The Beacon - Tobias House Attendant Care Inc.

Volume 9 Issue 1
TOBIAS HOUSE ATTENDANT CARE INC.
Spring 2013
The Beacon
Twenty Years of Service:
Looking Forward, Looking Back
Twenty Years of Service
Front
Resource Centre
2
Tobias House - An Overview
3
Tobias Faces
4-5
Tobias House 1992 - 2012
6-9
Beacon Lifestyle
10
Beacon Recipe
11
Acknowledgements
Back
Mission Statement::
To Create Opportunities For Independence And Choice of Lifestyle by
Providing Innovative 24-Hour Personal Support Services for Individuals
with Physical Disabilities.
Volunteer Board of Directors
President: Stewart Davidson
Vice President: Frances MacNeilLaflamme
Treasurer: Anna Marziliano
Secretary: David Meadows
Members at Large:
Christie Ladner, Gaurav Marwaha,
Neil Mercer, Christene Rowntree,
Andrew Tomcik
Executive Director: Yona Frishman
Last year, the 20th anniversary of the opening of Tobias House, was
not without its ups and downs, challenges and surprises. We would
like to share with you some of the highlights and items of interest
from the past year:
In keeping with the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TC LHIN) focus on performance management, and to help enhance the current community-based continuum of care, new funding recently received from the Ministry will be
targeted at addressing the most significant gaps and deficits in the
community sector, through the TC LHIN Community Capacity Investment Plan.
We were able to secure additional training dollars, thus
providing us with the opportunity to offer staff a variety of
courses:
All staff (management and frontline) went to the training on Bill 46 Excellent Care for All Act. This legislation has two major goals: Improve Consumer Care, and Enhance the Consumer Experience.
In addition, 26 staff received First Aid/CPR training, 23 Ventilator
training, 30 Back Care, 56 Conflict Resolution, and 42 went to the
Abuse Prevention Conference.
(continued on page 2)
A happy, healthy, and safe
2013 to all the friends and
family of the Tobias House
community!
Page 2
T o b i a s
h o u s e
Tobias News - continued
Nine Tobias House staff, and six staff from other organizations, took this year’s PSW Certification
course.
On Oct. 21st, 2012 a new Collective Agreement for the period April 1, 2012 to March 31,
2014 was ratified.
In 2011/12 we have paid out for 126,530 of ILA worked hours, which can be translated
into an average of 8.25 hours of support services per day available to our consumers.
We have submitted a proposal to Human Resources Development Canada for an accessible website. If successful we will be able to update our web site to comply with the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
The Tobias House Resource Centre
The Tobias House Resource Centre provides programs and services that support people’s
independence and complement the attendant care support they receive. We work with individuals so they can find solutions to the barriers they face in their daily lives. Programs we currently offer:
The Barrier Free Access to Swimming Program provides attendant care support (Tobias
House staff) to people with physical disabilities at four City of Toronto public pools. Support in
the water is provided by Parks, Forestry and Recreation, the Birchmount Bluffs Neighborhood
Centre, and the Scadding Court Community Centre. The program is offered in the fall, winter,
and spring.
The Tobias House Fitness Program provides one hour fitness classes weekly to consumers
during selected periods throughout the year.
The Tobias House Consumer Grant Fund enables consumers to cover costs associated
with accessing a wider range of extra-curricular activities, equipment and other quality of life
expenses.
Our Volunteer Program matches consumers with volunteers on a one on one basis. Currently, we have five consumer-volunteer matches.
We also host workshops and information sessions. In the past we held sessions including on
Ombudsman Ontario, financial planning, accessible reading technologies and accessible travel. If you have any ideas please let us know.
For more information on Resource Centre programs, activities and services contact us
at 416-690-8804.
Looking for Volunteers
Tobias House is looking for volunteers. If you enjoy working with individuals on a one on one basis, or if you
have a great telephone manner, we need you. Please call Constantine at 416-690-8804.
Volume 9 Issue 1
Page 3
Tobias House - An Overview
In 1984, Patricia Walsh, Betty McCrimmon, and
Ann Musgrave met with the Franciscan Friars to
see if they would sponsor a project for the development of housing for people with disabilities.
The Franciscan’s were also looking for a place to
house offices for their Centre and Companion
Magazine. The Friars merged the ideas and took
on the challenge.
Tobias House of Toronto - Caring for People in the
Spirit of St. Francis Inc. was formed as a not-forprofit housing corporation with representatives
from the St. Bonaventure Parish in Don Mills. On
May 11, 1990, Tobias House Attendant Care Inc.
received a charitable status, and in November 1992,
began providing personal support services to
twelve individuals with physical disabilities on
floors two through five of 695 Coxwell Avenue, in
Toronto’s east end.
Tobias House was named after Father Tobias
Klein.
In June 1995, Tobias House expanded to its second location with an additional 19 Consumers at
Carlton and Church Streets. In March 1996, the
third location opened at 460 Jarvis Street, followed
by another expansion in June 1996 to 11 Main
Street. In November 1997, Tobias House began
providing service to four Consumers at 12 Broad-
way Avenue, and in June 2000, our Resource Centre became operational.
Since 2000, many changes have occurred at Tobias House, some more significant than others. The
ability today to continue to provide the necessary
services and to meet financial obligations rests on
a strategic decision to streamline operations that
resulted in the closing of the Main Street location
on November 1, 2005. All Consumers and staff
were accommodated among the other Tobias
House locations, and the resources were redistributed accordingly.
Tobias House endeavours to incorporate input
from Consumers through individual annual meetings, Consumer/Management meetings, and a governing Board of nine members (ideally three of
which are Consumers - our objective is to have
one-third of the Board from Consumer ranks,
whenever possible).
Our staffing complement of 112 employees is
comprised of: 104 independent Living Assistants
(ILAs), and eight Management Staff. 39% of our
employees have 10+ years of service, and 23%
have 5+ years. We are a 24/7 service provider, and
our employees reach their top wage level after 36
months.
Services Provided
limitations, they cannot do independently.
Assisted Living - Attendant care services to persons with physical disabilities in a supportive
housing environment.
Resource Centre - The Centre provides assistance to individuals in Metro Toronto with selfadvocacy, resource counseling and workshops/
social events; we collaborate with other agencies
in program development. In partnership with the
City of Toronto, we offer the Barrier Free Access
to Swimming Program, at four city public pools.
The Centre is funded, in part, by a grant from the
City of Toronto and Tobias House fundraising efforts.
Attendant Outreach Services - On a fee for
service basis (supports provided at the workplace, conferences, school and meetings).
Nurturing assistance - Nurturing assistants are
paid employees whose purpose is to help parents
with any child care activities that, due to physical
Page 4
T o b i a s
h o u s e
Tobias Faces
You know how in every neighbourhood, there’s always a
house where everyone feels welcome and likes to hang
out? In Todd Dillon’s neighbourhood, that’s his house.
Saying that Todd likes to show people a good time is an
understatement. His Halloween haunted house parties are
legendary. But beyond his natural gregariousness, he is
also a total homebody. He cleans! He does chores! He
loves to cook! Having nothing to do on his days off drives
him nuts. “People say I’m the ideal husband. My wife
comes home, the laundry’s done, the floors are all washed,
the dog and cat have been fed. And of course I cook all
day!”
Todd recently celebrated several milestones. He turned
fifty last fall and completed his PSW certification, through
Tobias House’s PSW training program. He also became a
proud grandfather for the first time. The father of three,
aged 16, 20, and 24, he readily admits that he only grew
up about fifteen years ago. “I was a punk. I’ll admit it. I
just grew up when I turned 35. Most men do. I saw the
light around 30. Then the light hit me in the head around
35, when my wife also gave me a warning. You just realize this is it, you have
to be held accountable for what you’re
doing now. You’re a man now.” He imparted these words of wisdom to one of
our consumers once, and it was a bit of a
turning point for that consumer.
That’s typical of Todd. If there’s one
thing you notice about him, it’s his deep
concern for and enjoyment of the consumers. He’s been with Tobias House
for twelve years, currently at the Jarvis
location, and is known for readily going
above and beyond for consumers. The
thing he loves most about working at
Tobias is helping people. “I love knowing that I can make a difference, that I
can make their lives just that little bit
easier.”
“I’ve always been a social person.
I like interacting with people, seeing them get enjoyment out of
their lives, more than they regularly would.”
Todd Dillon
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“Always try and do something good with
your experiences. I mean, I’m in a good
situation, so I try to pay it forward by trying to do good things, hopefully make
changes in the world, and hopefully that
pays off.”
Neil Mercer
Neil Mercer has been a Tobias House Jarvis location consumer since its opening in 1996, and has
seen a lot of changes in that time. But he likes
where he is. He loves being a downtown guy, living in the centre of things, going to interesting
places and events easily, and seeing other people,
cultures, and communities. He’s grateful for having these opportunities. “Sometimes, with the daily grind, things might seem like they’re not so
good. But when you look at the big picture, Tobias
is a pretty amazing place to be.”
And it’s not just his living situation that Neil enjoys. With Tobias's help, in the way of attendant
care, he has done some extensive traveling, working with fellow consumers to fundraise and organize a Caribbean cruise, and solo trips to New
York, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas. Spoiled?
Not really. Neil believes in going for what you
want, and paying forward all the good things in
your life. To that end, he has served on the Tobias
House Board of Directors for seven years, as a
way of contributing to the work Tobias does.
In addition, Neil has a creative side, with considerable talent as a graphic designer. He studied at
Humber College and the Ontario College of Art
and Design. He has a passion for helping sociallyminded organizations like Tobias, in addition to a
roster of regular clients. “I did a logo for an AIDS
organization in Africa, and I thought it was pretty
amazing I could do something on my desktop here
and maybe make a change on the other side of the
world.”
This past year Neil competed in the 2012 North
American Power Hockey Cup in Ottawa, and or-
ganized the Sean Ross Memorial Summer Classic,
an outdoor Power Hockey game in memory of a
past Tobias consumer. He also ventured into public speaking, giving talks to future special education teachers at Queen's University.
What else can we say about Neil? He loves animals, especially his cat Elvis Purrsley. He enjoys
living life to the fullest, learning and trying new
things - taking a stab at politics by running in the
last provincial election - and is always willing to
help people. Ever the optimist, he believes in the
power of positive thought. "If you can think
it, you can do it. YOLO - you only live once!”
The first SEAN ROSS MEMORIAL SUMMER
CLASSIC took place in August 2012 at a
city outdoor rink. Twenty-five friends and
teammates from the Canadian Electric
Wheelchair Hockey Association (CEWHA)
and the Toronto Power Wheelchair Hockey League (TPWHL) enjoyed a joyous day
of hockey in memory of a friend, raising
$250 for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. This
year, in addition to honouring Sean’s
memory, we are looking to hold this inspiring event in a higher profile outdoor
venue, to showcase this unique sport and
the skills and passion of its players.
For info: www.kneel67.wix.com/srmsc
Page 6
T o b i a s
h o u s e
Tobias House 1992-2012: Twenty Years of Service
Tobias House is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of its opening. Do
you know the story of its founding? Like every pioneering venture, it took
the determination of a few, a great deal of hard work, and a bit of luck to
get it off the ground. Consumer Pat Walsh was a driving force from the
very beginning:
Pat Walsh
“The concept started during the year 1980, which was Coxwell, 1992
designated, The Year of the Disabled (by the United
Nations). A meeting was called by the (Roman Catholic) Archdiocese of Toronto to discuss ways in which the Church could be involved in this special
event. I was one of those invited to attend. We were asked for suggestions
and a few ideas were put forth, such as driving the handicapped to Church,
visiting them in their homes, taking them for car rides, shopping, etc.
I spoke up in my unclear voice and said, “What we desperately need
is housing!” A friend, Betty McCrimmon, elaborated on my behalf.
She explained that most disabled persons live with their parents, but
there comes a time when parents can no longer provide care for
them. The only alternative is to place these disabled adults in nursing
homes or other institutions, which is not the solution for those who
are mentally alert and only require assistance with their daily physical
needs.”
Jarvis, 1996
Carlton, 1995
Pat’s friend Betty was Assistant Editor of Companion magazine, which
is published by the Conventual Franciscans, a Roman Catholic order
of friars and priests. She spoke to Friar Phil Kelly, OFM Conv., the
magazine’s editor. It just so happened that they were looking for office space for their operations. The Franciscans’ Year of the Disabled
committee decided to join the two projects in one building, with
housing for the physically disabled, including attendant care services,
and office space for the magazine. To round out the mix, most of the
apartments would be market value units for able-bodied tenants.
But it took a further ten years of work to finally get things off
the ground. Funding was secured from two different Province
of Ontario ministries, requiring that two different designated
governance boards be established, one for housing, the other
for attendant care. Pat hit on the designation “Caring for People in the Spirit of St. Francis” for the housing board. The rest
as they say is history.
Main Street, 1996-2005
Volume 9 Issue 1
Tobias House
Executive Directors
Gerry Campbell,
1991 - 1998
(not pictured)
Andy Underwood,
1998 - 1999
Mark Aston,
1999 - 2003
Yona Frishman,
2004 - present
Page 7
Page 8
The Barrier Free
Access to Swimming program,
the Tobias Fitness
program, and
many other special projects and
grants, all thanks
to the Tobias
House Resource
Centre, 2000 to
today.
On-going
training, including full
PSW certification for staff,
show a commitment to
keeping our
ILAs up-todate. Which,
of course, calls
for a party!
Ballet Creole,
the eMotions,
celebrity
guests, and
lots of fun in
the name of a
good cause.
It’s Revelry
In Motion,
putting the
“fun” in fundraising!
Page 9
Page 10
T o b i a s
h o u s e
Beacon Lifestyle
How Does Your
Garden Grow?
You live in an apartment. You may or may not have a balcony.
It’s spring, and you’d like to start a garden. Impossible? Not at
all! Here are a few tips on starting your own urban oasis.
Pick a spot with plenty of light. If you have a balcony or outdoor space, great. If you don’t, a window with lots of light
works too. A southern exposure is best. Will you be gardening during
just the warmer months, or year-round? How about a cart that you can
wheel outside in the summer and back in in the fall? More set-up ideas to
the right, from the top: 1 & 2) elevated planting beds, for easy access;
3) window box; 4) hanging pockets; 5) window ledge. Also, try baskets
on chains or wires hung low enough to reach.
Veggies? Flowers? Herbs? Leafy houseplants? All four? It’s up to
you. Keep in mind most plants have specific needs that must be
met in order for them to thrive, the amount of light they get being the
most important. Space, temperature, and water are others. Check the info
tab that comes with most plants for light, space, and water needs.
Some rules of thumb:
ANNUALS: Most annuals (flowers that only last one year) require at least 14
hours of light. They are best grown outside, or under a fluorescent grow
light.
PERENNIALS: They come back every year, but if grown in containers, need
to be insulated from extreme cold over the winter.
VEGETABLES: Leafy greens (spinach, lettuce) and roots (radishes, baby carrots, beets) can be grown indoors, but they like slightly cooler temperatures.
A hot window sill may not be the best spot for them. Tomatoes, on the other
hand, like things warm, with lots of light.
HERBS: Chives, dill, basil, and oregano grow from seeds. Mint, thyme, coriander, and rosemary grow from cuttings. Or you can buy herbs as seedlings.
HOUSEPLANTS: Naturally the easiest plants to grow indoors, some don’t do
When growing in containers, indoors or out, regular garden soil
won’t work because it compacts too easily. Use soil mixes meant
for containers. They contain peat and vermiculite, to keep the soil
light. Don’t over-fertilize, or you may “burn” your plants. Make sure your
containers offer good drainage, with a hole and a layer of stones in the bottom, but put something underneath to catch leaks. Water regularly, as the
type of plant requires. The small volume of soil means it can dry out quickly.
Finally, fruiting vegetables require pollination, but bees may be a little hard to
come by indoors or on your balcony. You can do it yourself by transferring
pollen from the anthers to the pistil with a small paintbrush.
There is a wealth of info about apartment gardening online. Good luck and
happy gardening!
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Volume 9 Issue 1
Page 11
Beacon Recipe
Chicken Stew
with Dumplings
Thick sauce and juicy chunks of chicken and vegetables, topped off
with fluffy dumplings, combine to make this stew perfect comfort food.
Makes 8 servings. From CanadianLiving.com
Ingredients
Preparation
5 cups (1.25 L) chicken stock
In a large Dutch oven, bring chicken stock to boil. Add chicken;
cover and simmer over medium-low heat until juices run clear
when chicken is pierced, about 30 minutes. With slotted spoon,
transfer to plate; let cool. Remove meat from bones; cut into bitesize chunks.
4 lb (1.8 kg) skinned chicken thighs, (14
pieces)
7 small carrots, peeled and cut in half diagonally
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups (500 mL) peeled pearl onions
3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
3 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped onion
2 cups (500 mL) button mushrooms
1/3 cup (75 mL) all purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) peas, frozen
1/4 cup (60 mL) whipping cream
Dumplings
2 cups (500 mL) sifted cake/pastry flour
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh parsley
4 tsp (18 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
3/4 cup (175 mL) milk (approx)
Add carrots and potatoes to stock; cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Add pearl onions; simmer, covered, just until onions are tender,
about 5 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to plate.
Pour stock into large measuring cup; if necessary, add more chicken stock to make 5 cups (1.25 L).
In same pan, melt butter over medium-high heat; cook celery,
onion and mushrooms, stirring often, until softened, about 8
minutes. Add flour, thyme, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, for 1
minute. Gradually whisk in reserved stock; bring to boil, stirring.
Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring often, for about 5
minutes or until thick enough to coat back of spoon. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan. Add carrot mixture, peas
and cream, stirring to combine.
Dumplings: In bowl, whisk together flour, parsley, baking powder and salt. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until in
coarse crumbs. Using fork, stir in enough milk to make sticky
spoonable dough. Leaving space around each, drop by tablespoonfuls (15 mL) onto simmering stew; cover and cook, without
lifting lid, for 15 minutes or until dumplings are no longer doughy
underneath.
Nutritional Info
per serving:
calories
protein
total fat 18 g
saturated fat
carbohydrates
fibre
523
35 g
8g
54 g
5g
cholesterol
sodium
% RDI
calcium
iron
vitamin A
vitamin C
folate
137 mg
1,168mg
15
36
173
23
36
T OBIAS HOUSE AT T E N D ANT CARE I N C.
T obias House I (695 Coxw ell Aven u e)
T obias House II (84 Ca rlto n Stree t)
Thank You
Patrons ($5,000+)
T obias House III (460 Ja rvis Stree t)
Robert Blakely, CitiBank Canada, Zev Frishman, Greenfield
Ethanol Inc.
T obias House Resou rce Ce n tre (6 95
Coxwell Aven u e)
Benefactors ($1,000-$4,999)
T ob ias House is filled with op p ortu n ities
for everyon e:
For Volunteerin g op p ortu n ities,
Membership, Dona tion s or Sp ecia l E ven ts
please con tact
Constantine @ (41 6) 690 - 880 4
For Job opportun ities, conta ct An d rew
Jardine @ (416) 6 90 - 31 85 x 2 21
Visit ou r web site a t
www.tob ia sh ou se.ca
Tobias House Attendant Care Inc.
611—695 Coxwell Avenue,
Toronto ON M4C 5R6
Wayne Kozun, Stephen Mimee, Rotary Club East York, The
Family & Friends of the late Alfred J. Cockburn
Associates ($250-$999)
Helen & Gordon Armstrong, G.A. Christoff, Susan & Stewart
Davidson, Desjardins Financial Security, Yona Frishman, Fr.
Peter Knaapen, Frances MacNeil-Laflamme, Catherine Marsh,
Anna Marziliano
Friends (up to $249)
Sal Badali, Anita Baker, Bonnie Beverley, Kenneth Bona, Susan Broad, Anne Bukovinsky, Susan Cavanagh, Gloria Corrigan, Sylvester De Melo, Judy Denheyer, Eileen DonnellyCasey, Ahren Estabrooks, Paul Halpern, Warren Laing, The
Magnes Group Inc., Margaret Newell, Joan Pape, Paula Rusak,
Eleanor Shannon, Lino Sienna, Stoyles Carpentry, Andrew
Towcik, Josephine Tse, Henry Valcheff, Jon Wagner, Fran
Wise, Janet Yukish
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