Anjali's Adventures At Hutton House

  The ground was almost filled  by  tents of various organisations of London. The music beats that played on the stage added to the excitement of everyone. As there was no sun to be seen, everyone had a slight disappointment and feared precipitation. Luckily, the clouds held the humidity till the end of the event. COIN YOUR LOGO FOR CANCER is a fundraiser for the Cancer Society of London. The event reaches out to members of London’s local business community . Last year, the event was successful in having raised $9,039. It is also an opportunity for companies to showcase themselves in public. The r equirement  is simple , each team uses sidewalk chalk to re-create their company logo on the outdoor lot. Prizes are for three categories- creative logo, well-dressed group and the team which raised the most money . People enjoyed playing games as if they were on a picnic . It was much like a day off from  work but  still  on ...

A soft soothing voice was heard from the radio as I entered the Hutton House building on Ann street, near downtown London. I was overwhelmed by the way they welcomed me, which made me feel as if I was some long-awaited guest visiting their home. Day Break began in 1999. It is an individualized program for adults with complex needs. The focus of this program is to help the participants get involved in the community as well as in all sorts of chores at home. Day Break offers a casual homelike environment with: • Two large accessible bathrooms • Open leisure areas • Lifts and lift tracks throughout • A computer lab • Snoezelen room • Spa room • Games and crafts area • Large, open kitchen • Community garden             Glimpse of Canada's 150th anniversary celebration “It is much like a respite for the participants,” said Carmen and Nevzeta who were busy making the peta...

As Ruth Foster, facilitator of GPS program (GOALS, PREPARATION, SKILLS) switched on the projector, I saw a bunch of students with curious eyes blinking at the board on the wall. The GPS program provides participants all the resources they require to grab and secure a job. Hutton House helps the participants of GPS with the following; Writing Resumes Developing & Improving Work Skills Exploring Employment Options Setting Goals Providing Support to Learn a New Job Advocating for Workplace Accommodations To be a part of this program you must; ·          Have a disability related barrier to employment ·          Be over the age of 15 ·          No longer be attending secondary school ·          Have or be willing to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) ·        ...

There was a row of excitement when LIFEworks coordinators announced the plan to go out on a walk to SIFTON BOG. Bright was the day, windy the environment, laughs and anticipation for a new life experience rolled over the curious faces of the LIFEworks participants. With the spirit of an athlete or a mountaineer, everyone hopped into their running shoes and put on backpacks. Sifton bog is a reserved forest area with a wooden bridge in the middle of marshes, about a 5 minutes’ drive from Hutton House main building on Wonderland Rd at Oxford St .  Everyone was happy to reach the destination. “Are there alligators in this marsh?” a trembling question came from Tanusha, a LIFEworks participant. There were sudden murmurs and sighs on that puzzling question. LIFEworks coordinator Rachel who has been a part of the team for a long time broke the news, “No alligators or crocodiles”.  She grinned with joy for erasing the doubt from some of her favorite people on earth. The ...