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March 27, 2024
Friendly Reminder for April!
With a busy schedule of activities and groups, many new in the last few months, our calendar is a great place to see everything that’s happening for Members in the upcoming months – check out our activities, topics for recurring groups and info on one-time events.
The calendar will be posted here every month and will show future months as well, to help you plan your participation!
Empower’s Member Services Calendar
For questions or information, please email Sherri or call 709-722-4031.
February 20, 2024
NEW! Monthly Peer Support Group!
Introducing a NEW offering from Empower’s Member Services – Peer Support Group!
Peer support is when people use their own experiences to help each other. There are different types of peer support, but they all aim to bring together people with shared experiences to support each other.
Empower Members are invited to gather together to provide informal support to one another. Empower will provide a space where you feel accepted and understood while treating everyone’s experiences as being equally important.
This group will happen monthly, on the last Thursday of the month. The first meeting will be held February 29th, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, at 4 Escasoni Place (the Centre). Register to be a part of this group at Peer Support Group Registration Form
Questions? Contact Sherri at 709-722-4031 or Sherri@EmpowerNL.ca
February 7, 2024
NEW! Empower’s Member Services is starting a new ✴️Creative Skills Program✴️this month.
Each month, Members will come together to learn new creative skills. Some skills will be learned in one session, some will take a series of sessions to fully learn the foundations of the skill being taught.
This month we will be learning the art of card making. Members will learn about using different creative styles and media, including acrylics, pastels, and inks, while exploring abstract and mixed-media artistic stylings.
This is a fun activity meant to nurture individual creative expression. Members with all levels of creative skill are encouraged to participate.
Registration for each skill or series is required. Please complete the Creative Skills Program Registration Form to register for the Art of Card Making.
Have questions or need assistance? Contact Sherri by phone: 709-722-4031 or by email: Sherri@EmpowerNL.ca
January 29, 2024
Introducing Empower’s NEW Member Services Calendar!
A place to see everything that’s happening for Members in the upcoming months – check out our activities, topics for recurring groups and info on one-time events.
The calendar will be posted here every month and will show future months as well, to help you plan your participation!
Empower’s Member Services Calendar
For questions or information, please email Sherri or call 709-722-4031.
December 15, 2023
The recipient of the 2023 Business Award for Independent Living goes to Katherine Peddle, owner of Oral Health Centre and Mobile Smiles.
Katherine has been a business partner of InclusionNL for the last few years. She recently applied and was successful in receiving an EAP grant to ensure her new business, Oral Health Centre in Paradise is barrier free. The Centre is equipped with state-of-the-art accessibility features that support comfort, confidence, integrity, and independence.
Since the concept of her business was first formulated, Katherine immediately wanted to ensure her facility was accessible from many perspectives. Upon opening the Oral Health Centre, she has incorporated a sensory friendly room for those needing this space, a hydraulic lift and accessible seating for examinations, an accessible washroom with automated doors, a ramped entrance in the back of the location and leveled front entrance. She has commissioned a storyboard to be created of the dental hygiene experience and provides advanced orientation time if required by a patient to become more familiar with the Centre.
Congratulations Katherine!
December 14, 2023
The recipient of the 2023 Social Inclusion Award for Independent Living is Paul Power from Power Productions.
Power Productions is primarily focused on representing, teaching and expanding the overall disability, Deaf and MAD Arts culture. The company achieves this by producing and presenting theatre works devoted to disability themes and/or casting persons who self-identify as living with a disability, who are Deaf or hard of hearing or live with mental health disabilities.
Power Productions is committed to creating diverse and accessible theatre projects, professional development opportunities and community collaborations with a focus on strengthening the disabled, Deaf and MAD arts sector in Atlantic Canada.
They are a community catalyst and resource for sustainable change in the areas of accessibility, inclusion and diversity within the community.
Their shows like “Crippled”, bring more awareness to the talents and abilities of the community. Power Productions also raises its voice and creates relationships with municipal, provincial and federal stakeholders to increase opportunities, accessibility, inclusion and funding for the arts, especially as it relates to making theatre more accessible for everyone.
In 2022 Power Productions embarked on a mission to make local theatre more accessible for individuals with sight loss. Four individuals underwent a two-week intensive training for Live Audio Description, and Power Productions is now able to offer this service province wide through Power UP. This service has been offered for a number of shows in the province, including Don’t Give Up On Me Dad by Andy Jones and Come From Away in Gander.
Congratulations Paul!
December 13, 2023
The recipient of the 2023 Independent Living Young Leader Award is Kayla Warren.
Kayla Warren, who identifies as autistic, has been involved with disability advocacy since high school. In 2017 she volunteered with Autism Includes Me (AIM) in Port aux Basques on a pilot program for autism-friendly swimming lessons. During the pandemic, she volunteered making a digital catalogue of AIMs resources. During her university career at both Memorial (Behavioural Neuroscience) and Dalhousie (Occupational Therapy) Kayla volunteered in groups and organizations working to break down barriers, including the Blundon Centre at Memorial University.
She focuses on bringing a first-hand autistic perspective to her work to ensure autistic voices are elevated. A sample of Kayla’s involvements include:
MUN Research Exchange Group on Autism
Dalhousie OT Equity Committee
Autistic Researchers Researching Autism
Congratulations Kayla!
December 12, 2023
The 2023 recipient of the Cecilia Carroll Award for Independent Living is Paul Morgan. Paul was nominated for this award in recognition of his long-term and extraordinary commitment to the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society.
Paul has been a long-standing volunteer with Empower having spent numerous years volunteering with many aspects of our service delivery. For many years he has been a long-standing volunteer on our Board of Directors and provides assistance whenever possible.
Paul is an active member of our Garden Committee, always being a part of the group who keep the garden groomed and the vegetables bountiful. Paul is a very suited recipient of the Cecilia Carroll Award; he has been an active volunteer with us for 15+ years.
Congratulations Paul!
November 23, 2023
The Salvation Army Christmas Registration Dates for 2023 are:
- Friday, November 24th
- Friday, December 1st
- Friday, December 8th
Times: 9:00 am to 11:30 am and 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
Location: The Salvation Army Ches Penney Centre of Hope, 18 Springdale Street, St. John’s
Please bring IDs for each family member (no pictures), proof of income and address.
To contact, please call 709-237-0095 or 709-237-0270.
November 9, 2023
Join us for our annual Christmas Dinner and Dance!
Empower will host our annual Christmas Dinner and Dance on Saturday, December 16th 2023, from 6pm-11pm at the CLB Armoury, 82 Harvey Road.
Tickets are $15.00 for Members; Non-Members are $30.00.
To register, please complete this form: Christmas Dinner and Dance Registration Form
For more information call 709-722-4031 option 3 or email Sherri@EmpowerNL.ca
Deadline for registration is Monday, December 11th, 2023.