P1131 Kolreena-Fall 09

Kolreena
Report of the Chair
by Joan Glick Gold
In the last few weeks, much has
been written or spoken about
Reena’s achievements in the
community on behalf of individuals
with a developmental disability. In
the almost 40 years since Reena was
established, we have grown from a
very necessary but small group of
people, being supported by an
equally small group of family
members and dedicated volunteers
in the community.
Before joining the Reena Board of
Directors, I viewed Reena’s steady
growth in the number of individuals
receiving support in an increasing
number of Reena homes as
inexplicable, almost magical. Now
that I have become deeply involved
in how the organization sets out
and achieves its goals I have
discovered the twin secrets of its
many successes: ‘people’ and
‘dedication’. Reena has been
blessed in attracting and
maintaining the involvement of
volunteers who have devoted many,
many hours of their valuable time,
their varied skills, business acumen
and, above all, loving kindness to
enhance the lives of people with a
developmental disability and
welcome them into the heart of the
community.
2 • Kolreena • December 2012
The Reena Board of Directors set
policy and the future direction of the
agency. As well, each board member
has an additional role as a member of
the Board Executive or to sit on a
Reena committee best suited to their
interest and expertise. Other Board
roles include: Vice-Chairs, Elaine
Norris, Paula Sonshine, Board
Secretary Jean Byers, Treasurer Jeff
Bernstein. This makes for a very
knowledgeable and effective board.
It is with deep gratitude, as Chair of
the Board , that I acknowledge
Immediate Past Chair Laurine
Schmelzle for her unstinting
commitment to Reena for many years.
I am delighted that she continues to
serve as Chair of the Reena
Communications Committee and the
Government Relations Committee and
to seeing that Reena will always be
portrayed in the media and community
with clarity, honesty and dignity.
The Continuous Quality
Improvement (CQI) Committee
performs crucial support to the Board
in ensuring that the quality of care and
services provided by Reena are
reviewed on a proactive and
progressive basis to best serve the
needs of the individuals we support.
Carolynn Morrison is Chair, and I
thank her and the members of the
committee for their diligence in dealing
with issues and concerns arising
through Reena’s CQI activities.
New Committees and Programs
We are excited with the newly formed
Governance Committee chaired by
David Cohen. This committee will
examine Reena’s Governance model as
compared to other like agencies, with
recommendations to the Board of
Directors in May of 2013.
I am especially proud of an
innovative Summer Job Initiative
program called Community @ Work
which I spearheaded this past summer
and now serve as Chair. Partners in the
program are the Geneva Centre, JVS
and York Region District School Board
who have been extremely giving of
time, resources and expertise to ensure
the success of the program; that
everyone should be given the
opportunity to find meaningful
employment within the community. I
thank all the members of the committee
for their efforts and look forward to
expanding the number of potential jobs
in the workplace for school graduates
who need support.
The most recently created Social
Inclusion Council is an advisory group
chaired by Helen Vale, a former Board
Chair. The inclusion in the community
of people Reena supports is not a new
topic by any means, but this is the first
group which will address how best to
broaden their social activities by
identifying the meaning of inclusion;
what models of inclusion already exist
in synagogues, schools, parks and
recreational venues; what are the
barriers etc. Helen and the council
members have already begun studying
the issues. I thank them all for their
enthusiastic acceptance of the tasks
ahead. Their efforts will enhance the
work started in the past and will bring
joy and fulfillment to the individuals we
support.
Reena Foundation-Reena’s
Fundraising Board
While the vast majority of Reena’s
activities are financed by government,
there are a number of programs and
social activities that receive little or no
government funding and depend on
generous donors in the community for
support. Reena is blessed to have a
strong and creative fundraising board.
Chaired by Irving Feldman the Reena
Foundation has been most successful in
raising funds through a variety of events
in the community to maintain and
increase the scope of Reena’s Respite
and Enrichment programs, which are so
essential to the well-being of the
individuals we support and their
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