Ensemble

10/16/2025

🌟 Join Us for Lead the Change: Youth Day – Free Pizza + Fun + Leadership!

Are you ready to make a difference, connect with other awesome youth, and build your leadership skills? Join us for Lead the Change: Youth Day — a free, fun, and interactive day just for youth ages 14–29 with disabilities and their allies!

Register: https://forms.gle/NgHG2rM6ceE1phzx7

🗓 Saturday, November 8, 2025
🕥 10:30AM – 3:30PM
📍 7025 Enterprise Way, Windsor
💲 Cost: FREE (and yes — pizza lunch is included! 🍕)

You’ll take part in two great workshops:
✨ Building Authentic Spaces – explore inclusion, empathy, and the power of your voice.
✨ How to Be a Good Leader – discover your strengths, teamwork, and leading with kindness.
Community Living Ontario

10/16/2025

Inclusive Housing is Possible🏠 DSO has launched an Inclusive Housing Network Guide! A powerful new resource created to support accessible, affordable, and inclusive housing for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Developed by Housing Navigators, this guide is for:
👥 Individuals with IDD & their families
🏢 Service providers & community organizations
🏗️ Developers & policymakers

👉 Learn more & read the full guide: https://buff.ly/YdCe8Cv

10/15/2025

To Every Parent Walking This Journey ❤️

Some days we move mountains.
Other days, just getting through the day is the mountain.

If today feels heavy, please remember this: you are doing an incredible job. Even on the days when you doubt yourself, even when no one sees the countless little things you do .. the soothing words, the patience, the love that never quits .. it all matters more than you know.

Our children may take a different path, but that path is still beautiful. It’s slower, softer, and full of moments that most people never get to witness .. the pure joy, the laughter, the tiny victories that fill your heart to bursting.

So breathe. Be proud. You are not alone in this. You are raising a child who is teaching the world about resilience, compassion, and unconditional love — simply by being who they are. ❤️

Keep going. You’ve got this. And on the days when it feels like you don’t .. we’ve got you.

This photo of my Ben is a gentle reminder of why we keep showing up, no matter how hard the day may be. His smile, his spirit, and his joy are my daily reminder that love always wins.

With love and understanding,
Diane
Ensemble Commitee Member

10/12/2025

🍂 Happy Thanksgiving!

As we gather around our tables today — whether surrounded by family, friends, or the quiet comfort of our loved ones — I want to take a moment to express gratitude for this incredible community. 💚

To all the families, parents, siblings and caregivers here: you are the heart and soul of love in action. The patience, strength, and devotion you pour into every single day is nothing short of remarkable. Our journeys may look different, but the bond we share through understanding, compassion, and unwavering care connects us deeply.

May your day be filled with warmth, peace, and moments of joy — big or small. And may we all take a moment to celebrate the beautiful people we care for, who teach us daily about resilience, unconditional love, and the true meaning of gratitude.

🧡 Wishing you and your families a heartfelt and peaceful Thanksgiving. 🧡

With love,
Diane
Ensemble Committee Member

10/10/2025

Today is World Mental Health Day. 🌎

According to the World Health Organization, mental health remains the most neglected area of public health. Today reminds us that there is no health without mental health.

At , we understand that every person's situation is unique. That’s why we’re committed to connecting you with services that promote care, compassion, and inclusion, while working to break down stigma and barriers across our communities.

Here are a few trusted mental health resources:

📌 CMHA National: National programs, resources, and mental health support.
📌211 Ontario: Information about community, government, and mental health services.
📌 ConnexOntario: 24/7 free and confidential support for mental health, addiction, and gambling.
📌 CAMH: Clinical care programs and services for mental health and addiction.

If you or someone you know is struggling, don’t hesitate to reach out. Find more support here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support

Your mental health matters and it starts with you. 💚

10/09/2025

CONNECTING WITH YOUR VALUED SUPPORTS - Paid and Unpaid

Caregiving is so much about connections—physical and emotional. As the Thanksgiving weekend will soon be here, connections will be more valued than ever. I'm sure all families, including those with children with intellectual disabilities, are busily thinking about past traditions.

For many families, it involves gatherings with people they see infrequently. Their arrival brings with it 'change'—more people, more noise, more activity, more food, and the need for more 'flexibility'.

For individuals with intellectual disabilities, established routines are part of everyday life. These routines bring calm to their days. Unexpected and sudden change to routines causes confusion, which is sometimes displayed as negative behavior.

In preparation for seasonal events, it is critical that you have additional supports in place. If you know that what could be a meaningful celebration has the potential to become a nightmare, plan ahead! You need distractions either in your house or elsewhere. Share your needed adjustments with your guests. Open, honest communication puts everyone at ease. If you don't share the realities of daily living, there can't be understanding and a willingness to provide needed emotional support.

Make seasonal events special for everyone! Maybe this is when you plan an outing away from home for your special needs family member? What about changing the seasonal date? This way your support helpers can celebrate the actual day with their families. Support staff are flexible and understand the special needs of the individual supported and of their family.

So, reach out! Connect with your "support helpers" and come up with a plan that shows everyone that it is possible to meet "individual needs" by connecting.

Best wishes for a memorable weekend wherever you are and for whatever you do!

Marilyn
Ensemble Family Consultant and the Advisory Committee

10/08/2025

October is Autism Awareness Month in Canada! 💡

This month, we recognize the voices of autistic people and their families. We see you, we hear you, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

At DSO, we believe that true inclusion means more than just awareness, it also means belonging. We’re working to challenge outdated ideas about autism and celebrate each person's unique story, goals, and strengths.

We believe everyone deserves:

✔️ The right to choose how they live
✔️ Support that meets their unique needs
✔️ Feeling a sense of belonging in their community

is committed to helping people connect to the services they need to live life on their own terms, independently and confidently.

Let’s continue building communities where inclusion is not just a value but a practice.

We encourage everyone to learn more about autism by visiting Autism Ontario.

Seeking support services? Visit www.dsontario.ca

10/07/2025

Caring for others can take a toll on your own well-being. Our free mindfulness programs with CAMH are designed to support the caregivers and care providers who give so much to others. Register: bit.ly/44TvwEq

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Prendre soin des autres peut nuire à votre propre bien-être. Nos programmes gratuits de pleine conscience avec CAMH sont conçus pour soutenir les aidants et les fournisseurs de soins qui donnent tant aux autres. Inscrivez-vous : bit.ly/3PgZXOT

10/05/2025

10/05/2025

Caregiving looks different across the country. This panel at brings provincial care leaders together to explore challenges, celebrate successes, and highlight innovations improving caregiver support across Canada. Learn more: https://bit.ly/42REBPO

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La prestation de soins varie d'une région à l'autre du pays. Ce panel organisé dans le cadre du réunit des leaders provinciaux afin d'aborder les défis, de célébrer les réussites et de mettre en lumière les innovations qui permettent d’améliorer le soutien aux aidants partout au Canada. En savoir plus : https://bit.ly/3IHIdNy


L'Appui pour les proches aidants | The Ontario Caregiver Organization | Caregivers Alberta | Family Caregivers of British Columbia | Caregivers Nova Scotia Association

10/05/2025

Happy Sunday to our beautiful families and caregivers ❤️

I’ve been a 24/7 caregiver to my son Ben for 26 years now. It’s been an incredibly difficult journey at times — but along the way, I’ve been blessed to find my people — those who have been there for me and for my family through it all.

You may not have four or five people in your corner… maybe it’s just one. But having someone makes this journey a little less lonely, and a little more hopeful. ❤️

So today, take a moment to reach out to that someone — the person who checks in, listens, or simply understands without words. Let them know they matter. Together, we remind each other that we’re never truly alone on this path.

Diane,
Ensemble Committee Member

In just a few weeks, my family will pack up and head out for fall break with several other families. On the surface, it’s a vacation. But when I stop and think about it, it’s so much more. It’s a reminder of how friendships can quietly transform into family, and how the people we do life with shape who we are becoming.

They say you are a reflection of the five people you spend the most time with. And when I look at my circle, I see my foundation of peace, the ones who remind me how to laugh and have fun, and the ones who push me to be better. A better friend, a better wife, a better mom, a better businesswoman.

It’s funny how some of the most important and influential people in your life aren’t the ones you grew up with—but the ones you meet later, once you’ve lived enough to truly know yourself. That’s when God’s timing steps in. When you understand what you need, what you want, and who you want to walk alongside in this life.

Life is built in little moments—conversations over coffee, spontaneous laughter, vacations that turn into traditions. Each moment stacks on the next, slowly building the life you’ve always desired.

So don’t wait to “find your people.” Be intentional. Show up. Align yourself with those who bring out the best in you. Because the life you want isn’t something that just happens—it’s something you help build, one relationship, one moment at a time.

10/02/2025

YES YOU CAN!!!!

What to share with you this week?
Hmmmmmmm?

Something someone shared with me — have you heard about the "I CAN" campaign? No! Not the Campbell's soup can!

It's a way of thinking that will help the rest of society remove obstacles that get in the way. They assume YOU CAN'T! ... But guess what?

YOU CAN!

Are you encouraging yourself to think "I CAN!"?
Try this:
tell yourself how capable you are
find a rewarding hobby or activity
establish routines that assist you
approach each day with a positive attitude

Every step you take will move you forward on your journey. No more saying, "I can't do that!" Guess what? You CAN!

Now go ahead and prove society wrong! They'll remove obstacles they thought were needed. You've opened their eyes and minds to citizens who CAN!

Community Living Essex County knows that you and your family CAN! They want to connect with you. You CAN attend family information sessions planned for you. You CAN also make suggestions for other family sessions. Have you registered? YOU CAN!

Please take any opportunity you come upon and tell the world YOU CAN!

Happy new opportunities!

Marilyn
Ensemble Family Consultant and the Advisory Committee