"A Place Of our Own"

Overview:

So….you have just been told that your son or daughter has a life-long developmental disability, let’s say Autism. As you stare blankly into the faces of the team of empathetic healthcare workers that have just delivered the message, you are literally lost for words. Aside from being in total disbelief and an emotional wreck, you have so many concerns and questions that you don’t know where to start. Who are you going to talk to and rely on for answers and support? I turned to Main Street Community Services.

As a parent of two children who depend on Main Street, I can personally attest to the fact that Main Street and only Main Street were able to satisfactorily answer all of my questions. Over the past 7 years, the Main Street founder and staff have often stood behind me when I needed practical information and emotional support; they have stood beside me when I needed help with managing behaviors and advocating for my family’s needs; and occasionally they have even stood in front of me when I just didn’t know what to do and desperately needed someone else to take the lead for a while. They have made my life and the lives of my daughters more full and enriched and I now consider the Main Street team of workers to be a large, caring and tireless extended family. I am glad I am not alone in this, and I am glad that I was fortunate enough to be introduced to this amazing organization. Main Street has earned my trust and support, and we the friends/ clients of Main Street thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving them your votes for the 2011 Aviva Community Fund Challenge. -- Scott Carruthers

Countless special needs young people in Ottawa and surrounding areas are in need of “A Place of Our Own”. While Main Street Community Services continues to be a home to many of these children and young adults, their present space is unable to meet the demands of this growing community.

Main Street has grown and expanded in terms of the number of programs they offer and the amount of families that are being served. However, the current location does not meet the space requirements needed to continue serving families in need. It is discouraging and disheartening when Main Street is unable to provide services due to a lack of physical space. In 2010, they supported 250 families in the eastern Ontario area. That number continues to grow. Main Street Community Services is a registered not for profit, charitable agency offering services such as; • respite • residential services • developmental and academic day school programs • parent support groups • social skills training • summer camp • March break and Christmas camp • counselling

What sets Main Street apart from so many other organizations is that they put emphasis on relationships, individuality and dedication to humanitarianism by moving away from textbook solutions aimed at treating a syndrome to addressing an individual’s own unique needs and embracing their strengths.

In the past months, Main Street Community Services has been working overtime, gathering community support for our efforts to win funding from the Aviva Community Fund. Main Street has reached out to local radio stations, have put ads in the local newspapers, participated in Santa Clause Parades, rented numerous signs for advertising, purchased large banners and small magnets to give away at grocery stores and restaurants.

This one time funding of a facility will have lasting repercussions for generations to come. If the only obstacle standing in the way were removed, this initiative would begin immediately. Each child should be given the opportunity to reach his or her potential. To succeed at this we need a bigger facility that is wheel chair accessible with more space to provide sensory rooms, quiet rooms, class rooms, an office, a gym and most importantly we will have the means to expand our services. We currently have numerous programs that are awaiting implementation and have commitment from those who are patiently waiting for the service to begin. For example, much of our population is reaching the age of 21 and there is no funded day programs post 21. Funding would also give us the opportunity to implement more programs, music therapy for community participants, art programs, yoga, and other therapeutic programming designed to enhance quality of life. Main Street has been planning to expand for many years and has been patiently waiting for opportunities like AVIVA. Our agency has a strong commitment to sustainability and has shown consistent growth. Unfortunately, expansion of our community based programs has been stagnant due to a lack of social commitment to the population we serve. We have been working closely with a property management company for a couple years. We allocated 2 possible locations for our expansion. Both meet our budget and space requirements. These locations will provide long term leasing options and one will also have the potential for purchase of the building if we are successful bidders. Main Street Community Services maintains ongoing budgets and strategic planning documents. With the ever growing needs for our services and a strategic plan for sustainability and longevity and proven business success, we are confident that winning the Aviva challenge will benefit many individuals with special needs, their families and the community as a whole.

Aviva has presented an opportunity which provides a renewed sense of hope. That’s why the submission for a “Place of Our Own” has turned the spotlight on Main Street’s passionate belief that they can make a dramatic and widespread difference for hundreds of people today, tomorrow and into the future.

Please vote for Main Street Community Services where "Achieving is Believing"