LiveWorkPlay - The LiveWorkPlay Blog - Ottawa Ontario Canada

Welcome To LiveWorkPlay 2012!

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Helping the community welcome people with intellectual disabilities

to live, work, and play as valued citizens!
LiveWorkPlay [NEW ADDRESS!]

Ottawa, ON K1J 7T2

613-702-0333

Please Like Us Again

Just a quick note off the top: if you have been a Facebook follower of the LiveWorkPlay page (or if you'd like to be) please "like" us again (or for the first time). The page name "LiveWorkPlay" recently became available, but the cost of acquiring the name was the Facebook limitation that page names cannot be changed if the page has more than 100 followers. To change the name we had to reduce our followers and now we need to invite everyone back again! Please go to facebook.com/liveworkplayfans and click the LIKE button at the top, and be sure to invite your friends to do the same!

In addition to the new name (which brings the main benefit of our page showing up first in searches for LiveWorkPlay) the other good news is that we did not lose any of our content: the hundreds of photo albums, videos, stories, and comments are still there. Never seen a Facebook page? Give it a try. You don't need a Facebook account to view it. If you are on Facebook, please say hello!

Saying Goodbye to 2011

It seems like only a few weeks have passed since our last edition in the middle of November, and yet here we are in a new year!

The winding up of 2011 was dominated by two traditional LiveWorkPlay celebrations: the Festive Family Feast on December 9 and the New Year's Eve Dinner & Dance on December 31. The Feast was heavily attended and the big hit of the evening was a simple reading of "good news announcements." They were filled with stories of people with intellectual disabilities enjoying their homes, jobs, friends, and community! You can click here to read some of them.

There were some surprises under the Christmas tree for LiveWorkPlay. First, the Realtors Care Foundation came through with a donation of $3400! Later in the month a donor that wishes to remain anonymous contributed $2000 and a very nice note.

As it has for the past 14 years, the year ended with a LiveWorkPlay New Year's Eve bash. In recent years members have asked for an affordable gathering in the comfort of familiar faces, which once again resulted in attendance in the 75-100 range. It was a great surprise to see the return of Carlo Lombard who provided DJ services on behalf of Quality Entertainment. Carlo does not work as a DJ very often anymore, but he stepped up for the opportunity to host the LiveWorkPlay party (he was our DJ three years ago).

The St. Anthony's Banquet Hall buffet was delicious, but the highlight of the evening had to be from about 11:30 until midnight when absolutely everyone was on the dance floor!

The news for 2010 was dominated by the dramatic growth of the LiveWorkPlay volunteer team, and the scope and importance of volunteers in helping us realize our mission has continued to progress. New recruits appear on a weekly basis with strong attendance at monthly orientations.

There were important developments in all areas. In "live" news there is still nothing quite as exciting as when one of our members moves to a home of their own, and the daily successes of those who have made this transition are always newsworthy.

In "play" news there were trips to foreign lands and trips down the street for a night at the pub. People are getting out more, exploring new cultural and recreational opportunites, and expanding their social circles!

But the big story for 2011 has to be the explosion of LiveWorkPlay members seeking paid work in the community. The LiveWorkPlay profile as an agency capable of matching employees and employers has increased dramatically through involvement with the United Way Ottawa EARN initiative, as well as the co-hosting of the Building A New Workforce event with Rotary clubs from the Ottawa area.

Here Comes 2012

It's been a flurry of activity so far in the new year. The LiveWorkPlay office is moving to 1223 Michael Street (just east of St. Laurent Shopping Centre). See the end of this blog for more details. The official move-in date is February 1, but the entire staff team has been pitching in to make the transition throughout the month of January. The goal is for a professional space where staff can do their work effectively, but also a welcoming place where LiveWorkPlay members and guests can feel at home.

Change is never easy, so just to make the move a little more exciting, LiveWorkPlay is supporting a ten-day bus and boat trip that departs on January 28. Members will travel by charter bus to New Jersey, take a tour of NYC and spend the night, and then board the Norweigian Gem which will motor south for a week in the Caribbean!

The fifteen members taking part in the trip have been saving to cover their personal expenses for more than a year. Travelling part of the trip by bus (the depature port is New Jersey) not only keeps it affordable, but it offers a more inclusive experience! LiveWorkPlay members will be travelling as part of a larger tour group, as with last year's very successful New Hampshire bus trip. LiveWorkPlay members do require staff support at various times while traveling, but most of the time their needs are no different than those of other travelers. Being part of a tour group offers lots of opportunity for LiveWorkPlay staff to be in the background so members can have a great time making new friends.

Also on the horizon: the March 30 Foolish Family Feast and the Recipe for Success Annual Live & Silent Auction event on April 12. Auction planning is already well underway, and LiveWorkPlay is thrilled to announce the return of the dynamic hosting duo of Derick Fage (Rogers TV Cable 22) and Sandy Sharkey (BOB FM 93.9).

According to last year's guests, in terms of auction events with multiple hosts, this inaugural effort by Derick and Sandy rivaled an all-time favourite from the year 2000, when Cyndi Edwards, Jim Watson, and Dave Smith had the audience laughing and bidding up a storm. Mayor Watson opened the live auction last year, and was joined in the audience by Councilor Scott Moffatt, MPP Yasir Naqvi, and other notable names. We hope they will return in 2012 and that many others will join them!

Tax Planning? Don't Forget RDSP!

The Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) helps Canadians with disabilities and their families save for the future. If you are a Canadian resident under age 60 and are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (Disability Amount), you are eligible for an RDSP. Earnings accumulate tax-free, until you take money out of your RDSP. Parents or guardians may open an RDSP for a minor. With written permission from the holder anyone can contribute to the RDSP. Once you open an RDSP, you may apply for the Canada Disability Savings Grant and Canada Disability Savings Bond.

To learn more about how the RDSP works, see RDSP Overview. You can also attend an RDSP session in Ottawa on February 6 at the Ottawa Public Library.

A New Year For People First Ottawa

People First of Canada, People First of Ontario, and LiveWorkPlay Working Together to support the launch of a new English chapter of People First in Ottawa in November 2010. It was quite a busy first year. The chapter hosted its first Annual General Meeting on January 14, expanding the Board of Directors to 5 members. The membership also voted to change the name of the chapter to People First Ottawa (instead of People First of Ottawa). The annual report spoke of a busy year in 2011 with much to be done in 2012.

Re-elected to the board (but shifting positions) were Emily Menard (President), Josee Varin (Vice-President), and Jennifer Harris (Secretary). Newly elected were Joshua Balanaser (Treasurer) and Jalynn Plaus (Member at Large). Josee is taking on some new responsibilities with People First of Ontario so she decided she could best serve Ottawa as Vice-President, providing experienced leadership when Emily is not available. One of the first actions of the new board was to announce that all chapter members in good standing are welcome to attend future board meetings. Before the meeting adjourned, members had already scheduled a meet and greet social event in February, a board meeting in March, People First of Ontario President Kory Earle as a guest speaker in April, and participation in the People First of Peterborough annual conference (expected in late May).

Reaching Out In The Ottawa Community & Beyond

It's been a great couple of months for meeting new people and organizations. Locally this includes continuing to build the relationship with Families Matter Co-op and getting to know the team at Developmental Services Ontario Eastern Region (DSOER). Beyond the city limits LiveWorkPlay staff have been attending "lunch and learn" opportunities at The Mills Community Support Services, sometimes contributing as presenters, as was the case on January 13 when Fran Childs delivered "Creating a Welcoming Community
One Person at a Time" sharing the amazing outcomes from the LiveWorkPlay volunteer matching initiative.

Supporting social change requires reaching and engaging a wide audience of citizens who can contribute not only through their own inclusive attitudes and actions, but by helping to influence social policy at the local, provincial, national, and international levels.

One of the most important contributors at the provincial level is Community Living Ontario, which has been hosting a series of "Vision Blogs" at communityliving.ca which are described as "an opportunity for people who support the community living movement to write from a personal perspective on our key priorities...to share their own experience and thoughts on ways to move forward as a movement."

The current Vision Blog feature is by LiveWorkPlay co-leader Keenan Wellar. Here's a snippet from the article with the intriguing headline On Target: T-Shirt Model Generates Hope for a World that Includes People with Intellectual Disabilities.

"Welcoming and including people with intellectual disabilities in our community requires a variety of critical supports...but I have a pretty good idea what most people with intellectual disabilities are after in life: they want a home of their own – to start out in a tiny little apartment just like so many of us did – to have their own dishtowels and a bottle of squeeze ketchup in the fridge. They want a real paying job. They want real friends – not just paid people catering to their “needs.” They want to love. And to be loved.

Message From Cecelia Taylor (Chair)

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to wish a happy new year to all of our members, volunteers, and supporters! It has been an exciting and busy four months since the Annual General Meeting. I am honoured to have been elected Chair by my colleagues, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share a brief summary of the work that the board plans to tackle for the remainder of our term in 2012.

We have 4 more official board meetings planned between now and the end of June. We will also meet again in the summer and fall for an AGM planning session. I thought it might be of interest to our members and others to know our schedule between now and June. Here it is in brief:

March

Financial planning and budgeting report review (quarterly)
Financial condition and activities report review (quarterly)
Strategic discussion: if financial surplus arises, what are appropriate priorities for disposition?
Strategic discussion: future growth of LiveWorkPlay: opportunities and limits.

April

Treatment of members policy report review (annual)
Treatment of staff policy report review (annual)
Communication and support report review (annual)
Strengthening of board: refining description of board member responsibilities.

May

Compensation and benefits report review, external (annual)
Compensation and benefits report review, internal (annual)
Strategic discussion: supporting the continuation of a quality staff team.

June

Financial planning and budgeting report review (quarterly)
Financial condition and activities report review (quarterly)
Strengthening of board: refining board recruitment and orientation process.

Most of these items are known as “policy reviews” and the scheduling of those reports repeats year to year. Between meetings the board works with the Executive Staff to say abreast of issues in the developmental services sector and other trends that could impact on the work of our organization. Where warranted, discussions about such developments become part of the formal meeting agenda.

From time to time the board reaches out to the membership for direct feedback on strategic directions. Last year our focus was on reviewing the mission, vision, and values and we received valuable input from members, partners, and other supporters. The outcome was adoption of our exciting new guiding statements at the AGM!

I hope that this has offered some insight into the governance of LiveWorkPlay. In future the board will look forward to sharing more with readers of the LiveWorkPlay Blog!

LiveWorkPlay Has A New Address

LiveWorkPlay
301-1223 Michael Street
Ottawa, ON K1J 7T2

613-702-0333

We are currently working to have our existing main phone number 613-235-9550 moved to our new location. Our new main phone number is 613-702-0333 and this number works NOW. When 613-235-9550 is moved (what they call “ported”) to our new location, it will simply be forwarded to 613-702-0333, so either number will get you to the same place. What does this mean?

It means starting NOW when you need to reach us by phone at the office, please call 613-702-0333 where you will hear a message with all of the new staff extensions.

As you all know, moving is difficult, and technology items like telephone systems are often the most difficult of all. If you experience any problems, we thank you in advance for your patience. It has been a very busy time continuing our daily work while moving our office and also preparing to support the Caribbean cruise trip which departs this Saturday. Almost half of the staff team will be on the trip, so please respect that our staff resources are at half of our usual capacity.

The staff members working in Ottawa during the cruise are: Allison Moores, Jen Bosworth, Natasshia Lee, George Kranitis, Daniel Harris, and Anthony Stratton. We'll also have Jennifer Cunningham stepping in for some additional part-time duties.

Fran Childs, Grace Hudson, Keenan Wellar, and Julie Kingstone along with volunteer Andrew Waye will be supporting the cruise. Please do not leave them voice mail messages or send them emails while they are on the trip. Hold your communications until February 13. If your communication can’t wait until February 13, contact Allison at 613-702-0333, and she will help you or redirect your inquiry to another staff member working in Ottawa.

We thank you for your support. It is all coming together at the new office and we are looking forward to receiving many of you at the new location in the weeks to come.

Donate To LiveWorkPlay

If you like what we are doing and you can afford a financial contribution, donate online and choose from a selection of options such as a one-time contribution or monthly donation. Just $10 a month is a great help!

Focus On Employment: Working Is Believing! November 17, 2011

2011-11-10T23:43:00.013-05:00

Employment Excitement Sweeping Ottawa!

The LiveWorkPlay membership has never been confused about the importance of employment in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. After all, "work" is right in the middle of our name! We've also partnered with some amazing employers over the years, with familiar names like MBNA and The WORKS. Both companies are examples of champions of workplace diversity and in particular hiring practices that value people with intellectual disabilities as full citizens in the Ottawa community.

Each job that goes to a person supported by LiveWorkPlay is a huge event in the life of that individual, but it is also part of a historic social change taking place in Ottawa, across the province, and all over the world! People with disabilities are emerging from the shadows and fringes of their community and taking their rightful place alongside others. This is happening with respect to housing, sports, recreation, learning, citizenship, and of course, employment!

It was not long ago that a firm belief in the right to full citizenship for people with intellectual disabilities was seen as a radical position, but thankfully those days are over. Like-minded agencies everywhere are starting to speak up and voice the wishes of their constituents. Individuals with disabilities and their family members are rejecting sheltered workshops and day programs as lifelong substitutes for community participation, and are instead focusing their energies on having the same life options as other citizens, including non-segregated paid work at minimum wage or better. In other words, a real job!

Helpful to the cause are umbrella organizations like ODEN (Ontario Disability Employment Network). ODEN is partnering with service clubs, employers, and service providers, and others across the province to provide education and celebrate champions of workplace diversity.

And local employment supports providers like LiveWorkPlay are joining local networks like EARN (Employment Accessibility Resource Network) which has its own employment champions (Business Leadership Network). Some agencies that offer grants are starting to shift their values by questioning programs and practices that segregate people with intellectual disabilities from other citizens. As the research clearly shows, having a job does not eliminate all barriers to community inclusion, but it makes a huge difference in multiple ways, from reducing poverty to improved mental health and building social networks.

Locally, United Way Ottawa has identified the sad reality that our city lags behind others in the province with one of the lowest employment rates of people with disabilities. In addition to providing grants in support of employment, they are facilitating EARN and the BLN as part of their disability employment focus.

Please view the videos and links above to get a flavour for some of the excitement of the past two months. And it's not over yet! LiveWorkPlay is thrilled to be joined by the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce in supporting the Ottawa neighbourhood Rotary Clubs presentation of "Building A New Workforce."

This November 30 event features a keynote by The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

Other special guests will include Joe Dale, Project Manager of Rotary at Work, and Mark Wafer, a Tim Hortons franchise owner who travels the province promoting the employment of people with disabilities.

It's Time For Feasting & Dancing

It seems like the September 23 Welcome Back Family Feast and AGM was only yesterday, but it will soon be December! That means two important LiveWorkPlay holiday traditions are just around the corner.

First up is the Festive Family Feast on Friday, December 9. We know the September feast had a busy agenda, so this time it is all about relaxing and socializing. We'll have a few announcements and celebrate some of the good news in the lives of our members for the past two months, but the real agenda is to enjoy the meal and enjoy some good company!

By popular request, the New Year's Eve party is once again a "members only" affair. We'll have seating for about 140 with a professional DJ and a delicious buffet. The ticket prices for both events are at the lowest price ever, just $15 for the feast, and just $40 (early bird price) for the NYE party.

Click Above and Register Now, Take Advantage of Early Bird Specials!

LiveWorkPlay Travel News: All Aboard!

LiveWorkPlay helps members enjoy domestic and international travel opportunities. After extensive consultation the three choices for this year include a Caribbean cruise, Nashville, and Quebec City.

The cost for these trips is kept low through the use of bus travel (in the case of the cruise, taking the bus to and from New Jersey). Not only is this more affordable, but it is much more inclusive! Instead of a small group of LiveWorkPlay members and staff spending almost all of their time together, bus tours offer the opportunity for a shared experience with a diverse and large group of other tour passengers.

Pictured above some of those taking part in the January cruise. The hot topic was excursion opportunities, which range from swimming with stingrays to a sailing experience on an America's Cup yacht! Last year was the first time LiveWorkPlay members tried travelling with a bus tour. You can watch this Collection of video memories New Hampshire 2010 to see how it went!

People First Annual Conference

4 delegates from People First Ottawa who are also members of LiveWorkPlay made their way by bus to Toronto for the People First of Ontario Annual Conference. They were joined there by their Ottawa chapter President, Josee Varin. In addition to taking part in conference sessions the team of five also opened the conference with a presentation and discussion about the documentary film Monica & David: A Love Story. It was a great way to get 170 delegates talking about a range of topics from employment to relationships.

Above left, Jennifer Harris talks about Monica & David. Centre, Moira Fuenzalida has her ballot and is heading off to the voting booth to elect regional and board representatives for 2011-2012. Right, Caroline Matte applauds her colleague Emily Menard who has just shared a story about following her dreams of life in the community.

Although resources are scarce, People First of Ontario and local chapters across the province continue to grow and continue to represent the independent voice of advocates who have intellectual disabilities. Prior to the formal conference proceedings, the board of directors met with Assistant Deputy Minister David Carter-Whitney and other Ministry of Community and Social Services representatives to discuss a range of topics.

Some of the top People First of Ontario concerns include: the inadequacies of the Ontario Disability Support Program, particularly the rental allowance which is far below market rates, and the clawback on employment income; the continued teaching and use of restraint; the impact of strikes and picketing of people's homes.

LiveWorkPlay members: mark your calendars for the evening of Saturday, January 14, when People First of Ottawa will host a social meet and greet and annual general meeting!

Next Stop: 1223 Michael Street!

As announced to our membership last month, LiveWorkPlay headquarters is on the move. We've enjoyed our time at the C3 Centre, our home since the summer of 2010. We give thanks especially to Volunteer Ottawa, Social Planning Council of Ottawa, Ottawa Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, and United Way Ottawa for all of their support and cooperative efforts around the C3 partnership table. We'll also miss being neighbours to Families Matter Co-op. But we aren't going far so let's all visit each other often!

Click Above for Three Views of our New Location!

The main reason for the move is the need for privacy. With the growth of LiveWorkPlay staff to 11, discussing confidential member needs in a team setting has become very difficult in an open concept configuration.

The new location at 1223 Michael Street is just a minute or two from the C3 Centre, on the east side of St. Laurent Shopping Centre. The private space of approximately 1500 square feet will serve as home to the staff team with workstations divided between several small offices, a modest meeting space, and a small but welcoming reception area for visitors.

The building has some interesting features, including an on-site cafe, free visitor parking, and a variety of non-profit, government, and business tenants that we are looking forward to meeting. The new office will be open by February 1, if not sooner. We'll make sure our members and their families have all the information they need about bus routes and other considerations.

United Way Campaign: Finish Line In Sight

There's a lot we could say about reasons to give to the annual United Way campaign. But we know most of our readers are interested in understanding how this helps LiveWorkPlay. Here's three reasons: 1) We are still in our first year of a three year funding agreement that supports employment 2) We benefit from partnership initiatives like the Employment Accessibility Resource Network 3) You can direct all or part of your contribution to LiveWorkPlay (just write 896222775RR0001 in Section C).

We've decided to get some help to motivate you: Felice Miranda and Betty Burke are two remarkable women with a few things in common, including adult children who are supported by LiveWorkPlay. They are helping to spread the word about the organization and its work as a United Way Ottawa partner and funded agency.

If you think Felice and Betty did a great job, visit the LiveWorkPlay fan page or send a supportive tweet their way via @LiveWorkPlay on Twitter!

Volunteer Team Supports Ongoing Improvements

Volunteer Coordinator Fran Childs met with about 50 members of the LiveWorkPlay volunteer team over the past month and gathered a number of helpful suggestions. This includes the use of a new "personal profile" that is particularly helpful with volunteering matching.

Volunteers are always coming forward with great ideas, like Valerie who wondered about a first aid course with a focus on the type of everyday injuries everyone can expect to experience. Peggy from Red Cross agreed to provide exactly what Valerie was talking about and the group of LiveWorkPlay members and volunteers who attended just loved it!

Get Social With Us

We have a page on Facebook, we tweet on Twitter, we have a channel on YouTube, and you will find many of our staff members on LinkedIn!