box Sites Barrie Good Food Box Barrie Community Health Centre, 56 Bayfield Street, Barrie, ON L4M 3A5 705-725-7697 ext. 265 (messages) Orillia & Area Good Food Box c/o St. Vincent de Paul, 115 West Street North, Orillia, ON L3V 5C4 705-326-2849 ext. 32 (St. Vincent de Paul) 705-326-7743 (Information Orillia) Georgian Good Food Box 275 First Street, Collingwood, ON L9Y 4E8 705-444-9860 North Simcoe Good Food Box Community Link North Simcoe 850 Hartman Dr., Midland, ON L4R 0B6 705-528-6999 Krasman’s Good Food Box Krasman Centre, 17 Paris St. Alliston L9R 1J3 705-435-0054 (ext.113) Innisfil Good Food Box Call Cathy at 436-3178 Bradford orders only - call Jean Lashley (905)392-1909 Do transportation issues affect you? The Multiple Sclerosis Society is preparing a position paper on accessible transportation in Ontario. They are gathering information from people affected by MS to help develop this paper. Information is being gathered through a short survey that may be accessed at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=EqO2_2fOH6eP0gOLhKs9IxKg_3d_3d. Please feel free to share this short survey with members of your community. The survey closes on Friday, August 7th, 2009. For more information on this project, please contact Kim Steele, Senior Coordinator, Government Relations, at 1-866-922-6065 ext. 2243 or by email at kim.steele@mssociety.ca Walk or Wheel Active Transportation Barrie Mark your calendar for Barrie’s first Car Free Sunday! August 30th, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lakeshore Drive will be open to everyone who is walking or wheeling. Free transit passes and lots of family fun! Learn about active transportation & the many benefits Celebrate pedestrians, cyclists & all forms of human-powered transportation Be inspired to participate in active transportation on a regular basis Visit www.barrie.ca to find out more! S.C.A.P.D.’s Second Annual Charity Golf Tournament was a great success! 42 golfers came out this year and a great time was had by all! The sun was shinning and temperature perfect. At the end, over $2800 was raised to support S.C.A.P.D. programs. Thank you to everyone who participated in making this day a success! Congratulations to our Winning Team: Bryan Harris, Heather Smith from Pizza Hut, Donna MacNeil from Orthotic Specialties, and Jim Blackwell from The Cooperators Most Honest Golfers: The City of Barrie, and BACTS Chris Brown, George Kavekas, Julie MacDonald and Laurie Widdess Planning has begun for next year’s tournament. It will be held on a weekend in July 2010! Visit our website in January for the date and more great details! Thank you to all of our participants, sponsors and volunteers for making this event such a great success! See you all again next year! VOLUNTEER CORNER On May 20th, SCAPD expressed appreciation to our Volunteer Team with a dinner at Roberta Place Retirement Lodge’s Simcoe Room. Thanks to help from Dianne, Christy and Leah, the team enjoyed dinner & some fun games. Marion spoke to the value of every hour contributed to any of our programs. In addition, she acknowledged the gift of time that Anne Roy has contributed to our Office Administration and the continued dedication of Peggy Oakley to our most consistent fund raiser - BINGO. Three of our volunteers were honoured for 5 years of volunteer service: 1. Barbara Tracey – reliable, dependable Barbara – who comes at the drop of a hat to help out in any way she can and who was an amazing raffle ticket seller over the years. Her response to a call for help is “I’m only too glad to help out.” 2. Jean Guest – who jumps into action when she is needed and assisted last years raffle ticket sales by partnering with Barb on some of her raffle slots. Jean’s response to any type of recognition is “But I haven’t done anything”. We think you have Jean and are grateful. 3. Carol Duckworth – capable, caring and amazingly compassionate Carol. Carol is a friendly visitor whose people skills make her the ideal visitor whether by telephone or in-person visiting. And, she’s a great listener. You have an opportunity to voice your opinion. Released in July after more than 2 years of Committee work, the proposed BUILT ENVIRONMENT standards are now available for Ontarians to review. Details are available at the Ministry of Community and Social Services website at http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/accessibilityOntario/ Copies can be requested through telephone at 1-888-482-4317. S.C.A.P.D. encourages the public to pay particular attention to these proposed standards as architectural barriers often prevent independence, participation and inclusion – the foundational values upon which our organization was built. Individuals as well as organizations are encouraged to submit their response to the recommendations contained within the Report and have an opportunity to influence the legislation. Your response must be submitted by October 16th, 2009. The proposed standard is designed to prevent the creation of future barriers in the first 5 years. (Note: AODA legislation states that each standard be reviewed and reassessed within 5 years of it becoming law). The proposed standard contains requirements for +70 elements (doors, pathways, washroom areas, etc) which must be applied to all new construction and to renovations to existing buildings. It recommends that accessibility retrofitting be undertaken where the cost does not impose undue hardship. So, have your say – or speak to the Accessibility Advisory Committee within your City/Town or Township and ensure that they review these standards and respond to the Standards Development Committee as appropriate. The Simcoe County Association for the Physically Disabled 1102 – 44 Cedar Pointe Dr. Barrie, Ontario L4N 5R7 Phone: 705-737-3263 Fax: 705-737-1874 E-mail: scapd@scapd.on.ca Website: www.scapd.on.ca Our Mission The Association exists to provide support and services to people with physical disabilities in Simcoe County to assist them to lead dignified, productive and independent lives. Beyond offering a variety of personal support services, our current focus is to "Open Doors & Minds" within the community to increase opportunities for participation, making Simcoe County a welcoming place for all citizens" S.C.A.P.D. is funded in part by: Unitied Way Simcoe Muskoka and the North Simcoe Muskoka Health Integration Network S.C.A.P.D. adheres to the Imagine Canada Ethical Code