Table of Contents

4 Empower Overview

Chairperson’s Report

Executive Director’s Report

Treasurer’s Report

IL Canada Provincial Representative Report

Annual Services

Empower Services

Empower at a Glance

Advocacy Program Report - 2019-2020

Peer Support Program Report

Full Steam Ahead - Career Development

Independent Living Internship & Adaptive Technology Programs

InclusionNL: Employer Support Services

Dolphin Disabilities Mentoring Day

Festivals and Events

Garden Committee Annual Report 2019

Recipients of Independent Living Awards Announced

Take Two Gently Used Clothing & More

Empower, The Disability Resource Centre Annual General Meeting

57 9 10 12 12 14

16 19 23 26 33 38 4143 45 50 51

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Empower Overview • Transition from the IndependentLiving Resource Centre (ILRC) to Empower, the Disability Resource Centre on April 1, 2016

• Transition from Civic #4 to theIndependent Living Resource Centre (ILRC) in 1997-1998

• Accredited member of IL Canada

• Not-for-profit cross disabilityorganization

• 10 full-time staff and 35-40 projectstaff throughout the year

Mission Statement

Empower is a consumer-controlled, non-profit organization that provides leadership in the delivery of cross- disability services and supports while promoting a more inclusive society within Newfoundland and Labrador.

Independent Living

“Independence is not measured by the quality of tasks we can perform without support, but by the quality of life we can have with support.”

Independent Living is:

• Having a choice

• Making decisions

• Taking risks

• Taking responsibility

• Having control of one’s own life

At Empower, the Disability Resource Centre, we break barriers every day. Barriers to access. To knowledge. To choices. Anyone with a disability can use our services. And anyone can help, through volunteering, donations, or even a career with Empower. Empower is a vital part of our community, and the need for our services is growing. With your support, you will be helping even more people find their path to independent living.

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Chairperson’s Report This was my first year as Board Chair of Empower, the Disability Resource Centre and let me say it has been an honour to be part of such an amazing organization. Thank you to the Board for your vote of confidence and the great support and dedication you have demonstrated to the important work of Empower.

This year’s Annual Report provides detailed information on the Programs and Services offered through Empower in 2019-2020.

We were pleased to receive confirmation from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador of continued operational funding for 2019-2020. In addition, the Board was advised that the Internship and Full Steam Ahead Programs had been confirmed for funding. We are indeed deeply thankful and appreciative to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada and all of our funding partners for their financial support. Our Programs and Services could not be maintained without this funding.

InclusionNL, a Program of Empower, has developed many important strong partnerships this year that have strived to break down barriers and celebrate accomplishments. Congratulations to Kathy Hawkins, Laura George and the team for their tremendous efforts in working with business partners in helping them build their accessibility confidence.

During the past five years the services provided to our consumers has grown from 10,000 to 20,000. The exemplary work of Stephen Quinn, Amanda Lush, Penny Abbott, Jim Escott, Nina Caines and Joby Fleming in supporting consumers’ needs is a testament to the strength and depth of our team. A heartfelt thank you to each one of you.

While demand for our services continue to grow, our core funding and building structure has not. The Board has been faced with the need for building renovations and repairs on a regular basis. The Board has struggled to address ways and means to fund building repairs from our very fixed budget. A special thank you to Melanie Grandy, Finance Officer for always having the answers to our wide range of finance questions. Over the coming months we will be seeking support for raising funds to support the urgent and necessary building roof replacement.

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During 2020-2021, the Board will continue to seek ways and means to address issues raised by our consumers; exploring new and innovative ways and means to raise funds to support Empower Programs and Services.

My heartfelt and sincere thank you to our Executive Director, Kimberly Yetman Dawson. Your tireless leadership, dedication, commitment and support are second to none – we truly could not do what we do without you! And a special thanks to our amazing volunteers - approximately 100 people; some sit on our Board, Committees, help with the garden, take out the garbage, clean, etc., Your dedication is appreciated and it is what makes Empower programs successful.

When the pandemic of Covid-19 hit in March of this year, Empower staff had to develop work at home protocol and begin using on-line platforms to support our consumers. This was a difficult time for both staff and consumers. We are seeing poverty and isolation like we have never seen before. Empower staff embraced the technology and continued to be available for support, and deserve recognition for a job well done.

I truly believe that Empower, the Disability Resource Centre is one of the best kept secrets in Newfoundland and Labrador. Once you discover us, your life will be enriched and you will always be welcomed whenever you come through the doors.

Respectfully submitted.

Kristine Strickland, CPA

Chairperson

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Executive Director’s Report As I review each of the staff’s annual reports I think about how much, as a small organization, we have accomplished and the value of service both the Federal and Provincial Governments receive for the funding we receive. We at Empower are proud of the services we provide, the outcomes, and the number of people we are able to provide supports to.

This past year was particularly hard on everyone; first with snowmageddon in January and then the onslaught of Covid 19 in March. Over the past several months we have seen an increase in poverty and food insecurity. We have been able to maintain services through on-line platforms and have strengthened our relationship with Disability Network of NL, Food First NL and the provincial government through regular meetings. I am proud of how all the staff have embraced the new technology and responded to the variety of needs of our consumers.

Empower staff, as usual, have been very busy this year delivering a multitude of services. An interesting statistic shows that the number of new people accessing the Advocacy Program has tripled and advocacy is the number one common theme across all programming. The top two advocacy issues this past year were housing and mental health. We see people struggle everyday trying to find and maintain accessible, safe, affordable housing. While there may be more awareness around mental health; people continue to struggle and we are always referring people to the provincial mental services provided through the province’s Towards Recovery Action Plan.

A brief overview of each of our programs is included in this year’s annual report, capturing highlights of our activities and many successful accomplishments.

At the national level, The Government of Canada is fulfilling its mandate by adoption of the Accessible Canada act that will introduce new accessibility legislation relating to areas under federal jurisdiction like banks, transportation and The Government of Canada itself. Empower’s InclusionNL program is working with a variety of businesses to help bring them up to standards.

I sincerely do not know where we would be if it wasn’t for the amazing staff at Empower. They work hard every day, often going above and beyond in providing the services in the best interests of people with disabilities. It is a wonderful team that I am ever so grateful for.

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I would also like to thank and acknowledge our volunteer Board of Directors who guide and strengthen Empower’s mission and give so generously of their time and knowledge. We could not do it without each of you. And a big thank goes out to the close to 90 volunteers we have had throughout the year. Thank you so much to each of you for all you do to help support the work of Empower.

In closing I want to thank each one of you for the honour of leading a fine organization that does so much for so many of our most vulnerable.

According to the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, more than 6 million Canadians aged 15 and over (22% of the population) identify as having a disability, and it is expected actual numbers are likely higher. Only 59% of Canadians with disabilities aged 25 to 64 are employed compared to 80% of Canadians without disabilities. Persons with disabilities earn less than Canadians without disabilities and are more likely to live in poverty.

Kimberly Yetman Dawson

Executive Director

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Treasurer’s Report

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present the Treasurer’s Report to the membership of Empower, The Disability Resource Centre.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to advise that the financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 have been audited without issue by Clarified Professional Corporation Incorporated. Per those audited financial statements, the total revenue received by Empower was $1,176,806 and the total expenditures for the year were $1,155,087. The net result for the fiscal year operations was a surplus of $21,719.

As a result of Snowmageddon and the Covid-19 pandemic the Board voted with heavy hearts to close the Take Two store. Please note that the Board has not given up on this venture and will look at ways to bring this back in the future.

On behalf of Empower, I would like to offer my appreciation to the Advanced Education, Skills & Labour and the Children, Seniors & Social Development Departments of our provincial government for the ongoing financial support of Empower.

Thank you also to all of our funders. The programs offered by Empower to promote and support consumers in achieving independence have been made possible with your continuous support.

There are not enough words to express my appreciation to all the staff and volunteers at Empower including my fellow board members. As mentioned above, the Covid-19 pandemic has been a learning curve for all of us. The way the Empower staff took on this challenge has been amazing and I am very thankful to each and every one of you for your hard work and commitment to this organization.

Ann Marie Blandford

Treasurer

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IL Canada Provincial Representative Report Independent Living Canada supports the development of IL Centres and provides education and leadership for its members, organizations, partners, and communities.

Managed completely by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of Provincial Representatives from across Canada, the IL Canada Board of Directors has continued to reinforce our commitment to people with disabilities, and, to our 24 member IL Centres across Canada.

In June 2019, IL Canada learned Le Phénix Ontario organization was dissolving the operations of its associated IL Centre in Alfred, Ontario. Since this time the IL Canada Board has been actively seeking the support of a similar organization to fill the gaps left due to this closure.

September 20 & 21, 2019 Independent Living Canada (ILC) completed its Annual General Meeting and National Conference. It was a period of renewed growth and transition. We welcomed new Provincial Representatives and a new Executive Committee of the Board. I was elected as the National Chair, ILC Board of Directors. A position I accepted with great respect and honour.

It was also the first full year of a three-year funding commitment provided through Employment and Social Development Canada under the Social Development Partnerships Program of the Government of Canada.

Through this funding agreement, IL Canada and the Independent Living Canada Centres pursued three important goals namely; building partnerships; strengthening programs to enhance social inclusion, and, reinforcement of an independent living culture focused on respecting the rights of persons with disabilities and their socio- demographic and lifestyle differences.

This past year the Accessible Canada Act was passed into law and the civil society continued the review of Canada’s adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its role in its implementation.

COVID-19 exposed the hardships and minimization of Canadians with disabilities, especially those in long term care facilities. IL Canada was at the forefront of gathering information through a Centre wide survey confirming the hardships and gaps being faced by persons with disabilities.

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With deep sadness, at the National level, the independent living movement lost two remarkable women who dedicated their lives to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in Canada. On December 17, 2019 Deborah Kennard, Director, IL Canada

Board of Directors and Chair of Vie autonome – Montreal passed away. IL Canada will be forever grateful for Deborah’s tireless work and advocacy on both a national level and in the province of Quebec.

Also, of monumental note, on January 23, 2020 the disability community learned of the sudden passing of Sandra Carpenter. Sandra was the Founder and first Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto. To all who knew Sandra, she unassumingly led the way with her vision of a world where people with disabilities are truly free to live as they choose.

The memory of Deborah and Sandra’s tenacity and genuine kindness will remain with us always all as we forge ahead for the rights of persons with disabilities.

On February 27, 2020 IL Canada sponsored a Western Summit in Richmond, B.C.. The Western Summit was attended by western IL Centre staff, Kimberly Yetman Dawson and guest speakers who explained the legislative protective measures and authorities set up to protect the human rights of all Canadians, and especially, those citizens who have lived experience with disability.

Of particular interest in this Summit was the Optional Protocol Canada that came into power in late 2018 giving Canadians with disabilities the way to launch complaints to the United Nations on any violation to the CRPD Agreement Canada has signed.

On May 26, 2019 IL Canada staged its first ever AccessABLE Technology Expo™. This event attracted a mix of exhibitors who pitched their technologies to a receptive audience of people with disabilities and those with lived experience. Its success gave rise to a new partnership with Carleton University’s READ Initiative (Research Education Accessibility Design) that sponsors ENABLE Ottawa which is also held in late May during National AccessAbility Week.

As your Provincial Representative, and as the National Board Chair, it has been my honour to have worked with a wide range of dedicated and caring individuals and organizations. I salute you and offer a very special and, heartfelt thanks to each of you who has given freely of your time to advance the Independent Living Movement.

Respectfully submitted. Carole J Barron

NL Provincial Representative – IL Canada

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Annual Services

Empower provides a variety of services to both individuals and groups in an effort to promote inclusion for persons with disabilities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Empower Services

Empower services fall under one of the following five categories and a brief overview of each of the five service categories is provided below.

• Consultation• Information• Individual Support• Skill Development• Referral

A Consultation is a service that involves in-depth work with an individual around a particular topic. For example, the Adaptive Technology Resource Facilitator provides a consultation service when meeting with a student who requires technology support for educational purposes. The Facilitator will work with the student to identify challenges and try out Adaptive Technology options so the student can decide what works best. They will discuss options around purchasing the technology followed by offering support to teach the student how best to use the technology once it is acquired.

An Information service is simply providing information on a disability related topic. Examples would include individuals approaching Empower to obtain information on services available through a government program to assist with renovations to a home or accessing funding to assist with the cost of required medical equipment or services.

Individual Support moves beyond the providing of information and involves staff providing direct assistance to an individual or family in addressing a particular issue. This service could include something as basic as providing alternate formats for a consumer who requires printed material in Braille. However, most of the individual supports provided by staff, involve working with consumers on difficult issues over extended periods of time.

Skill Development services occur when staff provide training and instruction to an individual. For example, the Advocacy Coordinator provides a skill development service when helping a person complete a Canada Pension Plan application form.

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Our Volunteer Coordinator provides a skill development service when working with a volunteer interested in learning what is involved with volunteering as a receptionist at Empower.

Referral services occur when an individual is connected to another program, service or organization. As an example, the Career Development Coordinator provides a referral service when linking a consumer who’s interested in participating in a Linkages employment opportunity with Easter Seals. They would also provide a referral service when connecting job-seekers with staff at the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour to apply for “job start” funds.

Empower programs and services primarily cover the St. John’s Metro and Northeast Avalon area. However, with the addition of our two provincial programs (Adaptive Technology Internship and IL Internship) and InclusionNL, many services are provided to other areas of the province. The charts below provide a breakdown of the areas where service is provided and the types of individuals/groups accessing Empower services.

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Empower at a Glance

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Advocacy Program Report - 2019-2020 This has been an extremely busy and unprecedented year for the Advocacy program with two States of Emergency in 2020. The program continues to be very busy and sees a high number of consumers seeking support and availing of service.

The Advocacy Program at Empower is a provincial program working with consumers with cross disabilities. The program has supported consumers to identify their goals, personal strengths and skills. It supports consumers by providing clear, accurate information about current legislation, policy regulations and resources. Consumers have used this program to empower themselves, navigate different systems (such as the health and government systems), and gain control in order to make informed decisions. The program has supported consumers in breaking down barriers through advocacy. The Advocacy Program, when requested by a consumer, acts as a support or liaison between the individual and organization, government agency, and other service delivery providers.

The Advocacy Program empowers and teaches people with disabilities, skills on how to become an effective self advocate. This is accomplished through the transferring of knowledge on how to be an effective advocate. We provide consumers personalized linkage and support in navigating systems when first steps are unclear.

The collaborative approach we use within the Advocacy Program is key to assisting consumers with their goals. This program thrives on having many community and governmental partners for action and success. The strong network and key stakeholders within our community sector are to be thanked for their support, guidance and assistance.

We ensure consumers we work with are not left without a voice in every service they seek. The amazing part of this program is that we help people sort things out on every level through system navigation. We provide support, knowledge, and experience to help consumers live more independent lives.

The Advocacy program has established an excellent partnership with Memorial University’s School of Social Work. The Advocacy Coordinator is a mentor with the school and works with Social Work students in both the Fall and Winter semesters in both the first and second year Bachelor Degree programs. We also employ a summer student in the Advocacy program. All students work in the role of Advocacy Assistant in support of the Advocacy Coordinator.

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If it wasn’t for Empower and their Advocacy program I wouldn’t be where I am today with my homecare hours and also my own place to live. They have always been there for great support and advice when needed to handle any obstacles with my disability. I’m so grateful for all their support and feeling of belonging. They treat you as a person not someone just with a disability they treat you like you belong and you are a part of a family .”

~ Consumer

“Working with Empower Advocacy Coordinator means that consumers/clients have the additional understanding. They have support to enhance their linkage with programs and services to achieve their goals and maximize opportunities.”

~ Government Partner

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Key Accomplishments:

● Partnered with Government in supporting consumer in moving out of province due to medical and disability needs

● Continued coordinating weekly outreach with Eastern Health: Mental Health & Addictions Nurse at Empower

● Supporting consumers with hospital discharge planning

● Empower continues to host an annual tax clinic for Consumers.

● Supporting consumers with Go Bus Eligibility assessments

● Provided multiple practicums and work terms to social work, sociology and nursing students for practicums and community placements

● Called to the table for advisory and consultation; meeting with many key stakeholders in community, government and the public such as focus groups with Eastern Health and Government

● The Advocacy Coordinator presented at many public events including Community Stakeholders Event, Mapping and Connections; Government NL, Department of Health Home Support Implementation Committee.

The chart depicts the top four advocacy issues recorded within the Advocacy Skills Program; Income Support, Home Supports, Mental Health and Housing, are the top four areas of support consumers request assistance in. More often, consumers are faced with barriers to accessing these four areas of support than any other issue addressed in the Advocacy Program.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the consumers and the broad network of stakeholders for your support over this past year. It has been a pleasure working with you all and I look forward to our continued working relationships.

Joby Fleming Advocacy Coordinator

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Peer Support Program Report Peer Support is a vital part of our community. The Peer Support Program is about the knowledge, skills, and experience of the peer supporter, consumers, and anyone willing to share their lived experience with others.

Peer Support brings consumers together with similar goals and interests while also offering opportunities for socializing, friendship, support, and shared experience from those in similar situations. We welcome the lived and learned experience from anyone, as well as those with cross-disabilities which includes mental health, short-term, long-term, and permeant disabilities. Peer Support transforms lives by providing tailored, flexible, emotional, practical, and social support. People benefit from hearing from those in the same boat, and we like to connect others with lived and learned experience.

Our Peer Support Program reduces barriers of stigma, isolation, and improves resiliency, self-esteem, and social connections. We provide a number of different sessions, catered to different groups of individuals with varying interests. The following is an overview of the different Peer Support opportunities and topics we explored with members of Empower in the past year.

Craft Group: Craft Group takes place every Thursday, 2:00pm-4:00pm in-house at Empower, with an occasional session being held at alterative locations within the community. Due to limited space and loyal participation, we are not able to welcome new consumers to the sessions at this time. This group provides a space for consumers to socialize, learn, and share skills with others.

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Craft Group activities included: Easter wreaths, Easter trees, patio stones for our court yard, NL Rock Art (decorating rocks and hiding them in Bowring Park), tie dye shirts, making bracelets, decorations for our annual BBQ, key chains, as well as seasonal and holiday themed crafts. Some informative and educational sessions included, musical entertainment, and focus groups. We provide a space for consumers to bring their own ideas for new crafts and any skills they would like to develop or explore.

Men’s Group: This group is open to males with disabilities, where members come together with common interests.

Men’s Group topics this past year included: Going to The Rec Room, a BBQ, movies at the Avalon Mall and at the Centre, a games night, Journey Project, and Relationships. Members are welcome to suggest future locations or topics they would be interested in exploring.

Women’s Group: Members meet once a month at Empower or at an alternative location within the community. This group provides the opportunity for women with disabilities to come together and discuss topics that are interesting or important to them. Women’s Group topics this past year included: The Journey of Mourning, Journey Project, a movie, A BBQ, a session at Clay Café, a games night, going to the walking track at MUN, and other events. Members are welcome to suggest future locations or topics they would be interested in exploring.

Men’s & Women’s Group: This Peer Support Group met every two months at Empower and at other locations within the St. John’s area. This group sees 20-28 consumers at each gathering. The group provides opportunities for men and women to discuss, learn, and share information about topics that are interesting to them. Men’s and Women’s activities included The Gathering Pace, a dance, learning about campfires, bingo (which was a huge hit with all members), learning how to make Christmas cookies, and our annual Christmas light tour.

Dinner Club: Members meet every two months at a restaurant within the city. We have 2 groups of 15 members. With the smaller groups we got to visit some new locations like Montana’s, Lucky’s, Legion Bar & Grill, Boston Pizza, Merlo’s Inferno, Bier Market, Ocean Side, Pizza Delight, and Kelsey’s Roadhouse.

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Selection of restaurants are based on the most appropriate accessibility features and interests of consumers. We like to highlight the accessibility of certain locations and take the opportunity to suggest improvements to management where necessary.

Christmas Dinner & Dance: The Christmas Dinner & Dance was another huge hit this year with 106 people in attendance. This annual event is a great start to the holiday season and a highly anticipated occasion by all. Everyone enjoyed the great food, wonderful music, and the amazing company.

Annual Barbeque: Our annual Barbeque was a huge success this year, with lots of food, games, prizes, and fun. We held our annual BBQ at the Rotary Sunshine Park on a beautiful sunny day in August, where 94 people attended.

We would like to thank group members, volunteers, support workers, staff, and others for their contribution to the Peer Support Groups. Without your time, knowledge, and experience, we would not have such an amazing network of people around us. This year, our Peer Support Groups met for 96 sessions inside and outside the Empower centre.

We would like to take the time to thank our partners over the past year including: Third year Nursing Students, The Sexual Assault and Crisis Prevention Centre, Public Legal Information of NL, Sobeys on Howley Estates, Wheel Way Transportation, The Gathering Place, Clay Café, and many others.

The Peer Support Program is committed to providing opportunities for personal growth and fulfilment of the members who join the Peer Support Groups. We look forward to working with you in the coming year, ensuring we offer sessions that will greatly benefit each of you. Please forward any peer support topics you would be interested in attending.

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Volunteer Program Report

Volunteers are the backbone of Empower. We would not be able to offer the many programs and services we do, without the hard work and dedication of our close to 80 volunteers.

Volunteers bring many different positions with them, with different learned and lived experiences that benefit those they serve as a volunteer. We have seen an increase in volunteers coming from educational institutions completing placements, practicums, and internships within our organization. We look forward to providing more opportunities for students in the future.

We offer many volunteering opportunities including long- term, short-term, and one-time volunteering opportunities for anyone interested in giving their time. We have volunteering positions which include Reception Assistant, Group Support, CAP Room Support, Newsletter Committee, Garden Committee, etc. Unfortunately, this past the Volunteer Appreciation Event and Spring Fling was cancelled due to Covid-19. We held a Music and Friends on the night of the event. Everyone had a great time, sang some songs, danced in the comfort of their own homes. Even though we are apart we all celebrated together.

Amanda Lush

Peer Support Program Coordinator

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Full Steam Ahead - Career Development The first time I walked into Empower, I knew this was a place in which all people are welcomed, exactly as they are. I am happy to say that since this first encounter, that inclusion is still first and foremost on our minds. To all those considering career development, I extend this same welcome. I hope that this can be a respectful and empowering place to explore your career goals.

Our Career Development Program, Full Steam Ahead (FSA), has had a very successful and busy year. Consumers continue to explore their education, employment and entrepreneurship options. And the Full Steam Ahead Program continues to operate using an Independent Living model of service delivery. As such, we aim to support people with disabilities develop the skills and the network they need to participate in their community’s education and employment opportunities.

Many Full Steam Ahead Consumers experience significant disability related barriers, but those same consumers also have strengths, goals and the determination to reach those goals. Together with the FSA Coordinator, Consumers are exploring their options around accommodation in both the classroom and the workplace. This helps Consumers see their dreams are within reach.

This year 153 Consumers visited with the Career Development Coordinator and pursued their career goals, 77 of whom were new participants. FSA participants were involved in activities such as

• Pre-employment skill development - e.g. resume writing, career goal setting, cover letters & interview skills;

• Skill and interest inventories – e.g. identifying personal/job related and transferable skills;

• Job searches – e.g. accessing information on employment opportunities and being supported to deal with the ups and downs associated with a job search;

• Identifying and accessing funding sources for school and wage subsidies for employment;

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• Exploring career options through career self-assessments, either one-on-one or with the online tool Career Cruising.

• Exploring entrepreneurial opportunities, writing business plans and accessing information on business start-ups.

FSA Consumers are reaching their goals. Over the past year, 48 positions were found by 45 Consumers and 20 FSA Consumers started or returned to school. In keeping with our cross-disability perspective, Consumers with many different types of disabilities are finding employment and starting school, as shown in the table below.

The Full Steam Ahead Program has also worked closely with a number of Community Organizations this past year. Stella Burry Community Services have supported consumers’ employment goals through their Hope Works and New Beginnings Programs. The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) have also supported consumers with their Youth the Future and their Partners for Workplace Inclusion Programs. The FSA Coordinator has also worked closely with the Murphy Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, College of the North Atlantic, Women Interested in Successful Employment, Newfoundland & Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs, Metro Business Opportunities, Business Development Bank of Canada, Office of Employment Equity for Person’s with Disabilities, Canadian National Institute of the Blind and the Community Sector Council of Newfoundland & Labrador.

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In particular, our connection with the Provincial Government’s Department of Advanced Education and Skills is very important, both for the FSA Program and the consumers who are connected to income support. The Department has funded the FSA Program for over 10 years, and over 60% of FSA Consumers are connected to AES and Income Support. Working together, we have helped consumers access employment supports such as the Job Start Allowance, the 6-month Drug Card and the Wage Subsidy for Persons with Disabilities.

As we look towards the next year, we will continue to support consumers’ participation in the job market, and work towards a community where people with disabilities are employed at levels comparable to those without disabilities - in a workplace without barriers.

Remember too, if you’re still looking for that job, or thinking of going back to school, you don’t have to get there alone. Together, we can talk about your goals and find a way to move towards them, one step at a time.

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Independent Living Internship & Adaptive Technology Programs

Penny Abbott – Manager Jim Escott – AT Facilitator

The Independent Living (IL) Internship and Adaptive Technology (AT) Programs are funded through the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labor. Both programs provide employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and aim to share information with the people of the province about accessibility and diversity, with an end goal of inclusion for all in our province.

Independent Living Internship Program Within the IL Internship program, we carry out a variety of activities aimed at creating inclusion and supporting interns to achieve their career goals. Some of these include:

Creating skill development opportunities through the development of a career portfolio and through community/business work placements;

Fostering community partnerships by networking with various organizations, as well as participating in and/or initiating community events;

Sharing information with individuals and groups to promote Independent Living and inclusion;

Working with individuals and organizations to break down barriers to inclusion in their community (such as barriers to accessing a physical building or barriers to accessing supports or services); and

Promoting local services for people with disabilities and connecting individuals with resources available to them within their community

Planning, Promotion and Recruitment

During the year’s first quarter, the IL Internship focuses on planning, promotion and recruitment. We tap into our provincial networks and resources to make people aware of the program and attract qualified individuals to fill our Intern positions. This year we were successful in hiring 9 interns in 6 communities – Corner Brook, Stephenville, Grand Falls-Windsor, Marystown, Clarenville and St. John’s.

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Job Orientation Week

Interns were hired and started work in August. They travelled to St. John’s for a week- long job orientation session. This was an opportunity for interns to meet as a team, become more acquainted with their job responsibilities and expectations, and to learn more about Empower and Independent Living. During the week, Interns participated in group presentations, information sessions from various service providers, training on Adaptive Technology, presentations on workplace professionalism and disability etiquette, and an opportunity to become familiar with the centre and Empower staff.

Following orientation, interns were focused on scoping out the disability related services and resources available in their respective communities. Being knowledgeable of these resources and being able to connect individuals to those services is integral to the Intern’s roles.

Community Inclusion

The IL Internship Program participates at community events, information fairs, trade shows, and community forums. This work is done across the province, within the Interns’ communities. Interns also provide information sessions on Empower programs and disability etiquette for various community groups and government departments. This is done with support from the staff either directly or indirectly through travel or online communication.

IL Internship Placements

Between October and March, interns complete placements in their areas. These placements provide interns with the opportunity to develop new skills, improve on existing skills and become exposed to workplace practices while bringing an awareness and a personal perspective on disability related information to the staff and consumers of their placement agency. Both interns and placement representatives reported this as being a positive experience.

During this time, all interns also planned an information fair to be held on December 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Interns planned, advertised and hosted the event, inviting organizations, businesses and government departments to set up an information booth to promote their services for persons with disabilities. The events were quite successful and well attended. This was a great skill building activity for the interns gaining skills in the organizing of an event while also making contacts with resources in their communities.

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Successes

Employment: By the end of the 2019-20 Internship Program, 3 interns have decided to return to school. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing State of Emergency, no interns have secured employment at this time.

Partnering: As always, Interns helped expand Empower networks throughout the province. We have developed partnerships with many government departments/ agencies, educational institutions, businesses and community groups and our list continues to grow.

Positive Impacts: The IL Internship Program generates positive impacts for interns, for the community and Empower. Some positive impacts from this year include:

Interns reported a great satisfaction with being able to help other individuals in their community. Sharing information or tools to help them obtain/attain what they need or want was deemed a great success.

Networking allowed interns to make new connections to local organizations and build working relationships with them. This broadens their knowledge and experiences and by getting their name “out there” more, interns are increasing their chances of finding future employment.

Working in a supportive and inclusive environment and learning from their peers was deemed a success by many interns. There was companionship among interns who’ve experienced like situations, or who have similar backgrounds, that led to excellent team work and great relationships between interns.

Through all of the work of the Interns, we were able to develop new partnerships throughout the province which helped Empower share its vision of inclusion. It allowed us to broaden our reach and offer services to individuals who may not otherwise be able to access the services they need. In addition, by connecting with service providers we were able to provide them with information and resources that they can in turn share with their clients, further increasing the supports and services available to individuals in NL.

We would like to thank all the host sites who were paramount in contributing to the success of the program, our funders who make it possible, the partners who participate in our events and invite us to theirs, and all others that encounter the program in any way. We would also like to send congratulations, thanks and best wishes to our Interns as they continue on their journey.

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Adaptive Technology Program

Adaptive Technology (AT) Program connects individuals with technology that works for them. Whether this is a student who needs technology supports in the classroom or an employee who requires technology options due to a work place adjustment due to an injury. New technologies can seem scary at times. Here at Empower, the AT program is tailored to individuals that we work with one on one to overcome challenges with new software and hardware.

Some of the Services provided within the AT program include:

• Working with individuals to identify appropriate AT options, providing support to acquire and use the technology successfully;

• Create employment opportunities for youth with disabilities through the IL internship program;

• Engaging public, business and government with information sessions to increase AT awareness, support and training on a variety of assistive software and hardware.

• Short-Term Device Program – we work with local business and agencies to provide adaptive technology in a 2 week loan program. With some of our keyboards and mice.

• Public accessible computer room where people can use adaptive technologies and computers in an inclusive and supportive environment.

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Empower’s Public Computer Site

The Empower Computer site offers opportunities for individuals to use computers at no cost, in an accessible and Supportive environment. We have open public Wi-Fi for people to use the internet on all devices. We provide printing services for resumes, government forms, and educational information. Empower’s AT program understands barriers to Internet access, digital information and barriers with technology.

Through the IL Internship Program, we were able to hire an AT Intern Jayanth Srinivas. He supported visitors daily in our computer room and maintained our centres computers by upgrading systems. He provided training/support to consumers and supported the AT program through research, and the creation of training materials on new and existing technologies. Over the course of this year, we saw 337 visits to our computer room.

Individual Consultations

The AT Program offers individual consultations in many areas related to AT, including employment, education, skill development, and adaptive technology hardware/software options.

Employment consultations could range from supporting an employee in using a new muse or keyboard, to working with an intern to help them seek out future employment opportunities. (Employment consults = 126)

Education consultations typically involve working with students to help them acquire and/or use AT in their studies, or working with teachers to better enable them to support students with disabilities. (Education consults = 123)

Skill development consultations are training sessions we provide to volunteers, consumers, job seekers, interns, and others on a variety of computer related topics. (Skill development consults = 997)

Adaptive Technology consultations consist of a brief overview of what Adaptive Technology is, followed by a discussion of options/supports, and some hands on training. It is an opportunity for consumers to decide what technology will work best for them. (AT consults = 1198)

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Key highlights Community work Employment/Education

Advocating with students and parents within the (K-12) school system, supporting them with determining technology needs and assisting them in training. For these students it has empowered them in daily living and not feeling isolated in the classroom.

Worked with Academy Canada to implement Adaptive Technology for their students who require accommodations. They have had an increase in requests for accommodation and we are providing them with manuals on AT programs to assist them with training and testing.

Memorial University hosted a “Toast to Hire” event to thank community partners and to facilitate a discussion with students to help them transition to the workforce. Corporate, non-profit, private and government departments were in attendance. Students had questions around diversity, ethics and accommodations. Each question was answered by a student and was then discussed in a group.

The AT program provided technology services to the Mount Pearl Paradise Chamber of Commerce job fair and Hospitality NL job fair. Our AT program provided adaptive technology to the general public for resume building, print services and discussing Empowers programs and services

Government

We have seen an increase in supporting individuals to return to work after an injury or medical leave. We have been working with WorkplaceNL and provincial government employees in various departments. The adaptive technology program helps in the assessment process for their technology needs. We work with the individual to ensure software and hardware are compatible with internal government systems and implementing a training program for them to transition back to work.

Provided virtual training on Adaptive Technology to federal government employees through Service Canada’s Atlantic Region Lunch and Learn. There were approximately 80 service agents in attendance during this live session.

An information booth was set up at the annual Workplace Wellness Fair at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. We showcased various ergonomic equipment and AT devices to provide staff with alternative options if their current workstations do not meet their needs. This led to us being invited back to provide a presentation on our services with a focus on Adaptive Technology. This took place on International Day of Persons with

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Disabilities. The group was very engaged and had many questions which led to a number of referrals to our AT Program and to other IL Centres across the country.

The Federal government has started a pilot program called GoGettersNL, funded under the Canada Service Corps for youth. These youth have committed to completing 120 service hours by March 2020. They come from varying educational backgrounds including majors in education, geography, psychology and archaeology. Met with this group to present our services and provide Disability Etiquette training. We will be creating a partnership to have the youth volunteer a portion of their hours at Empower.

St. John’s Transit Review Report was made into an accessible format by the AT Program

In November 2019, the City of Mount Pearl held its first Hackathon. This is a competitive event where teams brainstorm to create solutions to current city problems. There were 20 teams registered for the event. Empower’s team consisted of Jim Escott (AT Facilitator), Mandy Penney (InclusionNL), Jayanth Srinivas (IL Intern), Jordan Bragg (IL Intern) and Joel Oram (IL Intern). They developed a prototype application called A1 Notices that would display notifications on multiple platforms while ensuring it was accessible to the public. The solution aimed to save time and ensure correct messaging reaches the public. This was a great team building and skill development exercise for the interns. Their hard work paid off and they were presented with the fourth place community spirit award.

Non-Profits

Presented Empower Services and Disability Etiquette to the Community Sector Council to ensure that the trainers for the techKNOWtutors are confident in working with people with disabilities.

March of Dimes is gathering information across Canada to provide Canadians with information on how to acquire technology. We have been assisting and providing information for this project around Adaptive Technology in NL.

Attended the Learning Disabilities Association of NL (LDANL) Conference on Assistive Technology. The conference was designed to showcase assistive technology using Read & Write Gold, Google Chrome Book and supports for people with learning disabilities in the province. Met with Eddie Dunphy, LDANL Executive Director, to discuss issues facing people with learning disabilities across NL. The main focus being on the gaps within ABE (Adult Basic Education) and the lack of supports for parent and student who use or require adaptive technology.

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InclusionNL: Employer Support Services InclusionNL: Employer Support Services started in June 2014 with funding received from the Labour Market Partnerships Program, Dept. of Advanced Education Skills & Labour. Since we began, we have provided numerous partnerships to many employers across Newfoundland and Labrador.

Early in this new fiscal year, we launched a dedicated social media campaign targeted specifically for our work during Disability Employment Awareness Month. This work proved to be extremely beneficial in raising the profile and recognition of InclusionNL amongst employers in the province and provided many opportunities for us to develop unique partnerships based on our social media presence.

Without valuable partnerships with businesses and employers, full inclusion of everyone in community would not be possible. Through this past year, we have developed and participated in over one hundred unique projects and business partnerships throughout the province as they develop their disability confidence and increase accessibility and inclusion within their work environments.

Four Streams of Service Delivery InclusionNL staff provides a number of support services to businesses/employers in our province. Our delivery is focused through these three streams

Direct Employer Supports Staff provide direct supports to businesses based on individual need/request. Some examples include providing supports to multiple businesses through a hiring process where we distributed job vacancies and recruited candidates from partner disability organizations, provided the business with inclusion related supports for interviews (ASL interpreters Captioning etc), supported them review accessibility of their location so that candidates could be hired. Worked with multiple partners including a leading industry association to host fully inclusive job fairs with over a dozen businesses advertising available positions and interviewing candidates on site. Upon completion we heard from candidates who were successful in obtaining employment through this event.

This unique partnership provides businesses with services and resources as a way of introducing Accessibility and Inclusion to businesses that have little or no disability confidence. Through a variety of activities and gatherings and professional

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development opportunities, we have been successful in developing over 100 partnerships with employers province-wide and have increased knowledge in accessibility and inclusion in a variety of ways. One example is our partnership is with Crosbie Group of Companies where we work with them to increase their accessibility in job advertisements for many of their job vacancies.

Conferences | Events | Festivals

This year staff from the program provided supports to a number of businesses, community organizations and associations who organized festivals, events, and conferences throughout the Avalon region. Staff worked with organizers leading up to their events, ensuring accessibility for patrons. Supports include: help to recruit volunteers, train volunteers & staff, review location, venue accessibility reviews and the production of an accessibility guide for the event, alternate formats of programmes, as well as having inclusion crew volunteers on location throughout the event. This year we have provided supports to Mount Pearl City Days & Canada Day activities, NL Folk Festival, 201 Royal St. John’s Regatta, BikeFest, Circus Festival, & St. John’s Women’s Film Festival.

This year we continued our partnership with organizers of the Mount Pearl Frosty Festival. The largest winter festival in Atlantic Canada, this 12 day event hosted more than 80 activities. This being our third year, staff and inclusion crew volunteers provided information and supports to more than 80+ events in a variety of venues throughout the city of Mount Pearl.

Research:

Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy (CRWDP) One of the most important components of advancing inclusive employment within today’s society is through research and advancement in work disability policies. As a community partner of the NL Cluster for the Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy, we connect with researchers ( primarily through MemorialU ) on a regular bases who are conducting various research initiatives to help improve work life for people with disabilities in Canada. Can visit their website if you’re interest in an overview of past and current research, visit www.crwdp.ca

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InclusionNL is developing a pilot social enterprise to provide supports and expertise to businesses impacted by federal regulations with the development of the Accessible Canada Act. The “Employer AccessAbility Resource Network NL – EARN-NL” will be a network of businesses working towards their accessibility obligations as developed by the Accessibility Standards Canada and the Canada Transportation Agency.

This year, our InclusionNL Manager continues to be on the national organizing committee hosting a Pan Canadian Conference on Work & Disability in Canada in Ottawa. With more than 250 delegates participating, key leaders in the disability and injured workers communities from across Canada gathered in Ottawa in early December to continue dialogue in developing national standards in inclusive employment for Canadians with disabilities. A national report on this conference is available through the CRWDP website.

Dolphin Disabilities Mentoring Day

InclusionNL partnered with the Community Inclusive Employment Network, and Dolphin Disabilities Mentoring Day (DMD) Dolphin Digital Technologies of Kingston ON to host our third DMD on Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

During this day, qualified candidates with disabilities (mentees) are matched with business mentors for a day of job shadowing, information exchange, and learning. For our second initiative, twenty businesses made for a diverse representation of sectors participating in DMD. Based on their initial experience, business mentors had an extremely positive experience in their initial participation, indicating they learned quite a bit to build disability confidence, and they have all agreed to continue their participation and partnership with InclusionNL.

Wage Subsidy Community Coordination

In partnership with the Dept. of Advanced Education Skills & Labour, we have received financial supports to host a number of wage subsidy agreements with businesses throughout the province. This being our third year of hosting this program, we continued to market the program’s availability throughout the various business sectors. For our third year, we were successful in securing a variety of matched agreements where individuals with disabilities acquired new employment opportunities.

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Program Successes/Milestones

Surpass all program goals and outcomes with our initial funding contract received from Dept of Advanced Education Skills & Labour. Worked with an external consultant to complete a program review of this second implementation of program deliver

Involved in a unique partnership with the Mount Pearl Paradise Chamber of Commerce to support our second annual inclusive job fair

Participated in more than 350 unique business partnerships and projects since InclusionNL started

Partnered with Dolphin Digital Technologies to host NL’s third Dolphin Disabilities Mentoring Day. Ten+ businesses provided

mentors from their agencies for a day and were matched with mentees with disabilities who were job ready and interested in their area of business.

Provided inclusion supports to more than 40 festivals, concerts and events throughout the area throughout the summers from 2017 to 2019. Provided inclusion supports to the largest Atlantic Canada Winter Festival, Mount Pearl Frosty Festival – a 12 day festival of more than 80 activities.

Kathy Hawkins, InclusionNL Manager

By investing in employees with disabilities, your business can expand its customer base, increase innovative product development, and outperform your competitors.

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Dolphin Disabilities Mentoring Day (DMD) October 30, 2019

DMD Mentor/Mentee Meet & Greet

City of St. John’s

Memorial University of NL

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Air Canada

Nalcor

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InclusionNL Partners

YMCA, Mount Pearl Paradise Chamber of Commerce, City of St. John’s, NL Craft Council, RBC, Government of Newfoundland Labrador, Harvey’s Home Heating, Mount Pearl Frosty Festival, Folk Arts Society, NL Workforce Innovation Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, PAL Airlines, The Newfoundland and Labrador Oil and Gas Industries Association, Petroleum Industry Human Resources Committee, Crosbie Group of Companies, Rocket Bakery, Nalcor, Royal St. John’s Regatta, Eastern Health, City of Mount Pearl, St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Hospitality NL, Genoa, Technip, Air Canada, Stephenville, HR Project Partners, Parks Canada, RCA Theatre, Able Sail, St. John’s International Circus Festival, Academy Canada

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Festivals and Events

NL Folk Festival

St. John’s Regatta

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Mount Pearl City Days

Mount Pearl Frosty Festival

Hospitality NL Job

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Deborah Prim Memorial Courtyard and Garden Committee Annual Report 2019

We started off spring in April with some general planning of what we wanted to do this year. Sarah Crocker, Education and Community Outreach Coordinator with Food First NL, gave us tips on weeding and taught us about common garden pests, growing advice for special crops, transplanting and using biodegradable pots. We attended various sessions on composting and decided that we did not have enough volunteers to start such a big venture at that point.

We started clean up in early May by prepping the grounds for planting. Turning the soil, adding lime, soil, and sheep manure to help with the growing of our vegetables.

In June we had seven volunteers from United Way’s “Day of Caring” who provided support to help spruce up our garden. They were a tremendous help with mowing, weed whacking, removing the dirt pile around our “Let’s Talk” bench, and general maintenance. We want to give a huge shout out to Suncor Energy for all their hard work. We greatly appreciate all your help and loved learning about you. We hope you enjoyed learning about us as well.

All vegetables were planted in the ground by late June, except for beets, squash, butternut squash and pumpkins. These seeds were planted inside before bringing them outside. We planted cabbage, butternut squash, beets, and green peas outside which grew up beautifully, as well as yellow and green onions, potatoes, lettuce, carrots and turnip. This was our first year planting squash. However, the squash and pumpkins did not grow this year.

Our student Gardener Lucas started in July for six weeks. He made a huge difference to our garden, especially the flower bed in the middle of it. We now have a heart shaped flower bed right in the middle of our lovely courtyard. We encourage you to come check it out. We also had our “Spruce Up” in late July. Despite the rain, it was another fun day with our usual BBQ and snacks. When the rain let up, we all went out for a walk around our beautiful garden.Our harvest took place in early October. We enjoyed the fruits of our labor by using some of our vegetables to have our annual “stone soup”. This is an event where garden committee members prepare all the vegetables to make beef & barley soup, as well as turkey soup for staff and others in the building that day. This is always a huge hit with our garden volunteers, craft group, and staff.

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To end off our year we did our annual ticket draws. One ticket draw was on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and the second draw was done at our annual Christmas Dinner and Dance.

Don’t forget the garden committee also has a recycling account with Ever Green Recycling. There are 4 locations you can drop off your recycling and donate them to the Garden: Elizabeth Avenue, Blackmarsh Road, Waterford Bridge Road, and Torbay Road. All you must do is go to one of those depos, type in our phone number (722- 4031) and type the number of bags you are donating. After that, stick the labels on the bags and leave them to be added to our account.

We want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who donated prizes for our baskets, gave us monetary donations, or did work in our garden. We would not have been able to make the garden as wonderful as it is without the support of our members. All the money raised goes right back into our beautiful courtyard and garden. It was another successful year at Deborah Prim Memorial Courtyard and Garden. Looking forward to better weather in 2020.

Kim Underhay Garden Committee Chair

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Recipients of Independent Living Awards Announced

The 2019 recipient of The Cecilia Carroll Award for Independent Living is Carole Barron in recognition of her long term and extraordinary commitment to the full inclusion of people with disabilities.

Carole brings with her over 30 years of work and volunteering in the disability community. Carole was the CEO of Canadian Council of Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) and set the stage in Canada for inclusive employment for people with disabilities. In her capacity at CCRW she was responsible for advocating for others with disabilities and developed precedence in ways that businesses invested in employment opportunities in Canada for people with disabilities. Her commitment and passion was evident well beyond her professional responsibilities.

Since her return to Newfoundland, Carole’s passion and commitment to the disability community continues through her volunteer work. As Chairperson of the InclusionNL Program Steering Committee, former volunteer Chair of Empower’s Board and now as current Chair of Independent Living Canada - she is advancing the rights of persons with disabilities nationally. Through her volunteer work, Carole has provided leadership, guidance and expertise in building a more inclusive Canada. I cannot think of another person in our province who has worked with such passion - locally, provincially, and nationally - for Canadians with disabilities.

The Independent Living Young Leader Award is for a young person with a disability, who has raised awareness and shown outstanding leadership in promoting full inclusion of people with disabilities in NL. The recipient of the 2019 Independent Living Young Leader Award is Kristyn Collins Kristyn is a Boccia Ball Player: Provincially, Nationally and Internationally. She is a

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Member of Team Canada’s Boccia Ball Team that attended the 2019 CPIRSA world Games in Sant Cugot Spain in August 2018.

She is a member of Boccia Ball Canada’s team that competed in Sao Paulo Brazil the end of September 2019. Kristyn was the only Newfoundlander on this Boccia Ball team. Kristyn has won bronze, silver and gold as an individual and as part of a team. In 2019, Kristyn was also recipient for the Premier’s Athlete Award for boccia ball.

The Business Award for Independent Living is for a business who has displayed an innovative approach and achieved substantial outcomes, in supporting the full inclusion of people with disabilities. The recipient of the 2019 Business Award for Independent Living is The Arts Council of NL

Since moving to their new location at 275 Duckworth St., The Craft Council Of Newfoundland and Labrador, have worked diligently to increase their accessibility confidence and create a barrier free environment for both customers and employees.

To date they have been working on a number of features including: a fully alternative accessible entrance, Inclusion Awareness training for volunteers, staff, artists and exhibitioners and research on automated description devices of exhibits.

The Craft Council Of Newfoundland and Labrador provide alternate formats of exhibit descriptions for each Art Exhibit, accessible layouts of the shop and gallery and promotion of accessible art shows throughout the community

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The Social Inclusion Award for Independent Living is for a person/s who have worked towards a more inclusive environment by creating opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in areas such as education, sports, the arts, government services and the wider community. The recipient of the 2019 Social Inclusion Award is The City of St. John’s Inclusive Services Team

One of the City of St. John’s strategic directions is to foster “a city where people feel connected, have a sense of belonging, and are actively engaged in community life.” The Inclusive Services team, housed within the Community Services Department spearheads many programs, services and initiatives aimed at creating inclusive environments that connect citizens to each other and their City.

For over 25 years the City of St. John’s, Community Services department has supported persons with a disability and/or individuals requiring support to participate in recreation and leisure programs. The team also coordinates the City’s Inclusion Advisory Committee and associated working groups, provides inclusion training to city staff and partners with various sectors to further inclusion in the community.

The City of St. John’s is committed to providing inclusive and accessible recreation and leisure services for residents through the following: accessible built environment, adaptive recreation equipment, alternate formats, accessible playgrounds, attendant passes, financial support, therapeutic recreation referrals, inclusive programming and a holistic approach with government and community working together through the City’s Inclusion & Accessibility Advisory.

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December 3rd, International Day of Persons with

Disabilities, Information

Tables at RBC Branches

Mount Pearl Paradise Chamber of Commerce Job Fair

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Take Two Gently Used Clothing & More

This is the third year Take Two has been open and with two state of emergencies called this year - it’s been a tough year on sales.

For several years, the Empower Board was interested in developing a social enterprise that could support Empower programs and

services, employ people with disabilities and offer affordable, accessible shopping for everyone. In 2017 Empower received start-up seed funding from the Government of Newfoundland Labrador’s Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour.

Over the past few years, we have received rave reviews from the public saying the store is very clean, well laid out, staff is friendly and it’s a pleasure to shop there. We are grateful for the support of our regular customers and the donations that have steadily come in.

Unfortunately there are still people that do not know we exist so the Board made a difficult decision to close the Ropewalk Lane location during covid and we are currently searching for a new and improved location.

We are grateful for the financial and volunteer support of my companies such as UPS, Harris Ryan Professional Accountants and RBC, etc.,

Thank you to the wonderful staff and volunteers at Take Two that help make it one of the best thrift stores to shop at. Take Two provides employment for people with disabilities and proceeds raised support Empower’s programs and services.

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Empower, The Disability Resource Centre Annual General Meeting, August 17, 2019 Rotary Sunshine Camp Meeting Minutes

1. Board members introduced themselves. In attendance were:

FELICIA TUPPER KIM UNDERHAY CAROLE BARRON PAUL MORGAN HEIDI EDGAR AMANDA HOWLETT KRISTINE STRICKLAND

Regrets:

DEBORAH GILBERT ANN MARIE BLANDFORD

2. By-law (#5) change for date of AGM to before August 30th.Moved by: Gail Howell, Seconded by: Paul Morgan. Motion carried.

3. Board Secretary, Amanda Howlett read the minutes of the 2018 Annual GeneralMeeting.

Motion to approve the minutes as presented:Moved by: Gail HowellSeconded by: Kimberly UnderhayMotion carried.

4. Carole Barron read the Chairperson’s report.

Motion to approve the Chairperson’s report as presented.Moved by: Gail HowellSeconded by: Paul MorganMotion carried

5. Kimberly Dawson read the Executive Director’s report.Motion to approve the Executive Director’s report as presented.Moved by: Kimberly Underhay

Seconded by: Amanda HowlettMotion carried.

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6. Kristine Strickland read the Treasurer’s Report and Audited Financial Statements

6.1 Motion to approve the Treasurer’s report as presented. Moved by: Kristine Strickland Seconded by: Nikki Kennedy Motion carried.

6.2 Motion to approve the Audited Financial Statements as presented and Appoint Auditor Clarified Accounting. Moved by: Kristine Strickland Seconded by: Amanda Howlett Motion carried.

7. Kimberly Yetman Dawson read the biographies of the new board members.

7.1 Carole Barron read the names of the Board of Directors for 2019-2020. The board members are: Mark Gucci Paul Morgan Deborah Gilbert Kristine Strickland Heidi Edgar Ann Marie Blandford Felicia Tupper Stephen Wheeler

8. Kimberly presented certificates of appreciation to Board members who retiredfrom the Board this year:• Carole Barron• Kim Underhay• Amanda Howlett

9. Adjournment

Motion to adjourn the 2019 Annual General Meeting at 11:30 am.

Moved by: Paul Morgan

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