Hello everyone,
We would like to share a message from Community Living BC (CLBC) below –
Dear self-advocates and family members –
I hope you had a restful time over the holidays and are remaining safe in this New Year.
We continue to live in stressful times as we are seeing the rapid spread of new cases of COVID-19 due to Omicron. This is also the time when many people catch the cold and flu. Many of us have family, friends and support staff who have become ill.
CLBC service providers, like schools and businesses, are experiencing staffing challenges as people get sick from Omicron and seasonal flu and colds. Those of you who manage your own supports may also be short some staff due to illness.
Public health experts tell us that we may be approaching the worst part of this wave and we hope it will soon begin to get better. However, the next weeks will be the hardest and we will have to work together to get through this time.
Safety is a top priority – make sure you get your booster
While Omicron is proving to be easier to catch, the evidence tells us that those who are vaccinated will be protected from serious illness and death. That is why it is still so important to get your vaccinations and to get your booster shot as soon as it is your turn.
If you have had your two shots, you are in the health computer system and will get your notification by email or text on your cell phone six months after your second shot. If you have had both your first and second Covid vaccine shot but you do not have email or cell phone, please contact your local health authority to arrange for your booster shot.
Here is general information about getting your booster:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/booster
If you have questions about getting your booster you can also call:
1-833-838-2323
Please make sure you ask a friend, family member or support worker if you are unsure what to do. If you are a family member or friend, please check to see if the person you support needs help to get their booster as soon as they are eligible.
CLBC service providers have made contingency plans
Under the recent Order from the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), everyone who works at CLBC and for a CLBC funded service provider must now be vaccinated. CLBC has also been working with our service providers to ensure they continue to have strong safety plans in place that follow public health guidelines.
CLBC recently held a meeting to share ideas and practices from leaders in our sector for keeping services going. You can read about some of the ideas that were shared in our last message to service providers here.
Service providers are asking their staff, including leaders, to be prepared to jump in to fill work shifts to keep services going should regular staff become temporarily ill.
If an agency has a large number of staff call in sick, they may have to temporarily reduce or suspend some services like employment, skill development and community inclusion in order to maintain critical housing services like group homes.
Service providers will keep you notified of any service changes, and we ask that you do what you can to help them during this time. This may mean being willing to change how you receive services, or sometimes staying home from a service for a few days. We can only get through this time if we all come together to solve the challenges that arise.
If at any time you experience an urgent unexpected need, please reach out to your agency or CLBC facilitator.
CLBC\’s next COVID-19 telephone support call on Jan. 24
We are all hopeful that by pulling together during these next weeks we will begin to see a decline in cases and continue our path toward a more normal life with regular supports and services.
To help get through this time, you can hear the latest information about Omicron from Deputy Provincial Health Officer Dr. Daniele Behn Smith on our next call.
DATE: Monday, January 24, 2022
TIME: 12 noon – 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
DETAILS: Vancouver 604-681-0260 or Elsewhere 1-877-353-9184
PARTICIPANT CODE: 18451#
You can pre-submit questions for this call by sending an email with the subject line: JAN 24 COVID CALL to [email protected] .
Thank you for being kind, understanding and supportive during this difficult time. I am so grateful to see everyone reaching out to help each other. I am confident that we will get through this time and be stronger and better, together.
Sincerely,
Ross Chilton
CEO
Community Living BC
Posted: March 12, 2022 by Miriam Hoolahan
Come out to Watch the Coquitlam Express on March 18th & Help Support CVS!
The Coquitlam Express team is hosting a Charity Night on March 18th! Come on out to cheer on Coquitlam Express and support CVS at the same time. For each senior or adult ticket sold, Coquitlam Express will donate $5 to Community Ventures Society. Also, the charity that raises the most money by selling the most tickets will get an additional $250 donation!
To buy your tickets, visit https://happsnow.com/
We hope you take the time to get out to this special charity event and have a great time!
Posted: March 12, 2022 by Miriam Hoolahan
March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Did you know that March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month? At CVS, one of our strategic commitments is to raise awareness of inclusion in the community and educate the public about the needs of this diverse group, so it helps to enable a greater awareness understanding for the wider community.
Although March is a month for raising awareness about developmental disabilities, CVS strives to do this 365 days a year. We encourage you to learn more about topics related to inclusion in your community. Here are some excellent resources to learn more throughout March and in educating yourself all year long –
Posted: February 11, 2022 by cvsadmin
Join Us on February 21st for a Panel Discussion on Inclusion
As a follow-up to the launch of the Inclusion exhibit at Port Moody Station Museum, CVS has been asked to attend a panel discussion going behind the exhibit. This panel discussion will be hosted by Heritage BC and will include members from Inclusion BC, the BC Self Advocacy Foundation, Port Moody Station Museum as well as Linda King (Executive Director) and Miriam Hoolahan (Director of Communications) from Community Ventures Society.
We hope to talk through our collaborative process for getting the exhibit up and running and sharing it with our community. We hope you can join us!
To read more about the event and to register, click here.
Posted: February 11, 2022 by cvsadmin
February is Inclusive Education Month
February is National Inclusive Education Month. It is a time to promote and raise awareness about inclusive education; share ideas on strategies to enhance inclusion and successful school experiences for every child; acknowledge and recognize the efforts of teachers, administrators, students, and families who contribute to the successful inclusion of students in schools and classrooms.
Read more about Inclusive Education on Inclusion BC\’s website & watch the video below –
Posted: February 11, 2022 by cvsadmin
Congratulations to Quinn Campbell!
We wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate Quinn Campbell on moving into the role of DisDaBomb Coordinator. Quinn has been working with DisDaBomb for the past couple of years but is now taking the lead in coordinating this important social enterprise at CVS. DisDaBomb is now located at 2342 Clarke Street – pop in to see Quinn and our amazing assortment of bath bombs.
Congrats Quinn!
Posted: January 29, 2022 by cvsadmin
Changes in the Homes Program
We wanted to take this opportunity to make you aware of a change in the management of the Homes Program here at CVS. Our current Manager of the Homes Program, Gillian Reyes, will sadly be leaving CVS as she is moving to another part of BC. We wish Gillian well on this new exciting opportunity and thank her for her years of service and dedication to CVS.
We are excited to announce that Salima Ladha, currently Assistant Manager in our Shared Living team, will be moving into Gillian\’s role as Manager of the Homes Program. Please join all of us in congratulating Salima on this promotion. Salima brings considerable experience to this role as she worked for the Homes program for many years prior to moving into the Shared Living position.
Gillian\’s last day at CVS will be February 14th and Salima will begin working with Gillian over the next couple of weeks to ensure a seamless handover for the Homes program.
Posted: January 29, 2022 by cvsadmin
Financial Assistance for Recreation in Coquitlam
The City of Coquitlam has shared with us information about receiving financial assistance for recreation services with the City of Coquitlam. Now more than ever we know the importance of investing in recreational activities to help with our physical and mental health.
Financial Assistance for Recreation
The City of Coquitlam strives to make recreation affordable and accessible for all residents and is excited to introduce our new and improved Financial Assistance for Recreation (FAR) Program. This program was formally known as the Get Active, Get Connected (GCGA) program and has undergone a number of updates to make the process easier for those to use. The City\’s Financial Assistance for Recreation (FAR) is available for eligible Coquitlam residents year round.
Program Components
Each eligible family member will receive:
Application Form
Complete the online Financial Assistance for Recreation Application Form.
If you would prefer to download the application form you can do so here: Financial Assistance for Recreation application form (PDF)
Application Checklist
Our Application Checklist (PDF) can walk you step by step through the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) will assist you in completing the Financial Assistance for Recreation Application and accessing the program’s benefits.
For more information, please visit https://coquitlam.ca/499/Financial-Assistance-for-Recreation or contact by email to [email protected] or by phone at 604-927-6076.
Posted: January 21, 2022 by cvsadmin
Update from Community Living BC (CLBC) & Join the Next Call on Mon Jan 24th!
Hello everyone,
We would like to share a message from Community Living BC (CLBC) below –
Dear self-advocates and family members –
I hope you had a restful time over the holidays and are remaining safe in this New Year.
We continue to live in stressful times as we are seeing the rapid spread of new cases of COVID-19 due to Omicron. This is also the time when many people catch the cold and flu. Many of us have family, friends and support staff who have become ill.
CLBC service providers, like schools and businesses, are experiencing staffing challenges as people get sick from Omicron and seasonal flu and colds. Those of you who manage your own supports may also be short some staff due to illness.
Public health experts tell us that we may be approaching the worst part of this wave and we hope it will soon begin to get better. However, the next weeks will be the hardest and we will have to work together to get through this time.
Safety is a top priority – make sure you get your booster
While Omicron is proving to be easier to catch, the evidence tells us that those who are vaccinated will be protected from serious illness and death. That is why it is still so important to get your vaccinations and to get your booster shot as soon as it is your turn.
If you have had your two shots, you are in the health computer system and will get your notification by email or text on your cell phone six months after your second shot. If you have had both your first and second Covid vaccine shot but you do not have email or cell phone, please contact your local health authority to arrange for your booster shot.
Here is general information about getting your booster:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/booster
If you have questions about getting your booster you can also call:
1-833-838-2323
Please make sure you ask a friend, family member or support worker if you are unsure what to do. If you are a family member or friend, please check to see if the person you support needs help to get their booster as soon as they are eligible.
CLBC service providers have made contingency plans
Under the recent Order from the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), everyone who works at CLBC and for a CLBC funded service provider must now be vaccinated. CLBC has also been working with our service providers to ensure they continue to have strong safety plans in place that follow public health guidelines.
CLBC recently held a meeting to share ideas and practices from leaders in our sector for keeping services going. You can read about some of the ideas that were shared in our last message to service providers here.
Service providers are asking their staff, including leaders, to be prepared to jump in to fill work shifts to keep services going should regular staff become temporarily ill.
If an agency has a large number of staff call in sick, they may have to temporarily reduce or suspend some services like employment, skill development and community inclusion in order to maintain critical housing services like group homes.
Service providers will keep you notified of any service changes, and we ask that you do what you can to help them during this time. This may mean being willing to change how you receive services, or sometimes staying home from a service for a few days. We can only get through this time if we all come together to solve the challenges that arise.
If at any time you experience an urgent unexpected need, please reach out to your agency or CLBC facilitator.
CLBC\’s next COVID-19 telephone support call on Jan. 24
We are all hopeful that by pulling together during these next weeks we will begin to see a decline in cases and continue our path toward a more normal life with regular supports and services.
To help get through this time, you can hear the latest information about Omicron from Deputy Provincial Health Officer Dr. Daniele Behn Smith on our next call.
DATE: Monday, January 24, 2022
TIME: 12 noon – 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
DETAILS: Vancouver 604-681-0260 or Elsewhere 1-877-353-9184
PARTICIPANT CODE: 18451#
You can pre-submit questions for this call by sending an email with the subject line: JAN 24 COVID CALL to [email protected] .
Thank you for being kind, understanding and supportive during this difficult time. I am so grateful to see everyone reaching out to help each other. I am confident that we will get through this time and be stronger and better, together.
Sincerely,
Ross Chilton
CEO
Community Living BC
Posted: December 24, 2021 by cvsadmin
Music Night is Back – Join us on January 27th 2022
Our Virtual Music Night program is back in January! Please make sure to clear a place so you can dance to Glenn\’s music! Happening every 2nd Thursday, starting January 27th, at 7-8:30pm.
The schedule is as follows –
When: Thursdays from 7:00pm-8:30pm
Dates:
For the Zoom link, please contact Dawne Windblad at [email protected]
Posted: December 17, 2021 by cvsadmin
A Message from Linda King, Executive Director at CVS
What a year 2021 has been! This time of year always brings up opportunities for reflection and I am excited to reach out to all of you in our CVS community at this time. First of all, I wanted to send my heartfelt wishes to you and your families for the holiday season. It has been another hard year for many of us but I am so proud of all the individuals we serve, our staff and the families in the CVS community for what we have achieved.
On a personal note, I’m so very grateful to have been appointed the Executive Director of Community Ventures Society. I’ve now been in this role at CVS for 6 months and it has been a wonderful time of growth for me. It makes me so happy to be able to continue our mission at CVS and work towards providing an exceptional quality of service for the individuals we serve and their families. I am also so excited to be involved in spreading the message of community inclusion in the wider community so that it helps provide greater opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities at CVS as well as others in our community.
Over the past few months, we have been monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and adhering to the recommendations set out by the Provincial Health Authority (PHO). With the COVID-19 vaccination program now being widespread across the province, I’m grateful that CVS is now back to accessing the community on a regular basis. The individuals we serve are able to spend time out and about in the community, which is one of the cornerstones of our CVS programming. It is so nice to see that almost all the individuals we serve at CVS are back in program. It makes me so happy to see everyone when I visit the sites and it is starting to feel like we are slowly adapting to our “new normal”. We recognize that the new Omicron COVID-19 variant may be of concern to some and we are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to keep our community informed as the PHO provides any updates related to the services we provide.
Since I was appointed to Executive Director in June, we’ve also started a new home for a youth in Burnaby. In addition to in-person programming, we learned from the pandemic that we could enhance our offerings to the individuals we serve through online programs. As a result, individuals we serve have been accessing a variety of online programs from a partnership we developed with Spirit Club including fitness, cooking and wellness modules. This is the 2nd year CVS hosted online programming in the evening, including our most recent CVS Zoom Christmas Party on December 8th. We hope that in 2022, we will be able to safely get together in person more often especially at the holidays. One exciting change is that our Port Coquitlam location on Kingsway closed in November and we will be opening up a new Port Coquitlam based location in the new year. So, the past few months have been met with continued change but lots of hope for the future of CVS.
Like many other agencies in the community living sector, staffing has continued to be challenging throughout 2021. That being said, our HR team has worked tirelessly to hire qualified staff and we have been able to bring some new staff into the CVS team that are providing excellent service to the individuals we serve and their families. We continue to look for caregivers in our Shared Living and Children’s Respite teams as demand continues to climb for these caregiver positions. We hope that we will be able to secure more caregivers so we can continue to help these adults, children and families who so desperately need the support.
CVS continues to focus on finding employment opportunities for the individuals we serve. In addition to our employment, both of the social enterprises developed by the individuals we serve at CVS are thriving. DisDaBomb – our bath bomb business – moved into its new location at 2342 Clarke Street in August and has been experiencing record sales ever since. Our dog walking business, adVentures Dog Walking, is back up and running and the individuals who walk dogs in the community are really enjoying being out and about with the dogs once again. I am so excited to see the success of these businesses and look forward to seeing what 2022 will bring.
The past few months have also been a time for celebration and remembrance. Like all of Canada, CVS marked the first 1st National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th. We have adorned the front of our main building in Port Moody with Every Child Matters signs to signify our commitment and support of the indigenous communities across BC and Canada. As always, we honoured the fallen through our observance of Remembrance Day. In October, CVS invested a lot of time to promote Community Inclusion month across our local community. This included signage, advertising and a launch of a new exhibit at the Port Moody Station Museum entitled – Community Inclusion: Our Journey to Community. CVS partnered with the Port Moody Heritage Foundation, Inclusion BC and the BC Self Advocacy Group to deliver this exhibit and we are so proud that a few of the individuals we serve are featured in the exhibit. If you have time to visit the exhibit, it is well worth it and there is lots of time to do so as the exhibit is open now until Summer 2022.
In early 2022, we will start working on our new strategic plan and I look forward to reaching out to everyone in our community in the coming months for everyone\’s input. Our CVS leadership team is excited to start this process so we can continue to grow CVS and develop its mission to the individuals we serve, families, staff and to our community.
We also want to take this time to wish you all a wonderful time over the holidays and we look forward to serving you in 2022.
Sincerely yours,
Linda King
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