Dear Editor:
Hello – With this letter, I want to shine a light on a crisis in our community and encourage your readers to help turn the situation around.
Community Living Guelph Wellington (CLGW) has chosen to end a wonderful day program that has enhanced the lives of people with disabilities in our community for decades. This includes my sister Margaret, who has happily attended for 33 years.
Without full transparency, CLGW wrote a “Strategic Plan” filled with political-speak, vague plans, unrealistic expectations and absolutely no budget, timeline, or concrete examples for replacement options for our loved ones. In other words, they are closing the doors on a viable, successful day program, and replacing it with smoke and mirrors.
The people we support and love will no longer be able to meet with their friends at the centers and participate in safe, challenging and fulfilling daily activities, Monday through Friday, 9am to 3pm.
The senior staff at CLGW say that the “new day program” will still exist “out in the community”. Where? What are these scattered opportunities? How will you provide 6 hours of safe, welcoming, interesting activity each day for all of our loved ones, without a central location?
The CLGW web site states: “Our goal is for these buildings to become an inclusive space for everyone. Revenue generated from these inclusive spaces will be used to enhance the services we provide for adults with disabilities.”
TRANSLATION: “We have decided that you no longer have the right to gather in the buildings that had been built and established for you, and we will rent the space out to generate revenue that will be used for undisclosed purposes. You and your families have no say in the matter. Oh, and when we say “inclusive space for everyone” that does not include you.”
We, the families and friends of day program participants are fighting to keep the buildings open and programs running as they had before COVID. We will fight because this is crucial for the vulnerable people we love and support. And because for many of these individuals, they literally have nowhere else to go.
Please visit www.cupe.on.ca/RestoreDayPrograms to email your local MPP and tell Community Living Guelph Wellington to restore day programs.
Marie Craig,
Guelph