Help Reena better address the needs of Canadian adults with an intellectual disability affected by dementia.

National Task Group (NTG) Canadian Consortium – Focus Group

Help Reena better address the needs of Canadian adults with an intellectual disability affected by dementia.

Reena, in partnership with the National Task Group (NTG) Canadian Consortium, has received a grant to produce and disseminate Canadian guidance and adjunct resources to support those with dementia and developmental disabilities. 

The focus group will provide an opportunity for families/caregivers to share their experiences about dementia care supports for adults with an intellectual disability.

Their views will be used to help the project enhance the current guidance documentation in order to better address the needs of Canadian adults with an intellectual disability affected by dementia.

The focus groups will be recorded and we will seek your written permission to be recorded. Additionally, the project would like to use part of these recordings in webinars, videos, and printed materials. 

 

If you know someone who would be interested in taking part in the focus group on August 1st from 1 pm to 2:30 pm at 927 Clark Avenue West and agree to be recorded, please Contact Jane Scott at jscott@reena.org​

Employment Advice Column: Phishing Alert: How to conduct a safe online job search?

Dear Joanna,

I have been applying for jobs online to work in a daycare. Recently I’ve been receiving these emails and texts asking me to click on a link in order to update by banking account. Having done the training with my Reena job coaches, I am very suspicious of such messages. I’d like to learn more about Phishing as these scammers are getting better all the time!

Signed: Phish out of Water

Dear POW

Cyber-criminals are on the rise! I consulted with Reena’s leading IT team who have helped me to respond to your inquiry. Let’s first define “Phishing”. These are scam emails, phone calls (“vishing”), social media, SMS messaging (“Smishing”) and apps. It is an attempt for a hacker to trick you into doing what they want – give out your personal information, share your passwords, as well as ask you to send money. Sometimes, these requests appear legitimate like an email from your friend. But it’s dangerous and a criminal activity! According to our IT Team as well as Palmer (2023)’s blog https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-phishing-how-to-protect-yourself-from-scam-emails-and-more/ these are four out of several tips on how to spot a phishing attack even those that are specially crafted so the message looks real.

1. Poor spelling and grammar. Many of the less professional phishing operators still make basic errors in their messages. Official messages from any major organization are unlikely to contain bad spelling or grammar, and certainly not repeated instances throughout the body. A poorly written message should act as an immediate warning that the communication might not be legitimate. It’s common for attackers to use a service like Google Translate to translate the text from their own first language, but despite the popularity of these services, they still struggle to make messages sound natural.

2. An unusual URL/link/website. It’s very common for email phishing messages to coerce the victim into clicking through a link to a malicious or fake website. Many phishing attacks will contain what looks like an official-looking URL. However, it’s worth taking a second careful look. Don’t open or even click on a link unless you know who the sender is and have double, triple-checked to see if it reads as a standard link. Attackers will take a minor variation on a legitimate web address and hope the user doesn’t notice. If you are suspicious of a URL in an email, hover over it to examine the landing page address and, if it looks fake, don’t click on it. And check that it is the correct URL and not one that looks very similar but slightly different to one that you’d usually expect.

3. A strange or mismatched sender address. You receive a message that looks to be from an official company account. The sender address looks almost like the company! The message warns you that there’s been some strange activity using your account and urges you

to click the link provided to verify your login details and the actions that have taken place. In many instances, the phisher can’t fake a real address and just hopes that readers don’t check. Often the sender’s address will just be listed as a string of characters rather than as sent from an official source. Keep an eye on the sender’s address to ensure that the message is legitimately from who it says it is.

4. This message looks too strange or too good to be true. Congratulations! You’ve just won a free trip to Las Vegas – now just provide us with all of your personal information, including your bank details, to claim the prize. As is the case with many things in life, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. In many cases, phishing emails with the aim of distributing malware will be sent in a blank message containing an attachment. Never clicking on mysterious, unsolicited attachments is a good rule to live by online. Even if the message is more detailed and looks as if it came from someone within your organization, if you think the message might not be legitimate, contact someone else in the company — over the phone or in person rather than over email if necessary — to ensure that they really did send it.

If you want more strategies to protect yourself against hackers and phishing attacks, there is lots of training online and always complete your privacy and security settings on your computers!

Joanna

Recognize. Rename. Recruit: Staff Recognition Event

Reena Celebrates Staff Excellence, Unveils Ambassador Program, and Dedicates Renamed Residence in Inspiring Event 

Reena is pleased to announce the success of its recent Recognize. Rename. Recruit event on June 22, 2023, marking a significant milestone for our organization.  

To honour and celebrate our 130 dedicated staff members with 18+ years of service, the event brought together Reena staff, present and past, board members, and dignitaries from several levels of government, including Vaughan Mayor, His Worship Steven Del Duca, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, Logan Kanapathi MPP, Former Mayor Honourable Maurizio Bevilacqua and many others.

 

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Reena expresses its heartfelt gratitude to its long-serving staff for their continuous commitment and hard work, in supporting people with developmental disabilities. Their dedication has been instrumental in shaping Reena’s mission and positively impacting the lives of those we serve. Through their compassion and support, they have made a lasting difference in the lives of Reena-supported individuals, and their families, embodying the core values of Reena. 

The impact of Reena’s staff extends far beyond the organization, reaching the broader community and creating a ripple effect of positive change. 

Moreover, Reena proudly announced the renaming of the Reena Community Residence (RCR) to the Sandy Keshen Reena Residence (SKRR) in tribute to our founding President and CEO, Sandy Keshen. Sandy, present at the event, dedicated over 40 years to Reena, playing a pivotal role in its growth and success. The SKRR symbolizes Sandy’s commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive environment.  

As a leader and pioneer, Sandy’s vision, passion, and tireless efforts shaped Reena into the organization it is today. Her commitment to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities has left an indelible mark on the organization and the community. 

Reena extends its deepest appreciation to Sandy for her extraordinary contributions.  

Additionally, Reena introduced its new Ambassador program, aiming to expand Reena’s candidate network, improve referrals, increase diversity, and build lasting relationships. Recruitment Ambassadors, comprising non-recruiting employees and departmental and/or business line hiring managers, will guide candidates seeking roles within Reena.

The Ambassador program will strengthen Reena’s recruitment efforts and establish the organization as an employer of choice. Leveraging the expertise and networks of staff, Reena will attract top talent and foster an inclusive work environment. 

Reena is immensely proud of our staff and their achievements. We express our deepest appreciation to all who attended this event and thank them for their ongoing support. 

 

2023 Ministry Compliance Granted to Reena

Reena is in Compliance.

“I am writing with respect to the compliance inspection of your agency that took place from May 29, 2023
through June 9, 2023. The Ministry is pleased to inform you that Reena was found to be IN COMPLIANCE with Ontario Regulation 299/10 of SIPDDA (Quality Assurance Measures) and/or policy directives applicable to MCCSS-funded services and supports for adults with developmental disabilities”
Kelly Huntington, Manager, Quality Assurance and Compliance Unit

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services conducts compliance inspections of all Ministry-funded service agencies under the Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008 (SIPDDA).

The specific standards of care and safety requirements that agencies are required to comply with are set out in Ontario Regulation 299/10 Quality Assurance Measures (QAM) and/or in policy directives.

The primary purpose of an inspection is to assess service agency compliance with legislation and policy directives and seek to ensure that service agencies are fully aware of their responsibilities.

Agencies may be provided with support to come into compliance. Compliance inspections are intended to provide assurances to the Ministry, members of the public, stakeholders and individuals receiving services and support that adults with developmental disabilities are receiving quality standards of care, in a safe and secure environment. Inspections are designed to be both transparent and fair.

Compliance is intended to provide assurances that adults with developmental disabilities are receiving quality standards of care, in a safe and secure environment.

Reena is In Compliance! – See letter of compliance.

WHAT AN EVENT. WHAT A COMMUNITY!

When The Beatles wrote “Come Together” in 1969, the song had nothing to do with the Reena community. However, on May 28th, our community did just that – we came together at Striking for Reena to smash all previous fundraising records, raising more than $390,000!!!


Presented by Westdale Properties and Fabricland, more than 300 people joined us at Playtime Bowl to cheer on Reena’s MVP Bowlers. In addition to the record number of generous sponsors, this year’s event garnered more than 1100 individual donations.

Teams reached out to families, friends and colleagues to raise funds for vital, life-changing initiatives and programs, including summer and winter camps; employment; respite; and vans to transport the myriad of individuals supported by Reena.

Congratulations to top fundraiser Rachel Libfeld and her team Rachel’s Rock N’ Bowlers for raising over $33,000!

A HUGE thank you to Ronald Struminger who flew in from New Jersey to surprise us with a generous donation of $50,000!!! Ronald, and his children, Jarod and Phoebe are dedicating a van in memory of their wife and mother, Marla Fruitman Struminger.


We extend a heartfelt thank you to our exceptional Emcee, Tom Brown, Toronto Blue Jays mascot ACE, and Marlies mascot Duke.

We are incredibly grateful to our event chairs – Steven Justein, Elaine Justein and their outstanding committee, all of our sponsors and donors, bowlers, board members, politicians, staff, volunteers and every member of the extended Reena family who CAME TOGETHER to make Striking 2023 a HUGE success.

Bryan Keshen to win the OASIS President’s Scholarship

The OASIS President Scholarship was established in recognition of the contributions of the volunteer Presidents of OASIS since its inception in 1996 and is issued to an Executive Director or Senior Manager for them to attend or participate in a conference or educational program of their selection.

This year’s Award Recipient is –

Bryan Keshen, CEO of REENA.

 

Bryan has provided effective leadership not only for Reena but the whole DS sector for several years. He supports a team of more than 700 employees, providing services to over 1,000 individuals with diverse disabilities in over 36 locations throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Bryan serves as Chair of the OASIS Housing Working Group and has also taken lead roles with The Toronto Developmental Services Alliance (TDSA), the Provincial Network, ONTrac and other sector leadership tables.

Bryan has effectively advocated with governments on behalf of the sector and holds several volunteer roles outside of the sector in support of and advocating for individuals to have equitable access to healthcare, affordable housing, and service. He is the founding chair of the Intentional Community Consortium (ICC) which is dedicated to developing housing across Ontario for people with developmental disabilities.

Bryan is the co-chair of the Western York Region Ontario Health Team, the first DS leader to be appointed to this role in the province. Bryan sits on both the Mackenzie Health President’s Advisory Committee and the Vaughan and York Region Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Bryan will use the award to collaborate with an outstanding leader or leaders in Healthcare Systems planning and consulting to create a “Blueprint Paper” on how to assist DS organizations to partner effectively with Ontario Health Teams and the broader healthcare system in their locations which will lead to a presentation at the 2024 OASIS Conference.

Mazal Tov – Congratulation, Bryan. 

11TH ANNUAL STRIKING FOR REENA BOWLING EVENT

We are so excited for our 11th Annual Striking for Reena bowling event, as we are bringing it back to the place where it all began! Please join us on Sunday, May 28th at Playtime Bowl & Entertainment.

The venue offers 28 lanes ready for fun and fundraising. Admission is free, but we ask that each participant raise a minimum of $300 (that means $1,800 per lane). Get your friends together and sign up for a day that will offer fun for the whole family with bowling, an arcade, laser tag, food and an online auction.

This family-oriented, inclusive event has become a favourite that has raised $2 million for Reena Foundation and allowed us to fund many important initiatives and programs such as summer and winter camps, sports teams, capital items such as vans, and employment.

We are honoured that incredible Reena supporter, Tom Brown, will once again act as MC of Striking for Reena.

 

Click HERE for more detail.

Reena’s Mental Health Symposium

Supportive Housing: An Alternative to Institutional Care

 
May 18th, 2023 7:30 – 9:30 pm

Beth Tzedec Congregation
1700 Bathurst St. North York, ON M5P 3K3

RSVP HERE

Mental health continues to be a growing problem affecting a large portion of all segments of the population. 

We are delighted to invite you to join us for a special event on mental health and addiction.

Our esteemed guests include The Hon. Carolyn Bennett, Canada’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and The Hon. Michael Tibollo, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Minister Tibollo will deliver a keynote address, sharing valuable insights and vision on this important topic.

Following the keynote address, there will be a panel discussion featuring experts and stakeholders from diverse sectors, including housing, health, community, and family. This will provide an opportunity to gain insights from various perspectives and exchange ideas on addressing the challenges and opportunities in mental health and addiction.

Discussion Moderator: Dr. Marla Shapiro.

Dr. Shapiro completed medical school at McGill University and trained at the University of Toronto for her Masters of Health Science. She concluded her specialty training in Community Medicine, receiving her Fellowship in Preventive Medicine and Public Health from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She also holds a Fellowship in Family Medicine and is currently a professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto.

AGENDA:

May 18th 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. 

7:30 Welcome & Introductions Dr. Marla Shapiro 

7:40 Chai Tikvah Video Presentation 

7:45 Opening Address: Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Ontario 

8:05 Summary of Afternoon Discussion: Dr. Yona Lunsky Director, Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, CAMH Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto 

8:15 Panel Discussion Developing and expanding the use of supportive housing as an alternative to institutional care, such as hospitals or long-term care homes as part of our health planning. 

Panellists:  

  1. Dr. Alan Bardikoff, Chair, Reena Chai-Tikvah Mental Health Service 
  2. Sugy Kodeeswaran, Executive Director, Family Navigation Project at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre 
  3. Abigail BondExecutive Director – Housing Secretariat at the City of Toronto  
  4. Yacov Fruchter, Director, Community Building and Spiritual Engagement, Beth Tzedec Congregation 
  5. Gary Blustein, Family member 

9:10 Hon. Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions & Associate Minister of Health 

9:20 Closing Remarks, Dr. Marla Shapiro 

Refreshments and Networking 

RSVP HERE

 

Jake Completed a Successful Employment

Jake is one of the fantastic participants in Reena’s Channels program, which helps people with developmental disabilities find meaningful employment. He recently completed his first paid job as a Passover Packager at LeChaim Catering, where he learned valuable skills and had a great experience.

Reena’s job coaches, Tamara and Connor, supported Jake throughout his 3-week contract and helped him overcome any challenges. They also recognized the incredible efforts of LeChaim Catering’s owners, Tom and Amy Stopnicki, and their staff, who created an inclusive and welcoming environment for Jake. Tom is a master chef and an award-winning author, and Amy is a food blogger with a passion for cooking. They were given a certificate of appreciation for being Champions of Workplace Inclusion Reena.

Jake’s success story shows how important it is to have inclusive workplaces and job coaching supports for people with developmental disabilities. He is proud of his achievements and motivated to pursue his employment goals. We are proud of him too and thankful for our partners like LeChaim Catering who make it possible.

 

Employment Advice Column: How to Beat the Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) with a winning online application!

Dear Joanna,

How does this ATS system work? How can I prepare a resume and cover letter application that will include those “keywords” that will be picked up by this ATS computer system? Please can you explain how I can increase my chances of a job interview with the right type of online application?

Signed: Keyword Confusion

Dear KC,

After consulting with the Reena job coaches from Channels, SET and RSES, as well as information from Borsellino’s https://www.themuse.com/advice/beat-the-robots-how-to-get-your-resume-past-the-system-into-human-hands, here is some advice to consider.

  1. Understand the system. All ATS systems are programmed to read the resume and cover letter to find out if you’re a match for the job opening. Just like you would scan a document, so do the recruiters but through this software. One way that the ATS selects candidates to interview is by searching for specific “keywords”.
  2. Including the right keywords. If you want to be noticed by the ATS, you need to include these special words that the recruiters search for – the most important ones for performing the job. Look for the “hard skills” that come up more than once in a posting and are mentioned near the top of the job posting’s requirements and duties. For example, for a receptionist job posting, the ATS keyword might be “customer service” or “MS Office”. Depending on your job goal, certain degrees and certifications could be important keywords. For example, if you are applying for a kitchen helper, your resume’s Food Handling Certification will most definitely be picked up in the ATS.
  3. Don’t Trick the ATS. You can’t fool the ATS or the recruiter. For example, I know one job seeker who pasted the entire job description in white, repeated the keywords many times in the resume and even added a section labeled “keywords” with various words from the job description. Guess what happened? The application was flagged by the ATS. And this trick was discovered by the recruiter who saw that the candidate added the full text of the job description in the resume and just wrote “customer service customer service customer service” many times. You’re showing the recruiter that you’ll cheat to get ahead. In the end, you need to be able to do the job and prove it on your resume.
  4. Choose the right file type. There are two formats to submit your application (resume and cover letter). Either “.docx” or “.pdf”. According to the blogger, the .docx format is the best one to be picked up by the ATS. However, it’s important to follow the instructions of the application process.
  5. Prepare an “Easy-to-Scan” resume by humans and the software. Recruiters want to find the information they’re looking for very quickly and in a readable form. For example, the ATS prefers chronological and combination resumes because your experiences, qualifications, education and skills are much easier to read in these formats. Don’t prepare a fancy resume with creative fonts and images. Avoid tables, text boxes, graphics, visuals, headers, footers, columns, hyperlinks, and more suggests Borsellino. Did you know that the ATS will convert your document to a text-only file? All the fancy formatting will be lost. And the ATS won’t be able to detect the important information on the application! Your application will not be presented!

If you want more information on this topic, visit Borsellino’s blog website and/or feel free to ask me any questions or make any comments in confidence at jsamuels@reena.org.

Joanna

2023 Federal Budget – Analysis and Comments  

On March 28, 2023, Canada’s Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, released the federal government’s 2023 budget. 

The day before, at the 4th Day on the Hill hosted by the Intentional Community Consortium in collaboration with Reena, Community Living Toronto, OASIS and the Provincial Network on Developmental Disabilities, we spoke to MPs from all parties about the need for additional supports and funds to assist those we support and to build deeply affordable housing for those with developmental disabilities. 

The government listened. 

“Rising interest rates and construction costs have made it more expensive to build housing. To ensure that Canada’s National Housing Strategy programs can continue to deliver new affordable homes for Canadians, especially for the most vulnerable, the federal government is taking action.  

 Budget 2023 announces the government’s intention to support the reallocation of funding from the National Housing Co-Investment Fund’s repair stream to its new construction stream, as needed, to boost the construction of new affordable homes for the Canadians who need them most. (Page 45) 

 

A New Grocery Rebate for Canadians 

Groceries are more expensive today, and for many Canadians, higher prices on essential goods are causing undue stress. In Budget 2023, the federal government is providing new, targeted inflation relief to the Canadians who need it most. 

For 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians and families, the Grocery Rebate will provide eligible couples with two children with up to an extra $467; single Canadians without children with up to an extra $234; and seniors with an extra $225 on average. This will be delivered through the Goods and Services Tax Credit (GST Credit) mechanism. 

By targeting the Grocery Rebate to the Canadians who need it most, the government will be able to provide important relief without making inflation worse.  

Budget 2023 proposes to introduce a one-time Grocery Rebate, providing $2.5 billion in targeted inflation relief to the Canadians who need it most. The Grocery Rebate will be delivered through a one-time payment from the Canada Revenue Agency as soon as possible following the passage of legislation.” (page 34) 

Reena visited Ottawa and spoke to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities advocating for the speedy passage of Bill C-22 the Canada Disability Benefit.  

We are pleased to note the following: 

“The government remains committed to the launch of a Canada Disability Benefit as part of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, including engagement with the disability community and provinces and territories on the regulatory process. Investments in Budget 2023 continue to lay the necessary groundwork for the Canada Disability Benefit, building off of the government’s reintroduction of the Canada Disability Benefits Act in June 2022. 

Budget 2023 proposes to provide $10 million over two years, beginning in 2023-24, to Employment and Social Development Canada to help address the unique needs and ongoing barriers faced by persons with disabilities by investing in capacity building and the community-level work of Canada’s disability organizations.  

 

Budget 2023 proposes to provide $21.5 million in 2023-24 to Employment and Social Development Canada to continue work on the future delivery of the Canada Disability Benefit, including engagement with the disability community and provinces and territories on the regulatory process.” (page 146) 

We also note with interest that: 

To complement the investments the federal government has made to improve the state of long-term care facilities, including the working conditions and wages of personal support workers, the government is proposing new investments to support Canada’s personal support workers.   We will work with the Federal Government to include developmental service workers as well. 

Several individuals supported by Reena have RDSP’s.  Budget 2023 announces the government’s intention to extend the RDSP Qualifying Family Member provision until December 31, 2026. To further increase access to RDSPs, the government also intends to expand the provision to include adult siblings of an RDSP beneficiary. These measures are expected to cost $13 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $3 million ongoing. 

In the past, Reena has benefitted from the Security Infrastructure Fund to enhance security at our public buildings. Today’s federal Budget announced an investment of$49.5 million over five yearsfor the Security Infrastructure Program, a critical tool in protecting our community institutions like synagogues, day schools, and community centres, among others. New funding will go towards expanding and enhancing the program so it can be more responsive to the evolving security needs of communities.  This enhanced program will be launched later this year as part of Canada’s new Action Plan to Combat Hate. 

 

Healthcare 

Almost half of increases to the Federal Budget are to increase health transfers to the provinces and territories and further expand the national dental-care program.   

The government opened the program last year to low-income Canadians under the age of 12. This year, the program expands to include those under 18 and seniors.  

The budget offers $250 million over three years to establish an Oral Health Access Fund starting in 2025-26, with $75 million annual funding after that. The program is meant to target gaps in vulnerable populations. 

The budget puts up $359.2 million over five years to tackle substance abuse by providing better supports, a safer supply of drugs, better data on substance abuse and supervised injection sites. 

The budget also offers $158 million over three years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support the implementation and operation of the Suicide Prevention Line, as well as $36 million over three years for reproductive health. 

Infrastructure 

Reena is looking at a Solar infrastructure investment of Over $1.5 Million with a current payback of just over 14 years, affecting about 30 Reena properties. 

The new Federal Budget provides investment tax credits which may allow Reena to reduce the payback period should we decide to forgo ownership of the asset and finance it with a company that can take advantage of the newly announced: 

  • Expanded Clean Technologies Investment Tax Credit 
  • New Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit 

 

Reena is looking forward to continuing working with this Government and our sector to fulfil our mission.   

The full budget is located https://www.budget.canada.ca/2023/home-accueil-en.html#downloads   

Intentional Community Consortium Day on The Hill

Reena and members of the Intentional Community Consortium lead the annual “Day on The Hill” advocacy day yesterday. The day started with a Press Conference in the Media Room of West Block that can be viewed here https://www.cpac.ca/episode?id=4d5ec331-61d6-446c-a364-ca39043f4df8

Over 70 individuals representing over 40 organizations for the Intentional Communities Consortium Day on the Hill in collaboration with  Reena, Community Living Toronto, OASIS and the Provincial Network on Developmental Disabilities attended a press conference and Question Period. Please see https://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20230328/-1/38856 at 14:20:35 for a Standing Ovation from all parties, acknowledging the agencies that were present.

Reena was ably represented by Jamie and Ryan who were able to speak to a packed reception with Ministers (among them Minister of Housing/Diversity Hon. Ahmed Hussen and Minister of Health Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos), Parliamentary Secretaries (Housing, Finance, Families/Children/Social Development) and Members from all Parties (including Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Green Party).

Our meetings in the morning highlighted the need for housing and showcased/amplified Reena’s presence as a leader in the sector through actions and words.

Lay Leadership of Reena (Board Members David Cohen and Mike Manett, Former Board Chair and Current GR Chair Carolynn Morrison) had insightful comments and captivated the room.  The event ran like relative clockwork, thanks to Sandra’s and Fred’s great help.  I anxiously await to see all of the photos and comms from Sharon (who was present) and Sharmin.

The Intentional Community Consortium, www.intentionalcommunities.ca is poised to take off, as we work with our members Building Inclusive Communities – Finding solutions to the deeply-affordable housing crisis faced by individuals with developmental disabilities, focusing on housing, support services and community engagement.

Frankfort Family Reena Residence Update

Update – March 9th, 2023

We wanted to provide you with an update on the Frankfort Family Reena Residence project (155/165 Elm Ridge). We are making steady progress. We have received zoning approval and have submitted a complete site plan application.

Our anticipated occupancy date remains on target for 2025. This is an aggressive timeline and we are working hard to meet this target. The expected demolition is scheduled to take place between May and September 2023. This will be followed by an application for excavation and shoring, which we plan to submit sometime between June and November 2023.

We have engaged Fieldgate Construction Management Limited (FCML) who was also the Construction Manager for the Lou Fruitman Reena Residence in Vaughan.  FCML will be on-site commencing in April 2023.
 
We are currently finalizing the permit drawings and working to identify and raise the capital contributions and financing required. Once this is completed, we will continue the process of evaluating unit allocations and will gain a better sense of how many units may be available within program areas.

We truly appreciate your interest in Reena and the Frankfort Family Reena Residence.  We are grateful for your support as we work towards the completion of this new residence.

Community Event – February is Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month

 

In honour of February as Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month,  help us celebrate the community we have worked so hard to create!

11:00 am –  2:00 pm – Non-ticketed event 

 Our program will include presentations and activities by TAP (Teaching Awareness Through Puppetry), Artist Rita Winkler, Potter Ben Sheps, Sensory Bag Play, Disability Jenga, an Inclusion Wall and so much more!!

2:30 pm – Ticketed event 

We will gather in the theatre for a special performance by Montreal-based Shira Choir led by Reverend Hazan Daniel Benlolo.  Featuring Toronto’s Special Voices Choir, with a guest appearance by world-renowned Cantor Simon Spiro.  Hosted by Aliza Spiro

Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) is a unified effort among Jewish organizations and communities worldwide to raise awareness and foster inclusion of people with disabilities and those who love them.

Event Partners: Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, Chai Lifeline, DANI, Friendship Circle, Jewish Family and Child Services, Jewish Vocational Services, KCC, Life and Hope, Miles Nadal JCC,  Rafiken, Reena. Regesh, Surrey Place, The Song Shul, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Yachad, Prosserman and Schwartz/Reisman JCC.

 

Buy Your Tickets Today