Karis Disability Services West

Grand River Transit is looking for feedback on some important services. Provide your input and make your voice heard!

GRT Business Plan 2025-2030 Mapping out transit services in Waterloo Region from 2025 to 2030 and beyond.

Happy Canada Day!

A great celebration at the Waterloo-Wellington Community Picnic!

A great time at the 'Fun-Raiser' at Boston Pizza St. Catharines. Thank you for supporting the Belongathon!

📢ATTN: PIZZA NIGHT OUT at BOSTON PIZZA in ST. CATHERINES!

Did you know, you can fundraise and donate to Belongathon until June 30, 2024?! If you are in the area, join us on June 26th, anytime between 4-8 p.m. at the Glendale Boston Pizza in St. Catharines. 25% of your purchases will go towards Belongathon causes!

Bring your friends and family to a dinner while supporting Karis Disability Services West great causes!

Celebrating Pride month and celebrating with Greg!

A time to celebrate here in Hamilton

Avnish kicking us off in Hamilton area!

Teamwork at its finest! This group of housemates and friends put together a garage sale to raise funds for the upcoming Belongathon. What a great way to support and promote community and belonging! Join us this Saturday, June 8th for the Belongathon! Find your local event here https://belongathon.ca/

June brings 2SLGBTQ+ Pride celebrations for many people within our communities. Advocating for disability rights means ensuring people with disabilities have the right to celebrate and embrace every piece of who they are!

Crosswalks are an important part of accessible infrastructure in our communities. Well-marked, vibrant street crossings help everybody travel through our cities safely. This one is a reminder of how our identities intersect and overlap, and how we can create safe communities of belonging for all people.

Karis Connect Conference was a great success! Had a wonderful time in Waterloo wrapping up the conference circuit.

Had a great morning earlier this month celebrating belonging at the Interfaith Community Breakfast. Enjoyed a great breakfast, wonderful company and a fantastic program with Interfaith Grand River.

'Family Camp Pop-up' was a great success! Had a great time creating Summer Fun Boxes and enjoying time together!

Get ready for Belongathon by becoming an ambassador! Ambassadors are volunteers who get people excited to join the Belongathon. Ambassadors invite their communities to be part of the event. Sometimes they find partnerships that make the event even more awesome.

Fill out this form to become a Belongathon ambassador: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSceB8T5zz48WRtYN4L4iocnF-_TS3LxTqZbHcNZmC9TCknjMg/viewform?pli=1

It's craft time! Maria, Nick, William and Madison had a great time creating beautiful art projects at the Tranquility Workshop in the Halton area.

Checkout a beautiful spotlight on one of our Karis Disability Services West Host Family Providers:

"Through Karis Disability Services, Michelle and I provide respite services to adults who experience a disability. Our role is to open our home to individuals, giving them time away or a “vacation” from their full-time living arrangements. This also provides their full-time Host Family a well-deserved break."

Last month we asked our team to nominate their peers for the Ron Montgomery Community Service Award - carefully named after a man who lived his life invested in community and was truly a bright light to all around him. Winners of the RMCSA award are expected to embody Ron’s kind spirit AND commitment to community.

We are very proud to announce Michael Hoeg and his wife Michelle as our winners. Mike will receive a $100 PC gift card and will select a charity for Wellington Group of Companies to make a $2500 donation to.

When we let Mike know about this award - here is what he had to say:

“I love being part of an organization like WGOC that is so involved in the community, which I have not only witnessed but also been a part of many times already during my tenure here. We have an amazing group of people, from leadership down to the ‘ground level’. WGOC and the level of our involvement in the community is an inspiration and I am happy to contribute.

Through Karis Disability Services, Michelle and I provide respite services to adults who experience a disability. Our role is to open our home to individuals, giving them time away or a “vacation” from their full-time living arrangements. This also provides their full-time Host Family a well-deserved break.

Along with their work with Karis, Mike and Michelle recently welcomed a beautiful healthy baby boy to their family and are thinking of children and families that struggle with health complications. While they continue to volunteer their time, they have chosen Make-A-Wish Canada as the charity to recieve their donation.

What an excellent choice! Mike, we look up to you and Michelle for all you do.

You are invited to our Family Camp Pop-up - Parent's Night Out! This free event takes place in the Waterloo community on May 10th. Registration is open until May 6th! christianhorizons.org/familycamps/

Excellence in Action nominations close tomorrow! Do you know somebody who promotes communities where everybody belongs, demonstrates innovation, ensures people are recognized for their gifts, is a champion of Karis Disability Services’ vision, or has long-standing dedication to Karis Disability Services? Nominate them today: bit.ly/KarisExcellenceInAction

Meet Ronald, a person using our services in Host Family! Ronald has recently embarked on an exciting journey in culinary school at Affirm College in Hamilton. Ronald's exceptional progress and enjoyment of the culinary program signifies not just his talent but also his determination to dream big. Ronald's achievements hold great significance as an example of inspiration of overcoming challenges and pursuing passion.

Want to learn more about what it means to be a Host Family Provider to someone like Ronald? Please reach out to our Host Family team in Hamilton/Niagara: [email protected]

Sign up for the Belongathon before April 30 to ensure you get a free t-shirt! No fundraising is necessary. Just sign up and bring everybody you know! Let's show our community how to create inclusive, accessible spaces of belonging: belongathon.ca/signup