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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-05-27, Page 4Page A4 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, May 27, 2009 Community Living going strong after fifty years Photo by Dominique Milburn OSAID rocks the message The East Gym at Goderich District Collegiate Institute was transformed into a trendy rock club Friday night as the school's Ontario Students Against Drunk Driving chapter hosted its first {A}live night of music. Students and music lovers poured into the dim gymnasium where they were treated to four local music acts, including crowd pleasers Boy In December, Odium, Blind Eye Era and Remember Us Always. OSAID members took in $5 a head at the event, which will go towards future initiatives of the chapter. Right, OSAID members Pheobe Aitken and Jessica Adams cozy up to thier fuzzy counterparts, while Boy In December singer Mark Hussey belts out one of the bands original compositions. Gerard Crsoss signal -star staff Fifty years of dignity, of cooperation and of inclusion - Community Living Central Huron is celebrating a milestone anniversary this year, and with it celebrating the leaps and bounds society has made in overcoming the stigma surrounding those with mental and physical disabilties. From humble beginnings to a province -wide network of support services and independent living homes, the organization has grown sig- nificantly over the past five decades. True to the region, the evolution of the agency now known as Community Living be- gins as so many other things in rural Ontario - around the kitchen table. At a time when the only treatment for those syith.. disabilities was seclusion, parents and caregivers took it on themselves to begin the process of change. "Really, families started the movement," said executive director at CLCH, Rosemary Foran. "In the fifties, doctors advised insti- tutionalization and families didn't agree with that." And so, in church basements, in commu- nity centres, and in family homes, the God- erich and District Association for Retarded Children began putting into practice their goal of education for disabled kids. "Parents were pushing for their children to have the same, rights as other children," said Foran. In an age where it is mandatory for students to be in school until age 18, itis hard to imag- ine the Ministry of Education had to declare disabled students had the right to go to school in the 1960s. Community Living, however, was well ahead of the game. Volunteers, service clubs and church groups made time, space and care available to children well before the province came on board. But what to do after gradutation? It was a question parents needed an answer to and so CLCH began soliciting businesses in the area to provide jobs for those with dis- abilites. The response was a positive one. "That provided a variety of opportunities for getting integrated into the community," said Foran. "More and more people knew what we do." But, not everyone wanted to commute to the 00elch antlF491 Mekrentint Photo by Gerard Creces The gang at Community Living's activity centre take a minute to smile for the camera. From left to right: Back row (standing): Marlene Mousseau, Kevin DeGraaf, Mary McNeil, Linda Reid, Kelly Appleton, Barb Maxwell and Ed Flaherty sitting on chair) Kyle Johnston, Penny Hasson and Janet Scott. fices and employers expanded across the re- gion, offering more choice than ever before. As mental institutions finally .began dos- ing in the 1980s, Community Living began expanding. Services offered differed based on the needs of communities,- and with funding from the Ministry of Community and Social Services, the idea of integration also became more prominent, and the first group homes were opened in Huron. This allowed a new level of independence for clients, as well as offered families a break from the constant care they were giving: Kevin, who has been with CLCH for six months, is 45, and loves sports. He said he enjoys his work cleaning windows and. doing odd jobs, as well as the employment support he gets through Community Living. He lives in an independent living residence, and as his parents will testify, loves every minute of it. "Our son Kevin lives in a group home," said Kevin's mother, Dorothy Degraaf. "He comes home every Saturday and by Sunday at six, he's ready to go" She and her husband Peter are retired and Dorothy said they just didn't have the energy anymore to keep up with Kevin. Community Living provides not only a place to live for their son, but job training, employment and v i 1 i/ t r 1 A 1 r • 11 1 4 • gr. 4041.40,1.10 01 1i ♦ • • • 4 • •i Ar a' • • • • • 1 a:�+►:.�i�0.• 4 4• 644.144044K44411•a•:i.S0:i►•4 • •. most of all independence. "They do things for him we could not do anymore;" she said. "It's peace of mind." "I'm sometimes amazed at how indepen- dent he is," Peter added. At the activity centre, Linda is busy making a rug. Not one to follow a beaten path, she's more interested in bright colours than uniform squares. "I've got a new one on the go," she said, motioning to another project in the works. She said she loves to garden, and a walk around the Community Living building pro- vides proof -positive of this. "I like working outside," she said. "Doing flowerbeds in the front yard, the back yard... Tulips, daisies, roses..." Her favourite are roses, both red and yel- low, and when she's had enough of the gar- den for one day, she said she loves to visit the Snoezelen Room. Added in 1999 and funded in part by Mc- Donalds, the Snoezelen Room is a sensory experience like no other. White, padded floors and walls, colourful lights, music, button -acti- vated sounds and sights allow a person to ex- plore their senses or just lay back and relax. It is definitely a favourite at Community Living. , Mary is a self -professed "busy girl". Join- ing the Community Living group just seven months ago, she has already found her place in the activity centre, and said she enjoys the workshops. A star in the making, she's quick to point out her photo in a recent newspaper. "That's me, deary," she said, describing the photograph. "I'm here a lot." Barry is familiar with the kitchen side of things, and works hard to keep the dishes, sinks and floors clean. A little more shy, he doesn't feel like talking about himself. "There's Kevin," he said. "Ask him." Penny meanwhile plays a mean tambourine in Rock Band, and enjoys cooking and exer- cising. A big fan of Richard Simmons, when she's breaking a sweat, she's doing it to the oldies. While they all share the same challenges, none of them are apparent as they go about their days at Community Living. Between • impromptu games of Rock Band, learning the ins and outs of computers, crafts or getting ready for a job, their days are filled with activ- ity and very much looked -forward to. Again, the inclusive and patient atmo- sphere at Community Living is a complete turnaround from the decades of isolation pre- viously endured by those with disabilities. Like one of Linda's flowers, that extra care is sometimes all it takes to allow CLCH's clients to bloom. The DeGraafs have noticed the change as well. "There is way more understanding than it was 20 years ago," Peter said. "They can do a lot of things. Just take your time with them, you know?" "Kevin loves to come here," said Dorothy. "He's happy where he is." There are 85 employees at Community Living supporting 95 adults in Central Huron. The county -wide program supports 240 and there are seven residential locations through- out Goderich and Clinton. From /a kitchen table discussion 50 years ago to an agency that provides employment, acceptance and independence for those who need it most, Community Living Central Hu- ron continues to enrich the lives of not only those they support, but the communities they grace._ I