Julie Bitschy (right) serves a coffee to Sandi Solan and Simon Connelly at Grant’s Cafe on the main floor of the new KW Habilitation building on Ottawa Street South.
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by Helen HallKitchener Citizen
September 11, 2014
What a difference a new building makes.
KW Habilitation Services has always had the best interests of the citizens they support at heart, but it was often hard to provide the services it wanted to in the dingy, old factory building that the organization called home for over 40 years.
KW Habilitation was incorporated in 1971, and provides a variety of services and supports to approximately 1,000 people with developmental disabilities and their families in Kitchener-Waterloo.
After raising 75 percent of its $5.4-million fundraising goal, the organization has moved into its new 21,000
square foot building and got its VIBE going – Valuable
Inclusion Belongs to Everyone.
“The new building demonstrates our vision, a community where everyone belongs and participates,” said Tracy Franks, Director of Community Participation & Employment Supports, during a tour.
“Meaningful activities of choice are being offered throughout the day in this building and in the community.”
Gone is the dark training centre in its former building at 108 Sydney Street South, where people were paid less than minimum wage to work on contracts.
Now, working out of their colourful new building a few hundred feet away that fronts on Ottawa Street South, people with developmental disabilities can improve their employment skills at Grant’s Cafe, train in an industrial kitchen, or join the Farm Team and learn about planting and harvesting food.
The new three storey building is full of colour and light - a big contrast from their previous space.
In addition to Grant’s Cafe, there are several gathering places throughout the inclusive building, including the Bullas Family Social Hall (which came from a generous donation from the estate of Humphrey and Mildred Bullas), the industrial kitchen and training area, a Resource Library, the Creation Station, and the Kinsmen Room.
The KW Habilitation board is made up of equal representation from the Kinsmen and members of the KW Association for Community Living.
“The Kinsmen are longtime supporters of KW Habilitation,” Franks said. “We are one of their charities of choice.”
The second floor includes “touch down” shared office space for its “mobile workforce”, those whose jobs with KW Habilitation regularly take them outside the main building. These include Direct Support Professionals who provide services and supports for independent living and employment and community volunteerism, and early learning resource consultants and enhanced staffing.
The new building is set up to help with an individual’s personal growth, whether it be career development, finding a fulfilling hobby (such as the arts, computers and technology or gardening), or taking part in fitness activities and learning about healthy lifestyles and community connections.
Called “person-centred planning”, the people they support are now selecting daily activites that are unique to each individual.
One of the most successful programs to come out of the change in their space has been the Our Farm program, where individuals are learning about gardening - from seed to harvest - by helping at two gardens at 115 University Avenue and the David Fisher Residence, both in Waterloo.
The program has been expanded to now offer a farm market in front of the new building on Wednesday mornings, as long as their produce lasts.
Now, in addition to learning about gardening, people are learning more employment skills, such as sorting produce, serving customers and making change.
“I get a thrill from buying food that I know where it comes from,” explained Cindy Bester. Bester works at KW Habilitation and takes advantage of buying her vegetables at the market.
The vegetables are also used in KW Habilitation’s homes to save money and provide its residents with a healthy diet.
About 100 people are currently offered services in the new building. But that is just a portion of the services it provides throughout region. It runs 23 group homes in the city, monitors individuals who live on their own in apartments, and has specialized support staff and consultants who visit every licensed day care in Waterloo Region.
And, with changes in funding coming soon from the provincial government, KW Habilitation is exploring more ways it can provide services.
Under the Passport programme, which is a fee-for-service option, those who qualify for funding are given dollars they can spend on programmes that will benefit them individually, and KW Habilitation plans on expanding its programmes to meet their needs. “Our goal is to be innovative and responsive to community need,” says Franks.
KW Habilitation Services invites everyone to see its inclusive new building at 99 Ottawa Street South on September 25. Tours will be held between 1:30pm and 4pm, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
If you are attending, please register by September 19 by calling 519-744-6307 (ext 1102 or 1352) or email info@kwhab.ca.
As KW Habilitation continues its fundraising efforts, a Scotch Tasting will be held October 23 at the Hacienda Sarria in Kitchener, and will include a selection of scotches, full dinner, live entertainment, and a silent and live auction.
KW Habilitation opens its new doors and invites the community to share its VIBE
At left: Tracy Franks of KW Habilitation Services, radio morning show co-host at Country 106.7 Mike Farwell, and Tracy’s daughter Brittany at a fundraiser for KW Habilitation at the Boardwalk Dairy Queen on September 7.
Above: The bright new KW Habilitation building on Ottawa St. South.
Above: The bright new KW Habilitation building on Ottawa St. South.