Spring 2016 Newsletter - Easter Seals Nova Scotia

3670 Kempt Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia
(902) 453-6000
easterseals@easterseals.ns.ca
www.easterseals.ns.ca
SPRING 2016
Welcome to Easter Seals Month!
March has traditionally been when our charity elevates awareness of our work in support of Nova Scotians with disabilities,
to thank and acknowledge our community partners, supporters, and donors, and to launch our annual fundraising campaign.
Your help enables us to host barrier-free camp and sports programs; to provide wheelchairs and mobility equipment; and
skills and employment training.
Please read on to learn how we promote mobility, inclusion, and independence in Nova Scotia and to find out how you
can get involved in the Easter Seals community. Whether it’s events like our annual Open House or one of our fundraising
programs, we look forward to connecting with you! Thanks for reading!
Henk van Leeuwen
President and CEO
A STORY WE LOVE: Sonya’s dream to be in a fashion show comes true!
“It’s always been my dream to be in a fashion show, and it’s a dream which
I thought might never happen because of my limitations. Thanks to Lisa
Drader-Murphy and Easter Seals Nova Scotia, my dream is coming true. I
recommend people come see the show, so they can see the word ‘can’t’
doesn’t exist at Easter Seals Nova Scotia. They try to make that word
disappear.” -Easter Seals Nova Scotia Ambassador, Sonya Demone
In this picture Sonya is wearing a Lisa Drader-Murphy design and she will be in our
fashion show at our Evening with Easter Seals fundraising Gala on Thursday, March
3rd! For details, visit our events page online.
DID YOU KNOW IN 2014-15...?
We helped 2,500 children and adults with disabilities across Nova Scotia!
We hosted 254 campers at our barrier-free Camp Tidnish near Amherst!
Celebrate with us this month!
We hope you can participate in one of our upcoming events:
Paper Eggs at Participating Retailers: March 1st - 26th
Have you seen our in-store Paper Eggs? For $2 you can purchase your own Paper Egg
in participating stores, like Lawtons Drugs, and help support our programs!
An Evening With Easter Seals: Thursday, March 3rd
On March 3, 2016, join us for a night of fashion and music at our annual Evening
with Easter Seals at The Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax. Lisa Drader-Murphy and her
Turbine Fashion team will produce an inclusive fashion show featuring our clients, and
The Stanfields are our headline performers!
Easter Seals Nova Scotia Annual Open House: Thursday, March 10th
Join us for our annual Open House at 3670 Kempt Road in Halifax from
10:00am - 2:00pm! Learn how we advocate for a barrier-free Nova Scotia and
provide top-quality services promoting mobility, inclusion and independence for
Nova Scotians with disabilities!
Bunnyland at Mic Mac Mall: March 17th - 26th
One of our most popular fundraisers is Bunnyland - get your picture taken with the
Easter Bunny and participate in our colouring contest! We’re always looking for hoppy
volunteers for this event - if interested, contact Tanya (see below.)
Drop Zone 2016: Registration now open!
On September 23rd, take your fundraising to new heights and rappel 23 storeys from
Halifax’s tallest office tower for Nova Scotians with disabilities!
Click here to register now!
Interested in learning more about any of our events?
Contact Tanya Poulton at (902) 453-6000 x 220 or tanya.poulton@easterseals.ns.ca.
WE’VE GONE SOCIAL!
Connect with us on your favourite social media sites for updates!
www.easterseals.ns.ca
Take Part: Our Inclusive Sports Programs
Take Part provides Nova Scotians with disabilities with an opportunity to participate in
recreation and sport programs like sledge hockey, boccia, and biking!
In partnership with Halifax Recreation, Easter Seals Nova Scotia offers the “Learn
to Sledge” hockey program at the BMO 4-Plex in Bedford during the fall and winter
seasons. We’ve also helped seed a “Learn to Sledge” program in Truro this winter!
Bernie Van Doninck, on what our Learn to Sledge program means for his
son, Cooper, and his family: “It’s the inclusion piece. Kids with disabilities
don’t see themselves as being different, we do. Cooper said, ‘I want to
do it’. As a parent, I want and need options. ‘Learn to Sledge’ provides
different options. This is very gratifying and rewarding. When I saw
neighbours with kids, taking their kids to different activities, we asked,
‘what’s Cooper’s activity going to be?’”
In 2014-15, 40 children took part in
Learn to Sledge! And 23 children
with autism, Down syndrome,
and intellectual delays learned
to ride a bicycle through our
I Can Bike program!
We aim to bring back our I Can Bike Program in 2016 - stay tuned!
About our Assistive Devices Program
In 2014-15, 185 Nova Scotians received new wheelchairs and 993 people had their wheelchairs
repaired and 386 Nova Scotians received other assistive devices or refurbished equipment.
Making a donation to this program can literally change someone’s life! It could mean:
• For $15, someone who needs it could get a reacher (an extended arm to pick up items)
Joyce was the recipient of a
walker and bathtub lift
• For $70, someone who needs help getting into and out of the bathtub could get a bathtub hand
rail and a basic shower chair
• For $100, someone could get a new cushion for their wheelchair or a new transfer bench in the bathtub
• For $350, someone could get a new walker
Skills Training & Our Social Enterprise
Our New Leaf Enterprises program continues its work in providing career and
skills development and employment training for adults with disabilities. Our
social enterprise is expanding beyond the kitchen! Besides our baking and
catering program, our team also loves being hands on in developing products
such as coaster tiles, candles, pallet wood work, and dog treats – you can
support our inclusive skills training program by placing an online order! Our
clients also continue to process mailings for several local businesses.
Let us know if we can help!
The New Leaf Enterprises Catering program is booming! Forty
clients are involved in our catering program and the kitchen sold
$104,000.00 in catering orders last year. If you’re interested in
placing a catering order with us, place an order here!
A New Leaf Project: From Tea to Green
With the upcoming golf season fast approaching, we are teeing up a new
product to add to our social enterprise and job training program. Each Tea
to Green package has been assembled at New Leaf by our trainees, and
consists of 18 tees and a single serving of Green Tea. Our team will be
actively engaging Nova Scotia golf courses and golf supply businesses in
the promotion of this project! For more information, contact
Carlton McDonald at c.mcdonald@easterseals.ns.ca.
Easter Seals Nova Scotia
3670 Kempt Road
Halifax, NS B3K 4X8
a jobs skills training and
employment program of
From Tea to Green
www.easterseals.ns.ca
With this support, you can enjoy a great cup of tea and “tee off” knowing you are contributing to our job skills
training and helping us promote inclusion and independence for Nova Scotians with disabilities.
Camp Tidnish: New Canoe & Kayak Program
For more than 80 years, Camp Tidnish has provided a place for children, youth, and adults
with disabilities from across Nova Scotia to experience the joy of camping! We host Camp
Tidnish programs in partnership with the Rotary Club of Amherst. Each summer more than
250 campers enjoy a vacation at a fully-accessible camp filled with games, boating, fishing,
camp fires, swimming, and much more!
This summer, Camp Tidnish is excited to launch our new barrier-free Canoe and Kayak
Program! Our new docking system will be more sturdy and wider for our campers when
boarding and disembarking from our boating programs. This new program will allow many of our campers to try those
pleasure crafts for the first time! Adapted seating and rudders will give campers the physical support they need to
comfortably try a new activity, while our qualified staff will provide campers with the emotional support to step outside of
their comfort zone and experience the thrill and joy of learning a new skill!