RSCL VIEWS Spring 2012 - Richmond Society for Community Living

Spring 2012
RSCL VIEWS
Richmond Society for Community Living
Richmond Society for Community Living
170 - 7000 Minoru Blvd, Richmond
ph: 604-279-7040 fax: 604-279-7048
info@rscl.org www. rscl.org
Seeing beyond disability ... to ability
What’s Inside
Advocacy Efforts are Working
HandyCrew celebrates 5 years
Chinese New Year at Treehouse
Chloe - Miracle Baby
Unity Club
RSCL around the World
Safety First
Our Secret Garden - Fundraiser

Advocacy Efforts are working
Melanie Arnis, Board President
The families of people with developmental
disabilities received some good news from
CLBC recently with the influx of millions of
dollars to go to the individuals. This was
accomplished by the concerted efforts of
many people; parents, BCACL, individual
agencies like RSCL, the opposition, and the
media. Families wrote letters, emails, and
m a d e p h o n e c a l l s . T h e y m a d e
appointments with their MLAs, and allowed
their story to be told on television, radio,
and in newspapers. The people of BC heard
from families from all over the province, and
were startled to hear how families were
struggling. The newspaper had a story of
the day for about a week. I wrote a
(unpublished) letter to the editor that if they
wrote a story every day, of each person on
the waitlist, it would take years to tell all the
stories. Further, in that time hundreds more
would join the waitlist.
Well, all the efforts paid off. Money that was
sorely needed was found and a sorely
needed review of the CLBC was done.
I still encourage families to keep up their
advocacy. Keep the phone calls and letters
going. We need to make sure that the
recommendations in the review are
implemented. Families need to access
these monies to have their son or daughter
achieve their goals; families with teens
reaching 19 soon, need to be funded. Tell
them also of the successes your child has
had. A success story of how funding has
helped your son or daughter will help
convince the government that it is money
well spent.
Instead of “outside noise” that a CLBC staffer
quoted that parents were making, I say it is
“joyful noise” as more funding is music to
our ears.
Additional Funds for CLBC
Janice Barr, Executive Director
The continued advocacy, media and political attention on CLBC has
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made an impact. On Thursday, January 19 , Premier Christy Clark and
Minister of Social Development Stephanie Cadieux announced $40
million to address the pressures in our sector. Additionally and just as
important, they released the findings of The Review of CLBC by the
Internal Audit and Advisory Services Department of the Ministry of
Finance and the Deputy Minster's Review of CLBC. In these documents
are a series of significant recommendations stemming from the
feedback, advocacy and leadership of families, people with
developmental disabilities and BCACL members. In summary these
reports are significant, covering a broad range of issues and concerns
including:
• The importance of adhering to the mission and values upon
which CLBC was founded.
• Keeping people with developmental disabilities at the core the
work of CLBC.
• Recognizing the central role of families as policies and programs
are developed and implemented and the importance of
engaging families.
• The importance of working collaboratively with community
based agencies.
• The need to streamline the process for youth transitioning into
adulthood across all Ministries and, to harmonize the systems
that impact families.
• Fair and transparent appeal mechanisms.
• Expansion of the mandate of the Representative for Children
and Youth to cover people up to age 25 years old.
• The importance of building confidence in CLBC through open
communication and consultation.
• The need for additional and ongoing resources.
I am very pleased with these recent developments. I believe it will go a
long way in helping those individuals and families in the greatest need.
It is difficult to tell, at this juncture, how many people will be served and
who will remain on the waitlists. Certainly, additional funds will also
need to be made available next year to address the new and ever
increasing demands for service. Moreover, many of the issues that have
been identified and not related to funding but to CLBC's practice and
service delivery. It will take some time to rectify these problems and a
commitment on CLBC to ensure these issues are addressed. RSCL looks
forward to working collaboratively with CLBC on behalf of the people we
support to effect positive change.
The reports referenced above can be found…
http://www.sd.gov.bc.ca/pwd/clbc_reports.html
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 2

HandyCrew celebrates 5 years!
Lizanne Clark, HandyCrew and Employment Services Supervisor
Incorporated under the Co-operative Association Act of British Columbia
on February 13, 2007, the initial goal of the Richmond Handycrew
Cooperative was to provide work opportunities and to enhance the
employment skills of the individuals on the crew. A mobile work crew,
Richmond Handycrew Cooperative began with 10 members who
attended Avenues' Day program and who had identified employment as a
personal goal.
From the beginning, the individuals have demonstrated a range of skills
and abilities. With the support of RSCL staff, Richmond Handycrew
Cooperative provides these individuals the opportunity to learn, to
improve their skills, and to become more independent and self reliant.
Knowing that they are providing a valuable and professional service to
their clients, crew members have gained confidence in themselves and
developed an improved self-esteem.
Today, the crew has grown to 19 members. Five years later, the objective
remains the same; to support the members to achieve their personal
goals. Crew members are encouraged to: develop interpersonal
relationships with each other and with their customers; learn safety skills
and precautions to take while operating machines or using chemicals; and
learn the proper mechanics in operating these machines.
The Richmond Handycrew Cooperative has also proven to be an excellent
training ground for individuals who are interested in pursuing
employment in a more traditional way. The result has been crew
members who have moved on to permanent, part-time employment
positions in the community.
The services that are offered through the Richmond Handycrew
Cooperative are:
• Garden Maintenance: lawn cutting, lawn edging,
weeding, pruning, planting, leaf blowing and general
clean up, fall and spring clean up
• Small painting jobs: filling holes, sanding, painting and
cleanup
• Home Maintenance: organizing, vacuuming, and wiping
down surfaces
• Office Maintenance
• Small moves: some packing, moving, rubbish removal and
clean up
• Small to medium deliveries: flyers, calendars, small items
• Catering for small groups (lunch)
For more information and to get a quote for your projects around the
house or at work, please call 604-241-4113 or email info@handycrew.ca.
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 3

On December 10, 2011 RSCL hosted the 17th annual Children's
Services Holiday Party at South Arm Community Centre. Staff from
the Children's Services programs joined together to plan activities,
put together snack boxes and coordinate the
most important part of all, a visit from Santa!
We welcomed over 200 people with families
attending from Treehouse, Infant Development
Program, Supported Child Development
Program, Youth Connections and Respite.
This year, the Youth Connections team lead the
way in turning the South Arm gym into Santa's
Workshop. Children and youth made elf hats,
had their faces painted, picked up a Christmas
tattoo and used real tools to build ornaments in
the elves workshop. A special baby elves
workshops was set up for our youngest guests!
Children received a Santa's Workshop treat box,
colouring book and a candy cane. Adults enjoyed coffee, hot
chocolate and timbits, generously donated by the Tim Horton's
Community Cruiser Program.
RSCL would like to extend a special thank you to South Arm
Community Centre and the Richmond Real Canadian Superstore for
their support towards this event. A final thank you to all the families
that attended and helped RSCL collect items for the food back, and
donations for our Children's Services Programs.
We look forward to seeing you again next year!
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On Tuesday, November 15 2011, RSCL hosted the third annual Benefit of
Possibilities…A Community Affair at the Executive Airport Plaza Hotel. Building
on the success of the previous two years, the event was expanded in 2011 to
feature a gourmet dinner in addition to providing our guests the opportunity to
bid on a wide range of silent and live auction items.
Starry Night Jazz Trio (featuring YC's own Arlene and Kevin) created a festive
ambience throughout the evening. Boston Pizza (Ackroyd) presented a
cheque for $2000 on behalf of their location and the Boston Pizza Foundation.
The night ended on a high note with a performance by local award-winning
improv troupe Tickle Me Pickle.
With over 100 tickets sold, RSCL raised more than $15,000 to benefit the
construction of our outdoor recreation space at Youth Connections. In
addition, Executive Director Janice Barr presented the annual Community
Living Awards, recognizing individuals and businesses that make a significant
contribution to the organization. Congratulations to the following award
recipients:
Cowell Auto Group – Corporate Partner
Richmond Community Centre Child Care Programs – Community Partner
Wylma Lockhart – Outstanding Individual
Marlene Pepin – Individual Contribution
Our event would not be successful without the help of RSCL staff who
volunteered their time. A special thanks is offered to Lori Chalmers, Publisher
of the Richmond News, who again emceed the night. Thank you to all that
attended the event. We hope you had a wonderful time.
Sponsors:
Richmond News – Media Sponsor
Executive Airport Plaza Hotel – Venue Sponsor
Richmond Auto Mall Association
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 5
Thank you to the following donors
who contributed to this event:
A Monkey Tree Emporium
Andrew Peller Ltd.
Audi of Richmond
Avenues
BeautiControl
Boston Pizza (Ackroyd)
Canadian Outback Adventure
Deb Pierce
Denise Sheridan
Dueck on Marine
Employment/Handycrew
Fray Restaurant
Granville Island Brewery
Howling Dog Artisan Jewellery
Jim Thomson
Jodie Blaney
Julie Porter
Kal-Tire (No. 3 Rd Richmond)
The Keg Steakhouse and Bar
KINeSYS
Lacquer Beauty Bar
Leanne Martin
Linda Reid, MLA
Lisa Cowell
Lulu Family Fitness
Margaret Chernaske
Melanie Arnis
Melissa Campbell
Pieces Gift Shop
Purdy's
Quantum
Raintree Day Spa & Tea
RCO/Pendleton House
Restie Bengco
Richmond Centre
Richmond Sockeyes Minor Hockey
RSCL Infant Development Program
RSCL Supported Child Development Program
Ryan Cowell
Sally Martin
Shannon Crofton
Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel
Splash! Toys
St. Geneve Fine Bedlinens
Sue Graf
Tao Day Spa
Township 7
Transitions
Treehouse early Learning Centre
Vancouver Whale Watch
White Spot - Richmond Centre
Youth Connections

Youth Connections takes a tour!
Cheryl Booth, Youth Connections Supervisor
During a recent planning meeting, the Youth
Connections staff voiced their interest in
learning more about other programs offered
by RSCL. Residential Coordinator Wioletta
Okwieka-Reduch was contacted and
graciously agreed to spend a morning
touring the YC staff through the various RSCL
programs.
The staff visited the Supported Child
Development Program, LIFE Day Services
(Avenues, Quantum, Transitions, Pendleton
House and Employment Services) Staffed
Residential Homes, and Treehouse early
Learning Centre. The tour included watching
the participants at Avenues engage in art
projects to seeing the children at Treehouse
playing outdoors. The supervisors and staff
of each program were so welcoming and
spoke proudly of their programs, staff and
participants.
The YC staff was very impressed with each
program and their appreciation of RSCL
increased as they learned more about the
range of programs offered.
The Youth Connections Team:
Jessie, Dayna, Karen, Sara, Jason, Elaine,
Courtney, and Cheryl
missing: Kevin, Arlene, Denise, Luey
Treehouse Kids Love to CooK!
Lori Mountain, Treehouse Supervisor
Treehouse is proud to offer a very special project we have
been working on for the past year – the first edition of the
Treehouse Recipe book! We do a lot of cooking in our centre
and wanted to document our favourite recipes for families to
enjoy at home. We hope that our families will enjoy making
and sharing these simple recipes as much as we did!
The 44 page recipe book containing 17 recipes is being sold
for $10. Please contact me if you would like to buy one.
604-277-8224.
Chinese New Year - Cover Story
Gung Hay Fat Choy! Treehouse celebrated the Lunar New
Year with songs, stories and a parade! We decorated our
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centre and had a special stir-fry lunch on Monday January 23
to welcome in the Year of the Dragon.
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Peer Social Group and
Thank you to Coast Capital Savings for funding our new Peer Social
Group. Without their support, our Family Resource Program would be
unable to provide this important new program. This pilot project aims
to create informal support networks for youth who are currently not
receiving funded services.
RSCL is currently recruiting peer volunteers to assist with this program.
For more information, please contact Kerstin Grossman at
kgrossman@rscl.org or call 604-279-8245.
Coast Capital Savings Credit Union is Canada's second largest credit
union with total assets under administration of $12.3 billion, more
than 454,000 members and 50 branches in the Metro Vancouver,
Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island regions of British Columbia.
Product innovations include Canada's first free chequing account from
a full-service financial institution and the country's most flexible
TM
mortgage product, the You're the Boss Mortgage, which was named
2010 Mortgage of the Year by canadianmortgagetrends.com. Coast
Capital offers one of Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures.
It is a member of Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club
and an Imagine Canada Caring Company. To learn more, visit
www.coastcapitalsavings.com.
Unity Club - inclusion in the schools
Kerstin Grossmann, Family Resource Coordinator
In his last year of high school, Imran was required to complete a
community project for one of his classes. He decided that he would
create a Unity Club in his school. The unity club is a lunch friendship
club between typical students and those with disabilities.
Imran had noticed that the “integrated” students disappeared into the
resource room at lunch and were missing from many school events.
So he created a lunch club of volunteer buddies who each started out
by befriending a child in the resource room and then brought their
buddy out to have lunch in the cafeteria with the rest of their friends.
These friendships quickly spread to include the resource room kids in
sports days and other school events.
Once he graduated, Imran did not just leave the club behind. He
ensured that there was a leader in place, who would carry on his
vision. Once settled in university, he got in touch with other schools in
the district to establish unity clubs there.
Imran now also works with a local Resource Teacher on Unity Dances.
These dances are open to students from all schools allowing them to
mingle with new friends. Imran is definitely a leader in inclusion, but
he is also the first to point out that he was able to accomplish the first
club only because of the support of his friends, who were equally
passionate about inclusion.
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 7

Chloe – The Miracle “Save-On” Baby
Chloe is 11 months old with a beautiful smile who loves to
play music. When she was born in the Philippines, her
parents were given devastating news. Chloe was born
with Down's syndrome. This was devastating news
because acceptance for a person living with a disability in
the Philippines is not a social norm. Mom, Rowena, was
unsure of what Chloe's future would be since she had
never even seen a child with a disability in her community.
Chloe's diagnosis was accompanied by further
overwhelming news – Chloe would require heart surgery
to repair 2 tiny holes in her heart, and doctors predicted
that Chloe's survival rate was a mere 30%. With no
universal health care, Rowena and her husband Addison
had to come up with the surgery costs up front – more
than $10,000 (Cdn).
Addison came to Canada in 2005 with the hopes of finding
an improved quality of life for his family. He had no idea at
that time how important that decision would be. When
his co-workers at Save-On (Terra Nova) heard about the
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 8
medical needs of his newborn daughter, they immediately
began fundraising efforts. In five short days, they raised
close to $7,000 with the help of the Ironwood and
Ackroyd locations. Addison and Rowena also sold their
home in Manila to pay for the surgery.
Addison travelled home to the Philippines to be with his
wife and daughter where he stayed for two months during
Chloe's recovery. He then brought Rowena and Chloe to
Canada where Chloe underwent a second heart surgery.
Referred to RSCL's Infant Development Program by both
their doctor and the Public Health Department, Chloe and
her family have been working with consultant Annie for
the past 5 months.
“We had no idea that services like this could be available
for someone like Chloe,” says Rowena. “There is nothing
like this in the Philippines.” Annie makes regular visits to
the family in their home to assess Chloe and offer
guidance on how to encourage Chloe to meet her
development milestones. Through the RSCL Lending
Library, the family has accessed specialized equipment
like the U Foam which has helped Chloe develop the core
strength needed to sit without support. Since then she
has learned to crawl, climb, and pull herself to standing.
“Chloe is really within the range of normal development
for a child her age. Her development is remarkable,
particularly given the fact that she has had two major
surgeries in the first year of life,” says Annie. Chloe will
soon begin speech therapy and physiotherapy to further
support her development. She continues to experience
challenges with feeding and may require surgery in the
future to drain fluid from her ears.
Annie, IDP Consultant, with Addison, Rowena and Chloe

Chloe and her family provide a wonderful
reminder of the value of community.
Addison says, “Living in Canada means
we won't have to worry about Chloe's
quality of life or her medical bills. In the
Philippines a child with a disability is the
subject of bullying and isolation. Here,
Chloe is a celebrity after we had our
story printed in the local newspaper”.
Rowena enjoys taking Chloe to the mall
where this beautiful, engaging little girl
attracts a lot of attention. Addison's coworkers
have nicknamed Chloe the
“Save-On Baby”.
“Chloe is my miracle,” says Rowena. “We
are very grateful to have a healthy,
beautiful daughter. We are also grateful
to be in a community where Chloe will be
accepted for who she is.”
Long Lasting Friends
Marla Pattern and Adriana Briand
lived together as roommates for
11years. For more than a decade they
experienced great adventures
together including many weekend
getaways to Galliano Island and a trip
to Mexico together for a wedding in
Adriana's family. Marla will cherish all
the memories from her time living
with Adriana.
RSCL thanks Adriana for her caring
support that she has provided Marla
with over the last 11 years, and we
wish her all the best as she moves on.
Thank you to our Donors
Janice Barr
Kam Basi
Ian Campbell
Andrea Carlson
Coast Capital Savings
Richmond Centre Branch
Lisa Cowell
Theresa & John Edmondson
Johanne & Gary Enemark
Paul Flesher
Walter Flesher
Linda Ford
Aurea & Topi Heikkila
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Mark your calendars - May 10 2012
11am -2pm
Pendleton House will host a
“SPRING FLING”
Please join us for Fun, Games, Music, and Good Food
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This Spring, RSCL will host our 12 annual Taste of India, multicultural
dinner and dance. This event is your chance to experience a delicious
Indian banquet, a live comedy show and the opportunity to bid on a
wide range of silent and live auction items.
We'll be sending out save the date cards very soon. For more
information about the event, please contact Lisa Cowell, Manager Fund
and Community Development at 604-279-8412 or lcowell@rscl.org.
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 9
October 1, 2011 January 31, 2012
Faye Ho
Jeanne Ho
Adam Jedrzejek
Anna Zaborowska-Jedrzejek
Sally Martin
Daniel McBurney
Marco Moser
Tanis & Lloyd Reimer
Miranda & Roger Sin
Joanna Sin
Scott & Cynthia Vallance
United Way of Greater Toronto

RSCL around the world….
Carrie McLellan-Haqq, Supported Child Development Coordinator
Recently my family and I took a trip to Cuba. In planning for
our vacation, we decided to bring some items to share with
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the families and children that we met. My son's 3 birthday
was taking place during our holiday and we hosted his
birthday party the week-end before we left. Attendees at
the birthday party were asked to bring a small toy that could
be given away during the trip. Families were very generous
and 2 bags of toys were collected.
I started to think about what else we could
bring. I collected all of my son's summer
clothes and shoes that no longer fit him.
Before long there was an entire suitcase
ready to be taken to the families and
children living in Cuba.
Through a discussion one day at work, the
idea to give out the items in RSCL bags was
created. The bags seemed appropriate
since many of the values of RSCL were
b e i n g d e m o n s t r a t e d ; k i n d n e s s ,
awareness, acceptance, possibility,
inclusion, tolerance and play…
The first family we met was in front of the capital building in
downtown Havana. There we met a kind woman with her 1
year old daughter and her 2 year old son. She approached
us and we chatted about our children. With that
commonality the woman asked if I had any clothes. I went
to the van and brought back clothes, toys and barrettes for
the children. The mom was very thankful…our generosity
seemed to have made her day!
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 10
On the continued journey through Havana I met a Grandma
with many children. She asked if we were from Canada and
she asked if we had diapers. Our translator spoke to the
Grandma in Spanish and it was agreed that she would meet
us later in the market so that we could pass along some
gifts.
We met-up with the Grandma and her
granddaughter at the market. She came
over to the van and we gave her clothes,
shoes and toys for her grandchildren.
While we were giving the items to her, a
swarm of children descended on us and
began to grab the RSCL bags out of our
hands. Handing out the items became
unsafe and we needed to leave. We still
had items to give and found 2 staff that
work at the resort in Varadero that have
children, 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years
that we were able to share with.
The intention of this experience was to
teach my children the very values that
RSCL holds; kindness, awareness,
acceptance and sharing a little play with others. Who knows
where the RSCL bag will travel to next!

Sharing the story of Community Living
Jason Liu, Youth Connections Program
Last year I set a goal to broaden our reach in community to
connect with youth in high schools and share the story of
community living in their classrooms. This goal was timely
since Lisa Cowell was working toward a similar goal through
RSCL's Public Awareness campaign. Working together, we
developed a Peer Awareness presentation which we first
presented last year at Cambie Secondary School. We
learned a lot from that experience, polished the
presentation and ironed out some technical glitches. In
December we had the opportunity to further hone our skills
as presenters, visiting four Grade 10 Leadership classes in
two days.
Holding the attention of high school students is no easy task
(I give praise to those that do it day after day). When you
start to sense the engagement and the “ah-ha” moments
you ride that wave for as long as you can and wait for the
next. At times I found myself at the back of the class
watching the co-presenters, commenting and being an
active participant giving others the license to join in the
Sue Graf (aka Safety Sue), Chairperson
Mock earthquake – sounds exciting, doesn't it? Not
to most people, however twice per year the RSCL
programs participate in an earthquake drill led by the
Occupational Health and Safety Committee (OH&S).
We set up imaginary scenarios such as injuries or
medical emergencies (seizures, head injuries, broken
bones etc), chemical spills, missing persons and
more. This exercise is meant to improve the skills and
knowledge of the staff so they are better prepared in
the event of a major emergency such as an
earthquake.
It is not only the staff who participate in these drills
but the people we support as well. Our drill in late
2011 was a prime example of this and Kent, a
resident of 5635 Steveston Highway, took the lead at
his home. He knew immediately that there would be
no power, no water and no phones and informed
everyone of this. When Cheryl Booth, an OH&
Committee member had a mock injury, Kent went
into high gear and performed first aid.
Over at Quantum, Marla was asked if she could
pretend she had a head injury. She was open to help
and gave an Oscar worthy performance ensuring
staff members were tending to her injury.
Kent taking
Cheryl’s pulse
Jason Liu’s
head injury being
addressed by
Susan Garcia-Wong
Janice Barr,
safely wrapped
in a blanket after
an earthquake
The RSCL OH&S Committee works hard to ensure the safety of
the staff and people we support. I would like to thank:
Jason Liu – Youth Connections – union representative
Jim Miller – Pendleton Day Program– union representative
Marg Halliwell – Pendleton Residential Program– union representative
Cheryl Booth – Youth Connections – management representative
Kam Basi – Human Resources Director - management representative
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 11
discussion. Each class was a different mix of students, one
talkative, one contemplative, one a mix of both and one
none of the above. This made each presentation distinctly
different – each time we would impart our story and learn a
bit of theirs.
Our hope was to share a greater picture of community living
and develop the seeds for advocacy and change. An
unexpected reward of the peer awareness program was
being approached by those that wanted to volunteer and
by those that were inspired to learn more as part of a school
mentorship project. Being a mentor is a new experience for
me, allowing me the opportunity to impart what I have
learned and been so graciously taught by the people I work
with and the people I work for. It's not often you stumble
upon a job, discover a passion you never knew you had and
find solace and sense of belonging to a wider community. I
count myself very lucky to have been so unsteady on my feet,
and hope to share the story of community living for many
years to come.

Yan Ming, a participant at Youth Connections, wrote this
description and drew this picture to define “beauty”.
Membership with RSCL
Richmond Society for Community Living (RSCL) provides
quality services and programs to children, youth and adults
with a developmental disability and infants at risk of a
disability. As one of Richmond's largest non-profit
organizations, RSCL now provides support to over 1000
children, teens and adults with a developmental disability
and their families in the community.
RSCL membership is open to anyone who shares our vision
of creating a community that sees beyond disability to ability.
As a member, you help RSCL become stronger and better
able to advocate for our Programs and Services. In addition,
you will receive the RSCL newsletter, information and
invitations to our special events and workshops, regular
updates regarding changes in the sector and notice of our
Annual General Meeting. Members also have the
opportunity to meet and network with other family members
and caregivers with whom they can share information and
common experiences.
20-years with RSCL
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 12
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In April 2012 we will celebrate RSCL's 30 anniversary.
Over the past three decades we have grown to be the
largest non-profit provider of services for people living
with developmental disabilities and for their families in
Richmond.
RSCL could not provide the quality programs and services
that have made us a leader in this sector without the
commitment of our staff. At our third annual all-staff
conference in March, RSCL will recognize long-service
employees including six staff who have been employed by
RSCL for 20 years.
Congratulations and thanks to:
Restatie Bengco
LIFE Day Services - Avenues
Susanne Harold
Staffed Residential
Faye Ho
Accounting Director
Steven Flett
Staffed Residential
Stella Kung
Staffed Residential
Gordana Vallor
Staffed Residential
You may also wish to help RSCL by making a one-time
donation or becoming a monthly donor. Richmond Society
for Community Living receives core funding from the
Ministry for Children and Family Development and
Community Living BC, but depends on the generosity of
individuals, corporations and foundations to ensure the
continued success of all programs and services. Monthly
donors provide on-going funding that allows us to better
plan for our future and reduce administrative expenses with
fewer costs for printing, postage and processing donations.
A tax receipt will be issued for all donations over $10.
If you require more information about RSCL programs and
services, becoming a member, making a donation or
becoming a volunteer please contact our office at 604-279-
7040 or visit www.rscl.org. Your involvement is essential for
the continued success of our organization.

Our Secret Garden
Kayla Neville, Kwantlen Polytechnic University PR Class of 2012
Every year the graduating students of Kwantlen
Polytechnic University's Public Relations diploma
program are asked to plan and orchestrate a fundraising
event for a non-profit organization of our choice. This year
the class selected Richmond Society for Community
Living. I asked Leslie Melvin, one of the PR students who is
involved with the event, why the class selected RSCL:
“We selected Richmond Society for Community Living for
many reasons. For starters, community living has finally
been getting some long overdue media coverage
regarding the need for funding to support the lack of
group homes and developmental assistance programs.
However, the public still doesn't fully understand the
severity of the situation and what they can do to help. By
selecting an organization in the community living sector
to do the fundraising event for, we are hoping to not only
raise money for a great cause but also raise awareness
about how incredibly important and great organizations
like RSCL are to the community. “
Another student added:
“Richmond Society for Community Living really stood out
from other organizations. When we talked with Lisa
Cowell and Janice Barr about RSCL and community living
and all that RSCL offers, you couldn't help be engaged by
their passion and want to do everything you could do to
help.”
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 13
The class collectively decided on a garden party theme for
the event to showcase the importance of community and
having a place in the community where everyone can
grow, learn and have fun. Further, RSCL has been working
so hard to build an outdoor recreation space at their
youth program, which is why we titled the event “Our
Secret Garden –Growing Communities Together.”
This one of a kind fundraising event will be hosted by
Global BC TV's very own, Mark Madryga and will give
guests an opportunity to come out and support a great
cause while enjoying live musical entertainment, and
mouth watering appetizers that will be complimented
with refreshing cocktails.
The evening will surely be a hit so come on down to mix
and mingle! Throw in a couple bids on some of the great
silent auction items, and see what Kwantlen Public
Relations Students have been up to.
This lovely evening will be taking place on Monday,
th
February 27 , 2012 at 6:30pm at Tapenade Bistro, an
upscale restaurant featuring west coast cuisine located in
Steveston, BC.
For more information about the event or to purchase
tickets, please visit our website at
www.oursecretgarden.ca and while you're at it, follow us
on Twitter @SecretGardenPR

Earth Hour 2012
Wioletta Okwieka-Reduch, Green Committee Chair
In 2004 WWF Australia began to look at new ways to take climate
change mainstream after being confronted with serious scientific
data regarding the future of our planet. Over the next three
years, WWF Australia and local ad agency Leo Burnett Sydney
worked to develop a campaign to engage Australians on the issue
of climate change.
With the support of local government and an increased worldwide
awareness thanks to the release of Al Gore's An
Inconvenient Truth, the inaugural Earth Hour was held in Sydney
Australia on March 31, 2007. More than 2 million Sydney
households and 2,100 businesses participated.
By March 2009, hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000
cities and towns across 88 countries switched off their lights for
one hour. Last year, Earth Hour was held on Saturday March 26 at
8.30pm-9.30pm and continued to break records for participation
with 135 countries taking part.
Earth Hour 2012 is Saturday, March 31 from 8:30-9:30 pm. The
RSCL Green Committee encourages you to consider turning off
the lights and un-plugging unnecessary electronics, wherever you
are. Earth Hour is a great excuse to re-connect with how far we
have come to promote a “greener” way of life. Here are some
ideas to get you started!
Candlelit activities:
· play games – cards, dominoes, board games, etc
· do shadow puppet theatre
· have a late candlelit dinner or wait to have dessert by
candlelight
· have a good old fashioned sing along – camp songs, silly
songs, hymns, etc
Kids Up Front - a Valued Partner
Did you know we are a partner agency with Kids Up Front
Foundation (Vancouver)? Thanks to Kids Up Front, our
kids have the opportunity to experience a variety of
sports, recreation and arts & culture events that
otherwise would not be possible. Since 2004, Kids Up
Front has been providing quality entertainment and
educational experiences to kids and families across
Greater Vancouver by redistributing unused event tickets
and by creating special events to help heal, bond and
unite. Thanks Kids Up Front!
For more information visit:
www.kidsupfrontvancouver.com
RSCL Views Spring 2012 - Page 14
Flashlight activities:
· play flashlight tag or flashlight Simon Says (can be done
indoors or outdoors)
· have everyone pile in bed together, let the kids hold the
flashlight while you hold the book and read
· tell ghost stories
Outdoor activities:
· if it's a clear night, lay in the yard and star gaze
· have a campfire and make s'mores
· do flashlight games outdoors (see above)
For more information about Earth Hour, please visit
www.earthhour.org.
Earth Day 2012
Earth Day 2012 is Sunday, April 22. Leading up to this day, the
RSCL Green Committee will be visiting all the RSCL programs to
learn more about how staff and individuals supported are going
green. This includes:
· Carpooling
· Taking transit
· Recycling
· Composting
· Community gardening
· Reducing paper use
· New water filtration systems
· Litterless lunch day
One thing is clear – RSCL cares about our planet and together we
are making a big difference!

50/50
Door prizes
Canucks Hockey
Thank you to
For their support of this event
First Name:______________________ Last Name: ___________________ Phone: ___________________Date: ________________
Address: _______________________________________________________ Email: _______________________________________
Individual Membership
(1 vote)
Annual: $10.00
Life: $100.00
Payment options:
Family Membership
(2 votes)
Annual: $15.00
Life: $150.00
cheque cash visa MC
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$
Signature Total Amount
please make cheques payable to: Richmond Society for Community Living
Please send completed form to:
170 7000 Minoru Blvd. Richmond BC V6Y 3Z5
Fax: 604-279-7048 Ph: 604-279-7040 www.rscl.org
Charitable Registration Number: 107895591RR0001
Tax Receipts are issued for donations but not for membership dues.
city postal code*
Proceeds from this event
will go towards the
RSCL Supported Child
Development Lending Library
Become a Member or Donate to Richmond Society for Community Living
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I would like to make a donation to RSCL
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Monthly Donor Information:
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month in the amount indicated above.
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above on the 15th day of every month.
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Our guarantee: You can cancel or change your monthly donation at any time by contacting
RSCL. You have the right to receive reimbursement for any debit that is not authorized or is
not consistent with this Pre-authorized Debit agreement. Tax receipts are mailed annually.
Thank you for your support!
THURSDAY
March 1
6:30 pm
Buck ‘n’ Ear Bar & Grill
in Steveston
12111 3rd Avenue
Richmond
Tickets $12
includes burger, beverage and fun
Must be 19+ years to attend
For tickets, please contact
Llaesa Brownridge at 604-279-7014
Membership April 1, 2011 - March 31, 2012