The lifestyles of Community Living
Supporting developmentally challenged adults

BY KIMBERLY POWELL
Wednesday May 23, 2007

Thanks to Community Living South Huron (CL), the community has become comforting for 115 developmentally challenged clients.

Forty years ago a group of family and friends wanted to provide alternative living for developmentally challenged children. So began a nursery school, which grew with the children through the years forming adult support.

CL Executive Director, Bruce Shaw says the biggest change in CL is the clients feeling much better about being accepted in their community. He says they are happier, more comfortable and feel more independent.

Twenty-nine of the clients have 24-hour support in group homes in Exeter and Seaforth. Twenty-five are involved in the independent living program which provides care to those who are able to live on their own but may need assistance with certain daily tasks. Sixty to 70 of the clients take advantage of the day program in the CL building in Dashwood. Clients fill their days working in the wood shop where palettes and crates are built, catering, contract cleaning and in the Adult Resource Centre (ARC) doing almost anything on a large scale.

Most of the clients would be living in poverty if it weren't for the help of the community. The pension from the province doesn't keep them going, says Shaw. Especially people with medical needs.

Flowers of Hope, CL's current campaign brings in $35,000 which goes to directly to the medical needs of the clients. Within the next month, The Scatcherd Golf Tournament at Oakwood Inn and the CL Golf Tournament will bring in proceeds which will go toward purchasing new property. Shaw says their aim is to build a group home in Grand Bend. "We are working on the approvals, whether is gets off the ground..."

The organization also receives donations often from other people and companies in the area.

Next store to the CL building is the thrift store, ARC Angels. "They do a terrific business," says Shaw about the store. It was opened three years ago by an auxiliary of people with some sort of a relationship to the clients. Twice a year, money from the non-profit store is distributed directly to the clients. Shaw says, "The volunteers are amazing, super-dedicated people who get a great deal of pleasure in helping."

Shaw says he wouldn't take a position for CL if he didn't like it. The people are all unique and each has something different to offer."

CL client, Susan Gynane has someone come to her apartment in Exeter to help handle her finances and appointments. She works at Trek 21 and Courtney's Candies packing boxes and stuffing envelopes. Gynane lost her husband three years ago and CL paid for his funeral and keeps his memory alive. "I'm happy for the help because I know I couldn't do it on my own." Gynane turns to her best friend through CL, Wanda Sanders and tells her she was there when she really needed someone. Sanders reaches over and touches her friend's arm. Sanders lives with her parents in Grand Bend and works in the kitchen and woodworking at CL.

Marilyn Clifton says she is the oldest member of CL and will retire in two years. She says without CL she wouldn't have any work. "I'd be dead like a door nail," she jokes. Clifton suffers from arthritis and says there are a lot of days when she doesn't want to leave her room at Huronview in Clinton to come to the day program. "But," she asks rhetorically, "where would you be if you didn't have something?"