rapport
Winter 2015
Citizen Advocacy’s mission is to enhance
personal choice and community participation for
persons living with disabilities through advocacy
support.
A Holiday Message
By Brian J. Tardif, Executive Director
It has been an amazing year at Citizen
Advocacy Ottawa, characteristic of dramatic
change and growth in our basket of offerings
supporting greater citizenship and inclusion for
people with disabilities and families who have a
member with a disability.
2015 has also been a personal milestone year
for me as I celebrated, on more than one
occasion, the privilege of 30 years with this great
organization.
With the assistance of individual and corporate
donors, during the year we have seen both
growth and change in staff with the Everyday
Champions and Chance for Choice match
programs. We said goodbye to Sid Kumar and
Sari Musta-White, a temporary goodbye to
Rachel Levine-Katz who went off on maternity
leave and welcomed Tracy Stocks, Michael
Song, Doug MacKenzie and Kelly Howson. I
know many of you have welcomed them into the
Citizen Advocacy family and have contributed to
their learning as they have integrated into their
team. The work of this team has resulted in the
creation of new advocacy relationships at an
unprecedented rate as, thanks to the work of
Maria Redpath as Community Engagement
ISSN 1180-503X
La mission du Parrainage civique est d’améliorer le
choix personnel et la participation communautaire
des personnes vivant avec des handicaps par le
soutien de leur cause.
Coordinator, the number of people expressing
interest in intentionally welcoming a person with
a disability into their life continues to rise at
record rates.
Funding support from the Ministry of Community
and Social Services (MCSS) enabled us to
launch a new Independent Facilitation and
Planning offering to individuals with
intellectual disabilities and their families. We
welcomed Josh Gray, Donna Rietschlin,
Chantale Sauvé, Hélène Courchesne, Claude
Beauchamp, Lynne O’Connell and Ruth Ann
Moore. This team has been engaging with
people and families to help them envision and
plan for a positive future life in the community.
With assistance from Ottawa Children’s Aid
Society, CHEO, NeuroDevNet and private
donors we also launched a collective impact
approach to building a Fetal Alcohol Resource
Program (FARP) aimed at people who are
affected by fetal alcohol and their families. We
welcomed Nancy Lockwood, Janet Carioni and
Tanya Eichler to form the FARP team.
Our calendar of events continues to demonstrate
success and growth with the addition of In the
Spotlight – a unique and highly successful first
time fundraiser for the Lifetime Networks
program featuring an evening of visual and
performing artists with disabilities.
We
introduced a Family Caregiver Retreat that
brought together 50 families over a 1 ½ day
…continued on page 2
Rapport
Rapport is a newsletter published every 4 months
by Citizen Advocacy Ottawa. Citizen Advocacy
assists people living with a disability in enhancing
their quality of life by overcoming barriers to personal
choice and community participation. A volunteerbased, non-profit organization, Citizen Advocacy
relies on the support of foundations, grants,
memberships, and personal donations to augment
funding from the United Way, Province of Ontario,
City of Ottawa, and the Trillium Foundation.
Suggestions and submissions for publication, as well
as questions and comments of general interest, are
invited and should be sent to the attention of the
Editor—Rapport. Submissions may be edited for
length and content at the discretion of the
organization.
Contact us:
Citizen Advocacy of Ottawa
312 Parkdale Avenue
Ottawa ON K1Y 4X5
(613) 761-9522
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.citizenadvocacy.org
Dates to Remember
January 5: Adult Sibling Group
January 12: WIMS West End
January 16: Children Sibling Group
January 19: WIMS East End
January 23: Dovercourt Dance
February 2: Adult Sibling Group
February 9: WIMS West End
February 15: Family Day (office closed)
February 16: WIMS East End
February 20: Children Sibling Group
February 20: Dovercourt Dance
March 1: Adult Sibling Group
March 5: Children Sibling Group
March 8: WIMS West End
March 15: WIMS East End
March 19: Dovercourt Dance
March 25: Good Friday (office closed)
March 28: Easter Monday (office closed)
April 5: Adult Sibling Group
April 12: WIMS West End
April 16: Children Sibling Group
April 16: Dovercourt Dance
April 19: WIMS East End
2
...continued from page 1
period in Calabogie in November. And, the year
capped off with our annual holiday dinner and dance
with close to 350 people participating. All of this is
made possible through the continued and significant
efforts of those staff already mentioned in
partnership with Virgilia Partridge and Neala Kelly in
Special Events, Nadine Pilon and Cara O’Connell in
Administration, and team leads Andrea Podruski
and Thony Jean-Baptiste along with 25 independent
contractors who facilitate support groups and
networks.
I cannot stress enough the importance of the
intentional contributions and commitments of many
people including volunteer advocates, personal
support network members, special event and fun(d)
raising volunteers, our individual and corporate
donors, sponsors and contributors numbering in the
thousands, our funders – the City of Ottawa, United
Way Ottawa and MCSS and our board of directors.
To all of you, thank you for your contributions and
my very best wishes for a holiday season filled with
warmth, love and joy. I look forward to your
continued support and contributions as allies and
partners in 2016.
Holiday Office Hours
Citizen Advocacy of Ottawa will be closed over the
holidays from December 24, 2015 to January 1,
2016. The office will re-open at 9am on Monday,
January 4, 2016.
Here is a list of emergency contact numbers that
may be useful should you require immediate
assistance during the holidays:
Distress Centre: 613-238-3311
Mental Health Crisis Line: 613-722-6914
In an emergency, please call 911
If you enjoy playing Bingo, please support
Citizen Advocacy by playing at Bingoland South
(www.bingolandsouth.com) at 9 Slack Road. Citizen
Advocacy hosts bingo on Tuesday evenings at
7 p.m. Our wonderful, hardworking Bingo Team
would love to see you there!
Winter 2015
Celebration of People ~ Célébration pour tous
The 15th Annual Celebration of People Awards were
presented on December 3rd to 12 individuals and
organizations that have made a lasting and positive
difference in the lives of people with disabilities in our
community.
C’est lors de la 15ième cérémonie annuelle Célébration
pour tous, tenue le 3 décembre, douze individus et
organizations ont reçu un prix prestigieux pour avoir
marquée de façon positive et durable la vie des personnes ayant une incapacité dans notre communauté.
2015 Recipients / Récipiendaires 2015
Accessibility Award/Prix
accessibilité
Advocacy Award/Prix de la
défense d’une cause
Corporate/Catégorie des
Organismes
Travis Iverson
Advocacy Award/Prix de la
défense d’une cause
Individual/Catégorie des
individus
REACH Canada
Artistic Exellence/Prix
d’excellence artistique
Elspeth Ross
Career Award/Prix de
l’excellence professionelle
Propeller Dance
Community Leader Award in
Memory of Cathy Kerr/Prix du
leader communautaire à la
mémoire de Cathy Kerr
Rev. Gail Christy
Education Award/Prix de
l’éducation
Dorn Roche
Employee Award/Prix de
l’employé(e)
Get Together with Technology
Employer Award/Prix de
l’employeur
Tom Seamont
Sports Award/ Prix des sports
Good Nature Groundskeeping
Volunteer Opportunities
Award/Prix de l’organisation
bénévole
Jason Dunkerley
Volunteer Award/Prix du
bénévolat
CityFolk
Youth Award in Memory of Susan Meyer/ Prix jeunesse à la
mémoire de Susan Meyer
Tysen Lefebvre
Janet Robinson
Congratulations to all the
finalists.
Félicitations à tous les
finalistes.
3
Rapport
An Appetites for Advocacy event to celebrate 30 years
with Citizen Advocacy
Long-time executive director Brian Tardif originally planned to let his 30 years with
Citizen Advocacy of Ottawa slip by quietly, without celebration.
But then something happened that changed his mind; he attended a wedding
anniversary for past board president Allan Dolenko and his wife, Marilyn. He
realized they were good friends with another past president, Leslie Wake, and her
husband, David, yet neither knew of each other’s involvement with the non-profit
organization, which for more than 40 years has been helping people with
disabilities connect with the greater community.
That’s when Tardif decided to host an Appetites for Advocacy benefit to bring together people with a
history with the charity. The reception was held Friday night in the lofty law offices of Borden Ladner
Gervais (BLG). There, some 50 guests – including Senator Jim Munson, current board
president Mike Giunta and Barry McKenna, who leads the organization’s signature gala, Evening in
the Maritimes — could look down on Parliament Hill over a glass of wine and canapés.
Present was family discount store Giant Tiger senior vice
president Julia Knox to make a ceremonial cheque
presentation of $75,000.
Citizen Advocacy has seen much growth in Tardif’s 30
years there. It’s gone from a staff of four to 24, from
running one program to a long list of them, from serving
just Ottawa to now Eastern Ontario and from watching its
impact grow from 200 people a month to 1,400. It used
to raise less than $1,000 a year. Today, it’s more like
$700,000, annually.
“But that all happened because of people like you in this Brian Tardif, Julia Knox (Giant Tiger) and Gail
room,” said Tardif. “So, for me, I wanted to celebrate that Carroll
with you because it isn’t about me; it’s about us.”
Appetites for Advocacy is an initiative started by the organization in 2014. It recruits volunteer hosts
to invite friends, neighbours and colleagues over, usually to their homes, to socialize, learn a bit
about the organization and, hopefully, make a donation. The drinks are provided and Epicuria
Catering takes care of the food.
Impacting Lives Together
Here at Citizen Advocacy we know that we can’t take our volunteers, supporters or donors for
granted as without them we couldn’t do what we do. We also know that many of you feel that you
receive more than you contribute in your involvement with us but we want to be sure that we let you
know how much you are appreciated.
As part of our revitalization of Citizen Advocacy we have come up with a fresh and vibrant way to
recognise your contributions. For 2016, we are moving away from the years of service awards and
are introducing match anniversary recognition for all Advocates, whether they have been matched
for one or 30 years. Each month we will also use social media to shout out to those matches
celebrating an anniversary that month.
Also new for 2016, we are hosting our first appreciation event – Impacting Lives Together (Friday
April 1st from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.) - a breakfast for our Advocates, volunteers, board members,
supporters, sponsors and donors to celebrate our collective achievements. You will receive an
invitation early 2016 but we encourage you to save the date now for this unique event.
4
Winter 2015
Gifts in Our Own Backyard
~ A Report on Independent Facilitation in Renfrew County~
By Ruth Ann Moore and Lynne O’Connell
Renfrew County is the largest county in Ontario, and has been given the privilege to
be included in the Independent Facilitation Demonstration Project under the wing of Citizen
Advocacy. The county is large and mostly rural, and it is easy to get caught up in comparing it to our
neighbour to the east; the City of Ottawa, and wishing for the “greener grass” of their yard. The
principles of the work of Facilitation, however, encourage us to look not only at the strengths of the
people for whom we plan but at Renfrew County itself, and see the many assets it has to offer and
realize that there are many gifts in our own backyard.
The Ottawa Valley has a reputation of being a community of welcoming people with deep caring
roots, who are resourceful when faced with adversity. There are many diverse cultures woven into
the tapestry of everyday life and stories of belonging as you listen to people across the county.
There are people in everyday places to reach out to as well as welcoming places to visit. The
communities are striving on many fronts to care for their own and are open and receptive to work
together.
Recently Citizen Advocacy hosted a family retreat, “Creating a New Reality” in Calabogie. The
Friday evening key note speaker was John Lord, a leading expert on social inclusion and co-author
of Facilitating an Everyday Life. He encouraged parents that the heart of the work of Independent
Facilitation is rooted in their sons and daughters’ lives, building a relationship with them,
appreciating who they are as a person, fostering trusting and lasting relationships, utilizing our
social capital and looking to our community as our first resort. This “new story” is positive and
possible, and things are beginning to happen in Renfrew County.
There is a young man, who was baptized as an infant, went to daily mass with his loving family, has
become an altar server and now volunteers with church functions. His smile radiates how he feels
and his self-worth! In the Polish community of Wilno, there is a young woman, who has a great
sense of direction and knows everyone. Now, it is important to connect the dots and discover who
she knows and why? What will her new story be? Another young man, who possesses a skill for
food prep, has linked his ability to a semi-independent residential care facility while he furthers his
post-secondary education in the food services industry at Algonquin College. The gifts of these
beautiful individuals and many more are being discovered, as Renfrew County begins to see the
potential in their own back yard.
Children’s Sibling Groups at Citizen Advocacy
The Children’s Sibling Groups at Citizen Advocacy Ottawa, are fun, therapeutic groups for children
with a sibling who has special needs or a disability. For 2015-2016, we currently have 28 children
registered in three different age groupings; 6-8, 9-10 and 11-14. We have two facilitators in each
group and these individuals all have backgrounds/education working with children in therapeutic
settings/groups. Our groups are broken into two time periods, October to January and then
February to May. This way, if parents would like to register their children in the New Year this
would be possible. The children who are presently attending can stay for the second round as well.
At our first session on October 17, 2015, we had 25 children in attendance, with regrets from three
as they were out of town. Feedback from this first session was overwhelmingly positive with
parents saying that their children had fun and positive experiences and that they couldn’t wait to
return the following month. One parent also mentioned that their child was happy that this group
was just for her.
5
Rapport
Anna Bilsky Advocate & Dedicated Volunteer
Caring and generosity are timeless human qualities that Anna Bilsky
has in abundance.
Anna has been involved with Citizen Advocacy since 1981. Over the
years Anna has had five matches. Anna grew up where volunteering
was simply part of everyday life. She was always involved with one
group or another growing up. Right now Anna tells me her greatest
enjoyment about CA is being with her newest match and friend - me.
Anna is also a proud match with Marj through the Chance for Choice
program. Thanks to Marj, Anna gets to shop. When time permits she
quilts and cross stitches. As part of her fitness regimen Anna is committed to her Aquafit classes
twice a week. Anna jokingly describes her husband Peter as long suffering. Peter and Anna are
regular attendees at the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and Thirteen Strings. Anna used to grow
orchids and still attends the Orchid Society meetings. Most important of all to Anna is the time she
gets to spend with her two grandchildren. Anna is a trained biologist who worked for many years at
the NRC. She is also an excellent editor, both of writing and in life. Anna donates her time to many
other charities and fundraisers outside of Citizen Advocacy.
Quoting Brian Tardif when he heard the news about Anna and me being matched: "It's about time”.
For Anna this quote also applies to her generosity with her time.
Veronica Anderson
Annual Holiday Dinner and Dance
On Sunday, December 13th, more than 325 of Citizen Advocacy’s friends and family came out for
the Annual Holiday Dinner and Dance. Everyone celebrated the holiday season and enjoyed good
company, a delicious turkey dinner, entertainment by “Elvis” and great dance music provided by
James Virgin from Virtronics DJ Service.
Executive Director Brian Tardif recognized all of the volunteer advocates who were celebrating
milestone anniversaries and the MC for the night; board member Mike Murphy did a fabulous job
keeping the evening moving along. The CAC presented Craig McCall with the “Volunteer of the
Year” award. Congratulations Craig and thanks Mike!
Many thanks to everyone who helped support this important holiday event. The Holiday Dinner and
Dance is truly one of the Citizen Advocacy events not to be missed. Special thanks to the
Gloucester Lions Club, who once again donated $1,000, this helps to keep ticket prices affordable.
Thanks also to the Hellenic Banquet Centre for doing a wonderful job again this year and for their
continued commitment to making this event affordable for our guests. Also, a special thanks to our
“elves” for helping secure many raffle and door prizes.
Last but not least, the Citizen Advocacy team would like to thank all of the local businesses who
contributed turkeys and gift cards:-Hellenic Banquet Centre, Real Canadian Superstore, Black Gold
Coffee, Costco Wholesale, Ottawa Conference and Events Centre, Around the Block Butcher Shop,
The Table, The Butchery, Metro, Food Basics, Herb & Spice, Farm Boy, The Hilton Lac-Leamy,
Weston Bakery, Spauto, Tannis, Saslove’s Meat Market, Canadian War Museum, Canadian
Museum of History, The Home Depot, Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Brew Donkey, Giant Tiger,
Allan Dolenko, Priscilla Lanois, Jane Caskey, Snell Foods.
Collecting donations one by one really helps!
Until next year!
6
Winter 2015
Walking in My Shoes (WIMS) resumed its monthly meetings for parents of
children with special needs in September of this year. These meetings offer an
opportunity for parents to learn about community resources and share
experiences through facilitated discussions and guest speakers.
In November our guest speaker was Natalie Barnes from Special Finds: a local
resource that specializes in finding solutions for fidgeting and chewing. The West End group also
had a presentation from Kim Peterson and Heather Rose, creators of the Education Roadmap, who
spoke about “School System: Where to Start and Your Child’s Education Rights” and this same
presentation is offered in the East End in December.
Our long-time facilitator, Janet, has been dealing with some family matters for the last few months
and has not been able to attend the meetings but she is expected to be at the December meetings.
We are also excited that Rachel Levine-Katz is returning from maternity leave in the New Year.
WIMS has some great guest speakers lined up for the New Year too. Starting in January when
Donna Thomson will share her experiences and will guide us through a “mapping exercise” to help
identify your family’s support network. Donna is the author of bestselling book, “The Four Walls of
My Freedom”, a consultant and speaker on issues relating to caregiving. She is an active blogger
on her page “The Caregivers’ Living Room” in addition to writing for magazines and journals on
caregiving themes.
February will focus on an informal discussion and information sharing, and in March the members
will participate in a facilitated discussion on “When They Don’t Get It”. Learning your child has a
disability or a life-threatening condition is heartbreaking. But what happens when your own family
or friends/acquaintances just don’t get it; don’t seem to understand your child’s strengths and
needs and your challenges. What to say when there are insensitive remarks or actions from those
close to you.
For more information about WIMS please visit www.wimsparents.ca or email
[email protected] or phone 613-761-9522
The West-End meeting continues to take place the second Tuesday of each month from 7:00 to
9:00 pm at Bridlewood Retirement Home, which is located at 480, Brigitta Street. The East-End
meeting is offered on the third Tuesday of the month from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at 700 Industrial Ave.
Suite 600.
Adult Sibling Group Meetings
“I love the safe place that this group provides, the openness and respect that
everyone has for their shared experience”.
Relationships we have with our brothers and sisters are usually the longest
lasting relationships. To support adult siblings of individuals with disabilities,
Citizen Advocacy Ottawa offers open forum group meetings on a monthly
basis where members can learn and support each other through sharing
stories, experiences, problems and achievements.
Adult siblings may share what they observe in their families and discussions may focus on life with
siblings, ever changing concerns, community resources, empowering families, increasing
opportunities through advocacy, recreation, education, greater insights and much more.
Join us once a month for our Adult Sibling Group. It is informal and free. New members are
welcome. Upcoming meetings are December 1, and January 5, 2016.
“I did find the groups to be useful…it was helpful to hear other people’s experiences with their
siblings who have a range of disabilities”.
Confirm attendance at [email protected] or 613 761-9522.
7
Rapport
Getting together with friends and family to celebrate a birthday has to be one of
life’s greatest and simplest pleasures. Lots of laughs, a little bit of cake, some
enthusiastic singing and a few balloons bring smiles to everyone’s faces.
In early November, Scott McKay’s friends
and family gathered to celebrate his birthday. We had a very full
house – 22 people! – which made for a chaotic, joyful room full
of big and happy voices. This was the first time I’d met some of
Scott’s family, and while I got a chance to speak briefly with
everyone, I look forward to seeing them again in a setting that’s
better for calm, one-on-one discussion.
As part of my role as a Lifetime Networks Facilitator for Scott
and his Grandma Ann, sometimes I come to people with a
difficult ‘ask’. Asking someone to be part of a network of
support to help with auditing financial statements, fundraising, navigating the healthcare system, or
any of the tasks our focus families could use some help with, can be tough. So it’s always nice to
have the chance to invite people to a fun activity that celebrates all the love that surrounds Scott
and Ann, since relationships are the essence of a safe and secure future for all people.
We’ve already started planning for our next gathering. Scott and his ‘roomies’ Alex and Ryan will be
welcoming friends, family, and neighbours to their home for a holiday open house. We hope that
this will be an important step in building bridges between the guys and their local community and
hopefully growing Scott’s network of friends.
Andrea Dixon
New Year, New Look
We are updating our website!
The time has come to retire our current website and go with a new look, mobile friendly and
bilingual site. We are working hard behind the scenes to get everything ready to launch the new
look in early 2016.
We’ll still be at www.citizenadvocacy.org. Here’a sneak peek.
Keep an eye out for the new look and let us know what you think.
Support Citizen Advocacy with a tap of the app!
Go Give-Back is a mobile app created in Ottawa that helps charitable causes and
organizations collect donations with a tap of a button. Supporters can browse
causes, or donate on-the-spot at fundraising events right from their phone. By giving
back and raising awareness, points are accumulated to share and track progress.
Donate seamlessly to Citizen Advocacy, gain points, and share how you are giving
back to your community.
For more information or to join the community, visit www.gogiveback.co or reach out to
[email protected].
8
Winter 2015
Bottle Drive
The Consumers Advisory Committee (CAC) held a
Bottle Drive on Saturday, October 17, collecting a
record-breaking $650 worth of empties and donations.
The CAC members braved cold (and even snow!) and
encouraged customers to donate their empties to
Citizen Advocacy, held promotional signs to inform
people of the event, counted bottles and loaded cartload
after cartload of empty beer and wine bottles. It was a
true team effort! Mark Taylor, City Councillor and Deputy Mayor, was also on hand to offer his
support. The cold could not dampen the group's excitement, enthusiasm and energy.
A big thank you to Advocates who made a special trip to provide hands-on help. Special thanks to
The Beer Store on Scott Street, whose staff were helpful, accommodating and supportive of this
important fundraising initiative.
Well done, CAC team!
Fetal Alcohol Resource Program
We are excited to announce the launch of Citizen Advocacy's new Fetal Alcohol Resource Program
(FARP) with an overall aim to increase capacity to identify and meet the needs of children, youth,
adults and families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Determining how many Canadians are living with FASD is difficult as, although FASD is present
from birth, individuals are often not diagnosed until later in life when symptoms related to learning
disabilities and a range of social problems emerge. In 2006, Health Canada estimated that
approximately 1% of the population is affected, but this is a significant underestimation. However,
despite the large numbers of people affected by this permanent brain injury, there is no strong,
comprehensive system of inter-related, complementary services and supports for individuals and
their families affected by FASD.
Funding and support for the project is provided by NeuroDevNet, Children’s Aid Society, Children’s
Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Citizen Advocacy of Ottawa, and donor-directed funds through the
Community Foundation of Ottawa.
Three FASD Coordinators are working together to develop
this program, bringing varied and complementary
experience. Janet Carioni is an Occupational Therapist, who
worked on an FASD Diagnostic team in the Waterloo region
before moving to Ottawa. Tanya Eichler is a
psychotherapist, who previously worked in British Columbia
as an FASD Keyworker. Nancy Lockwood has a background
in education and work experience navigating the FASD
system in the Ottawa region. All three have extensive
education in the FASD field.
The Fetal Alcohol Resource Program draws together resources, skills and knowledge that exist in
Ottawa and provides community navigation for individuals affected by FASD and their families. We
are providing education to professionals, including health, education, justice, law enforcement,
corrections, child welfare and social services.
Check out our website pages and like us on Facebook.
9
Rapport
Match Anniversaries
Everyday Champions
SEPTEMBER
10
8
7
6
6
5
4
4
4
2
2
1
1
1
1
Lucia Van Oordt & Maria G.
Loren Bekeris & Donna Lee H.
Stella Ross & Mary Frances G.
Jackie McKenna & Lang T.
Jessica Mei Stewart & Linda H.
Gillian Simpson & Malinda C.
Rob Meredith & Ted L.
Kathi Subramaniam & Bruce U.
Rima Khurana & Karen K.
Greg Enns & Paul C.
Chantal Groulx & Robert B.
Reem Ahmed & Mona M.
Henri Legros & Andrew B.
Michele Tennant & Aisha H.
Patricia Taylor & Joanne S.
OCTOBER
31
25
15
14
6
5
4
4
4
4
3
2
2
2
1
1
Shelley Ann Morris & Marcella K.
Alan Cohen & Lee W.
Jeff Ickovich & Paul A.
Richard D’Addese & Robert W.
Kevin Clinton & Duncan S.
Mike Murphy & Manfred A.
Omar Kazmi & Duc T.
Kimberley Hyslop & Glenn S.
Rick Burns & Andy G.
Judy Threinen & Nancy B.
Jeff Birchmore & Scott F.
Allie Wright & Suzanne H.
Nabila Lagmiri & Mireille D.
Cassandra Taylor & Analisa K.
Elena Pankova & Louise M.
Ian Keith Plunkett & Peter W.
NOVEMBER
26
12
10
9
Maggie LeMay & Madeleine H.
Noelle Grosse & Kristen H.
Julie Broczkowski & Karyna L.
Jennifer Acres & Suzanne St. J.
6
5
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
Kyla Rafuse & Dana B.
Cara O’Connell & Amber W.
Sarah Casagrande & Van D.
Jean Murray & Gerda M.
John Kwak & Parteepan R.
Dimitrios Toncu-Chirita &
Matthew S.
Dhulfiha Muzafar Gani & Angela D.
Dominique Patnaik & Trisha L.
Sandra Berry & Ava T.
Bill Clelland & Damon L.
DECEMBER
21
18
13
13
11
11
11
10
6
6
5
4
3
2
1
Bob Stevenson & Glenn F.
Pui Wah So & Christine C.
Elaine Butcher & Shannon M.
Celine Leblanc and Jacquie St. D.
Elizabeth Geehan & Shona F.
Owen Griffiths & John M.
Robert Adolfson & Rockey W.
Bill Dolan & Daniel B.
Anna Bilsky & Veronica A.
Milena Gibson & Liette T.
Amanda Graham & Pat S.
Colleen Richards & Sheena Y.
Robert Killens & Keith M.
Shane O’Byrne & Jorge A.
Bara Al-Gafari & Ashley K.
Chance for Choice
New Matches
Everyday Champions
AUGUST
Rochelle Rupert & Patricia C.
Saku Srighanthan & Vita A.
Ashley Majeau & Marguarita S.
SEPTEMBER
Sarah Mulvihill & Helena G.
Debra Roberts & Carina M.
Jennifer DeJong & Sama M. A.
Parissa Davtalab & Noor G.-E.-B.
Christopher Simpson & Harold T.
OCTOBER
Cat Czyrnyj & Ruth M.
Zoha Rana & Paniz R.
Andrea Hitchon & Brenda S.
NOVEMBER
Richard Geiger & Russell C.
Hailey Mercier & Jasmine S.
Mary-Lou Saikaley & Lise C.
Ethlyn Agulnik & Kimberly B.
Chance for Choice
OCTOBER
Sharon Ogilvie & Barbara H.
NOVEMBER
Victoria Alvarez-Ude & Rachelle L.
SEPTEMBER
8 Anna Bilsky & Marjorie U.
OCTOBER
6 Pauline Kinsella & Doris K.
2 Priscilla Lanois & Pierrette C.
DECEMBER
7 Viviane Asoh & Ron S.
3 Florence Butler & Greeta M.
Thank you to all of
our volunteers—we
appreciate all you do
for Citizen Advocacy!
Bowl-A-Thon for Everyday Champions
rd
On Saturday, October 3 30 Citizen Advocacy Friends, volunteer advocates, volunteers and staff
came out to enjoy a fun afternoon of bowling, snacks and prizes at the RA Centre. The day was a
great success, everybody had lots of fun and the RA Centre’s bowling lanes were filled with
laughter, music and camaraderie as everyone spent time connecting (and competing!) with each
other, all while raising over $2200 for our Everyday Champions program.
Prizes were given out to individuals and teams who raised the highest amount of pledges, the
highest team score, the lowest team score and to the team who showed the “Best Bowling Team
Spirit”. Participants had fun, raised funds, were physically active and were treated to a loot bag for
their efforts.
This was our sixth Citizen Advocacy Bowl-A-Thon. Many thanks to everyone for supporting the day
– especially Steve Mitchell from the RA Centre who made us all feel so very welcome. We will be
back next year!
10
Winter 2015
We need your help!
One of our continuing challenges is recruiting volunteers to become advocates for the more than
290 people with disabilities on our waiting list. For the last two years we have asked you to
recommend us to your family and friends during January to March and you responded! We had 28
people express an interest in volunteering as a direct result of an ask by a friend or family member
during our recruitment drive.
For 2016, we’d like to ask you to help us in a slightly different way. You all have either employers or
contacts at church groups, service clubs and special interest clubs. We would love to be able to
reach out to these groups to offer to speak to them in 2016. We know that by spreading the word,
one person and group at a time, this has a cumulative effect over the long-term as we see more
people coming forward to volunteer.
It would be great if you were able to recommend Citizen Advocacy as a possible presenter for a
lunch and learn session or a regularly scheduled meeting. You can then put them in touch with our
Community Engagement Coordinator, Maria Redpath. Or if you’d rather we reached out to your
group just send Maria the contact name, email or phone number and she’ll do the rest.
Thank you in advance. With your help we can reduce the average 34 month wait time for a
volunteer advocate.
Maria Redpath: [email protected] or 613-761-9522 ext. 222.
Calling all golf lovers
Mitch (aged 41 years) loves driving ranges and mini-putting. He would benefit from a volunteer
advocate who shared his interests and could get together with him each week.
As a friend to someone with a disability you can have a profound effect on their life by reducing
loneliness and isolation; helping to achieve hopes and dreams; developing personal networks and
relationships; decreasing vulnerability; and increasing self-confidence, mental and physical health.
Join our team of more than 250 volunteer advocates who are enriching the lives of someone in their
community. You will gain a wonderful new friendship – someone to share activities that you love.
You need to be over the age of 18 and to make a minimum commitment of 12 months to this role.
Preparation and ongoing support are provided.
People need people!
Information sessions in the New Year:
Monday January 18th at 6 pm
Thursday January 28th at 12:30 pm
Thursday February 11th at 6 pm
Wednesday February 24th at 6 pm
Please consider joining our volunteer advocate team and share this information with someone you
think would make a great advocate. [[email protected]]
Bonjour je m’appelle Cara O’Connell. C’est un réel plaisir pour moi d’occuper le
poste d’adjointe exécutive au Parrainage civique depuis le mois d’août. Certes,
je suis une nouvelle employée mais cela fait quelques années depuis que je suis
impliquée avec l’organisation comme marraine bénévole dans le cadre du
programme Étoiles du quotidien et comme connectrice communautaire avec
Lifetime Networks. Je crois fermement dans le travail du Parrainage civique afin
de soutenir non seulement les personnes handicappées mais aussi leurs
familles et leurs réseaux personnels. Quel honneur pour moi de pouvoir soutenir
le travail du Parrainage civique d’une nouvelle façon, grâce à mon nouveau rôle
au sein de l’organisation!
11
Rapport
A High 5 to Sarah
Carson Wagonlit Travel Canada (CWT) employee, Sarah, entered the
travel agency’s national contest. The contest asked their employees to
highlight the work they do for a charity. Sarah wrote about her
experiences as a member of Caroline Joanisse’s Lifetime Network and
she detailed all the good work of Citizen Advocacy Ottawa. Sarah’s entry
was chosen for the short-list of six submission and then all CWT’s
employees voted for the charity they thought should receive the
donation. Sarah’s submission won. She is donating $500 to Citizen
Advocacy’s Lifetime Networks. What an awesome way to give back!
Board Member Introduction – Isabelle DesChênes
I’ve been on the Citizen Advocacy board for nearly two years now, but this is my
second time around having previously been a member about eight years ago.
I was motivated to join the board because I believe very strongly in the mandate of
the organization and I wanted to be able to contribute in my own small way to the
evolution of the programming. I had previously volunteered on the Evening in the
Maritimes Committee and wanted to provide support to the organization beyond my annual
committee work. I also have to admit that Brian can be pretty persuasive!
I have a degree in communications from the University of Ottawa and have been working in the field
for nearly 30 years. I’ve been blessed to have worked in a variety of sectors including government,
high tech, tourism, forestry and, now, healthcare. My work has allowed me to travel all over the
world including several trips to Europe and Asia. I also had the privilege of travelling to Northern
Ontario and Quebec for my work in forestry and was reminded of how beautiful and big Canada is.
There really is no better place to live.
I’ve participated on a number of boards in the past but the Citizen Advocacy board is exceptional for
the quality of its people and the enthusiasm with which it embraces its work. I hope to continue to
participate in one capacity or another for many years to come. Citizen Advocacy has captured my
heart!
A fundraiser unlike any other
November 6th, 2015 over 275 people came to support Citizen
Advocacy’s Lifetime Networks program and Families Matter Co-op
at the Shenkman Arts Centre. The successful fundraiser was
Ottawa’s first concert featuring the talents and capacities of local
and world renowned artists with disabilities.
The event reception showcased the musical talents of Citizen Advocacy Friends David Froom and
Joe Oombash. During the reception guests viewed the works of several H’Art of Ottawa artists,
enjoyed delicious tapas and hors d’oeuvres provided by Epicuria and browsed through the eclectic
silent auction items (which raised over $7,500). This year’s entertainment included jazz piano
prodigy Matt Savage, Ottawa’s own Propeller Dance, vocalist Justin Hines and classical violinist
Adrian Anatawan. The new and exciting fortune cookie raffle topped off the evening with a lucky few
winning fabulous prizes such as a Toronto theatre trip and night’s stay at the Westin Harbour Castle
Hotel and tickets to next year’s Evening in the Maritimes event.
A HUGE thank you to our guests, sponsors, donors, our host Mike Guinta, Board President as well
as our guest speakers, Joel Attfield, Stephanie Emmons, Paul and Catherine St. Louis. Also, we
would like to extend a big thank you to the Planning Committee and event-day volunteers. Together
we raised over $59,000 – we could not have done it without you!
12
Winter 2015
Faces of Citizen Advocacy: Edith & Sarah
Edith’s wish when she came to Citizen Advocacy was to be matched with
somebody who could be a positive influence in her life. Someone who could
encourage her, do things with her and accept her for who she is.
Edith has a Master’s in library information but she had been unable to work since 1994 as she was
dealing with a lot of anxiety that affected her self confidence and self-esteem. She was also recently
separated and dealing with a teenage son.
Sarah has a Master’s in change management and human system intervention and works for the
federal government.
Edith and Sarah have been matched since March 2011. Sarah says “I was looking for an
organization where I would have the opportunity to spend my time with a member of my community.
That’s how I was matched with Edith and we have so much fun together. We do several activities
such as: having supper in a restaurant, going to the movies, drinking a coffee or a latte, or just
taking walks. It’s a real pleasure for me to spend time with her. For me the match has exceeded my
expectations and marked the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I met an intelligent woman with a
good sense of humour, generous, compassionate and interesting. The match allows us to share
and exchange with each other.”
At the end of 2014, due to several pressures in her life, Edith fell into a deep depression. As a result
she shut down and did not want to have any kind of contact with anyone. Sarah was worried and
didn’t know how to reach out to Edith.
Thony Jean-Baptiste, the social worker assigned to support this match, became aware that the
match was failing. He spoke with both Edith and Sarah and encouraged them to meet with him to
discuss what was going on. At that meeting Thony let Edith know that he respected her wish to
withdraw and he encouraged her to take advantage of Sarah’s presence in her life as she accepted
her as a person, valued her as a friend and was ready to help her put things into perspective and
enjoy life. Sarah asked Edith not to second guess her or put words into her mouth. She told Edith
that she was a very open person and would let her know if something bothered her. Edith
understood and appreciated that Sarah was her friend and there for her. She indicated that she
would try not to shut her out of her life and to accept the support Sarah was ready to offer.
Sarah too came away from that meeting with help and support. She
shared that she wanted to adopt a child from another country and
although she would be very busy over the next few months she would
make the time to stay connected. Edith understood and offered her
research skills to help Sarah with the adoption process.
What makes this a great match is that both contribute to the relationship,
and support and value each other as friends.
Lights! Decorations! Action!
Beautifying your home for the festive season? Getting your home ready for winter? Remember to
shop RONA with this Discount Membership Card.
Every time you make a purchase on full price, instore items at RONA
and present your Citizen Advocacy RONA Discount Membership
Card, you receive a 5% discount and RONA makes a donation of 5%
of your purchase to Citizen Advocacy.
Present your discount card at the ‘Specialty Cash or Commercial
Sales Cash at the beginning of your checkout.
13
Yes, I believe in a community that welcomes and values all people with disabilities!
Donate online at www.citizenadvocacy.org!
Circle one: Dr.
M.
Miss Mme Mr. Ms. Other ________
Name: __________________________________________________________________________
Apt. / Unit: _______ Street address: _________________________________________________
City: _______________________________ Province: ______ Postal code: __________________
Phone: ______ __________________ Email: __________________________________________
NL_12_2015
Please invest my donation to Citizen Advocacy wherever it is needed most:
☐
Citizen Advocacy
I would like my donation to be invested towards the following program(s):
☐ Everyday Champions ☐Chance For Choice ☐ Lifetime Networks ☐ Walking in My Shoes
☐ I would like to begin my monthly donation of $__________ payable the ☐ 1st or ☐ 16th of each
month. I understand that on the date I have specified each month following, the amount I have
indicated above will be automatically deducted from my bank account (please attach a void cheque)
or charged to the credit card below.
Here is my contribution of: ☐ $25 ☐ $50 ☐ $100
☐ Other $_________________
☐ My cheque payable to “Citizen Advocacy of Ottawa” is enclosed.
☐ Please bill my: ☐ Visa
☐ MasterCard
☐ American Express
Card #: __________________________________________________ Expiry date: ____________
Cardholder name: _________________________________________________________________
You can also donate on our website: www.citizenadvocacy.org
☐ I would like this to be an anonymous donation. Please do not publish my
name.
☐ I would like more information about including Citizen Advocacy in my will.
Thank you for your support. We do not sell, trade or otherwise share our mailing lists. If at
any time you wish to be removed from this or any other mailing, contact us at (613) 7619522 or at [email protected]. Citizen Advocacy is a registered charitable
organization, # 13036 2817 RR0001. Tax receipts will be issued for donations or $10 or
more, subject to Canada Revenue Agency guidelines.
Citizen Advocacy Ottawa, 312 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa ON, K1Y 4X5