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Kolreena Reena Kolreena Reena Kolreena Reena KolreenaReport of the Chairof the Reena Boardby Helen ValeNotwithstanding the pressuresand rush attached to a rapidlygrowing agency, theatmosphere at Reena is exhilaratingand charged with a sense ofachievement. Much has beenhappening in recent months that hasbeen very positive.Opening of SilkwoodA group of young adults who weremoving from children’s homes weregreatly in need of a home. Reenaresponded to the emergency crisis byreopening a home on SilkwoodCrescent on September 12th. We werehappy to be able to reach out to theseyoung individuals. More young adultswill be moving in over the next fewweeks and the home will be fullyoccupied at the end of the year.Facility InitiativeReena has been at the forefront foraccommodating individuals frominstitutions as part of the ProvincialGovernment’s target for closingfacilities in March 2009. Since the fallof 2005, Reena has responded greatlyin bringing in 24 individuals from theprovincial facilities. They are cominginto Reena with very complex needs;however, Reena is very confident inbeing able to provide for theseindividuals. Reena has uniqueresources that allow us to do this,such as our two ElderHomes. Thecaliber of our front line staff andsupervisors is also a major factor inthe successful moves. For manyindividuals, once they move into thecommunity, their personalityblossoms.The transition of facilityindividuals has been smooth andexciting. Transition planning forthese individuals is done over manymonths with many partnersincluding families, facility staff andReena staff. Individuals are beginninga new life and we are pleasantlysurprised at how quickly they areexploring new opportunities in thecommunity. Many of the clientsattend and enjoy the Reena dayprograms.As can be appreciated, the growthin the number of clients at Reena hasaffected all departments, includingthe increase of staff in our homes, aswell as accounting andadministration but our HumanResources department is rising to thechallenge.Residential VacanciesIt should be noted that Reena ispart of the centralized access systemsfor residential vacancies in CentralEast and Toronto. As vacanciesbecome available, Reena is obligatedto declare them to the central accessmechanism. There is a process forputting names forward.Reena facility spaces do not takeup community spaces. Reena’scommitment to the provincial facilityinitiative does not take away fromour commitment to community;Reena continues to offer communityprograms such as our Pathwaysprogram which offers extensiveprogramming for people withdevelopmental disabilities living athome and also provides muchneeded respite to their families. Inaddition Reena offers a wide varietyof residential respite for families inthe community.Synagogues in the Community Welcome Reena ClientsWe appreciate the boards and executive of manysynagogues in the community that have offered Reenaclients the opportunity to attend High Holiday serviceswithout charge. The opportunity to pray in their communitysynagogue is very meaningful for many Reena clients and on theirbehalf we say Thank You.If you see any Reena client in your synagogue, please SMILEand make them feel included and welcome.Kolreena • December 2007 • 3