REMINDER: Spectrum’s New Years Tea is Sunday, January 14th!
Click here for more information
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Vancouver Community Inclusion Festival
The Vancouver CLBC Community Council is hosting a celebration of community inclusion, with a focus on the accomplishments and abilities of persons with intellectual disabilities. This event is FREE and open to anyone in the community. There will be presentations from self-advocates, information booths, games, snacks and prizes!
If you plan on attending please email Spencer van Vloten at spencer@bcdisability.com to RSVP!
WHEN: Saturday January 27th, 11am – 2pm
WHERE: Britannia Community Centre, 1661 Napier St.
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CNH Community Lunch Menu for January
| Day of the Week | Date | Meal |
| Thursday | Jan. 4, 2024 | Chicken chow mein/veggie option, salad, sesame seed cookies |
| Tuesday | Jan. 9, 2024 | Yam apple soup, roasted beef /veggie option salad, orange cranberry loaf |
| Thursday | Jan. 11, 2024 | Fish and chips/veggie option, salad, vanilla cake |
| Tuesday | Jan. 16, 2024 | Lentil soup, chicken/veggie burger, salad, pecan tart |
| Thursday | Jan. 18, 2024 | Perogies and sausages, salad, tiramisu |
| Tuesday | Jan. 23, 2024 | Minestrone soup, tuna melt, salad, brownie |
| Thursday | Jan. 25, 2024 | Meat /veggie loaf, salad, almond cookies |
| Tuesday | Jan. 30, 2024 | Black bean soup, macaroni and cheese with chicken, salad, chocolate cupcake |
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CNH’s Seniors Shuttle Group Trips (+55) January Schedule
| Date | Meeting Time (at CNH) | Returning to CNH | Trip Location | Description |
| Friday, Jan. 12, 2024 | 9 am | 2 pm | Lonsdale Quay | Take a walk through the beauty of the North Vancouver waterfront. Enjoy shops, water views, and lots of restaurants and cafes. |
| Friday, Jan. 26, 2024 | 9 am | 2 pm | Fort Langley | Take a walk through the historic Fort Langley (map to be provided). Enjoy some history (lots to see!) and enjoy local restaurants and cafes in the area. |
To register or learn more please contact Sue Woodland at swoodland@cnh.bc.ca or call 604-435-0375.
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COMING SOON: Diabetes Coaching with Lumino Health Pharmacy
Lumino Health Pharmacy offers pharmacy services, provided by Pillway. In January 2024, they will begin offering diabetes coaching from a pharmacist to all plan members, free of charge!
Diabetes is a fast-growing chronic disease, and the cost of drugs to treat it is on the rise. Plan members with diabetes often experience other chronic diseases at the same time. Coaching with Lumino Health Pharmacy aims to help plan members follow their treatment and improve health outcomes.
About Lumino Health Pharmacy
Launched in July, Lumino Health Pharmacy is an optional service. There’s free delivery within Canada to help manage medication routines with confidence.
About the diabetes coaching program
To start a coaching session, plan members sign in to the Lumino Health Pharmacy mobile app or website.
- Coaching will focus on lifestyle, diet, nutrition, mental health, health literacy and medication management.
- On-going coaching is also available if needed.
- The pharmacist can also coordinate with other health-care providers (if requested by the plan member). This includes general practitioners, specialists, and dietitians to best support plan members.
SunLife will launch diabetes coaching to plan members in January 2024. They send emails directly to targeted plan members who are actively claiming for diabetes-related medication(s). These emails will aim to raise awareness about the service and encourage them to use it. Standard exclusions will apply for plan member communications.
When plan members sign in to the my Sun Life mobile app or mysunlife.ca, they’ll receive messages about the program.
More details will follow about the coaching program in January, along with a preview of the plan member emails.
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CLBC Reminder to get your flu and COVID-19 shots
Community Living BC encourages everyone who has yet to receive their COVID and flu shots this season, to kindly do so as soon as possible, ideally before the holiday season. COVID-19 remains a risk to the population (especially for those who are unvaccinated) and influenza cases are rising.
Priority to receive the COVID-19 vaccination is given to all individuals supported by CLBC. Invitations for this season’s vaccinations have been sent through email or text to everyone who has registered for a COVID vaccination in the past. It is possible to book both vaccinations in the same appointment! These vaccinations are free and available at pharmacies, health care authority clinics, and some primary care provider’s offices.
You can book your appointment through the Get Vaccinated System.
If you need help booking your appointment, you can call 1-833-838-2323. This number is open 7 days a week from 7am – 7pm and 9am – 5pm on statutory holidays.
Click here for BC’s fall respiratory illness immunization campaign
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Inclusion BC’s Call for Workshops for Everybody Belongs! 2024 Conference
Inclusion BC’s annual conference is returning to Nanaimo from May 30th until June 1st! They are now welcoming workshop and presentation proposals from anyone in the community, covering the following topics:
- Community & Disability Supports
- Early Years Supports
- Education & Child Care
- Employment & Skill Development
- Health & Wellness
- Housing & Income Supports
They are ideally looking for insights that emphasize inclusion and individual and grass-roots led movements. The submissions deadline is Monday, January 15th. Please note financial compensation will be available for presenters in an unpaid role. If you have any questions please email Inclusion BC’s Special Events Coordinator at conference@inclusionbc.org
Click here for more information and to submit proposals.
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Plan Institute Webinars
The Plan Institute has FREE upcoming regular webinars on the topics of the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) and Wills, Trusts and Estates Planning.
RDSP
The Registered Disability Savings Plan is a Canada-wide registered matched savings plan for those with disabilities to better financially plan for their futures. The Level 1 webinar is meant for those who want to learn about what the RDSP is, who qualifies, and how to apply. The Level 2 webinar is for those who already have a RDSP, or have already taken Level 1.
Next Level 1 Webinar: Wednesday January 10th, 7 – 8:15pm
Next Level 2 Webinar: Wednesday January 17th, 7 – 8:45pm
Click here to register and for more information
Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning (BC Only)
This webinar is meant for those who want to become better informed on the process of wills, trusts and estate planning to better secure the future of your relative or loved one with a disability. There is a limit of 60 participants so early registration is encouraged!
Next Webinar: Thursday January 18th, 7 – 8:15pm
Click here to register and for more information
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All Bodies Dance Project at Trout Lake
All Bodies Dance Project aims to bring together artists of any ability to participate in this exploration and creative expression of movement. They will be holding FREE and accessible weekly classes at the Trout Lake Community Centre from January 25th until March 14th. ASL Interpretation is available upon request, and if online registration is full and you would like to still attend, please contact info@allbodiesdance.ca.
WHEN: Thursdays, 6:30 – 8pm, January 25th – March 14th
WHERE: Trout Lake Community Centre, 3350 Victoria Drive
Click here to register and for more information
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Real Talk Classic Pizza Party
Real Talk is inviting any adult (19+) with cognitive disabilities to join in their Classic Pizza Party to enjoy a casual meal and chat about the topics of relationships, dating, love, and sex with a Certified Sexual Health Educator. This FREE in-person event is being held in New Westminster, just outside the Columbia Skytrain Station. Folks are welcome to pre-register or just show-up on the day of! You can contact john@real-talk.org with any questions or concerns.
WHEN: Thursday, January 25th 11am – 1pm
WHERE: Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion (BACI) New Wesminster office, 336 Columbia Street
Click here for more information
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Get Prepared for Winter Weather!
Winter is on its way, so now’s the time to start preparing for the months ahead. There will be a greater risk for severe weather which can be a risk to your safety in many ways, and it is always a good idea to prepare for the worst. Here are some recommendations from the BC government on how to best prepare:
- Create and maintain an emergency plan. Prepared BC has a fill-in-the-blanks Home Emergency Plan available to help you get started along with resources for those with disabilities.
- Identify a winter weather buddy. If you or someone you know experiences mobility issues it can be a good idea to have a friend to help out with tasks such as with shoveling snow and running errands if leaving the home is challenging.
- Prepare your home. Ensure you have good insulation, and weather stripping along doors and windows if necessary, and keep a shovel and salt on hand. Removing snow from walkways can reduce slips and falls.
- Prepare your vehicle. Install winter tires and keep your tank at least half full at all times. It can be a good idea to keep winter-specific emergency items on hand.
- Use appropriate clothing and gear. Hats, gloves and wearing multiple layers of clothes help prevent heat loss. Bright clothes and shoes that are waterproof with good grip is recommended.
- Follow trusted sources for information. Environment and Climate Change Canada is a good source for weather alerts. First Nations Health Authority and Emergency Info BC are also reliable sources.
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For those receiving benefits with Spectrum, we offer our EAP (Employee Assistance Program) to provide 24/7 confidential support to our employees. If you are not currently receiving group benefits but are in need of support, please reach out to your supervisor or Human Resources at hr@spectrumsociety.org so we can provide you with accessible options of support. For immediate access to set up assistance, you can click here: Lumino VC (dialogue.co) OR download the app directly onto your smart device by going to the App Store and searching Lumino Health Virtual Care. The graphic is as follows and you will need your benefit group number and Access ID to set it up:
When accessing EAP via the app is not possible:
· Plan members can get access to immediate help through their EAP by calling 1-844-342-3327. A Member Service Specialist will assess your needs and coordinate care with the appropriate resources.
Plan members are also able to access the EAP through the app or online.
If you or your dependents are having trouble using the app or website and need help accessing your account, they can:
- contact Dialogue by emailing sunlife-support@dialogue.co Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
- visit help.dialogue.co and use the chat feature for assistance, for after hours and weekend support.
For questions regarding benefits plan information, you can
- contact hr@spectrumsociety.org
*Applies to all Lumino Health Virtual Care products – Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Primary Care, Stress Management & Well-Being
Spectrum recognizes that our teams do an incredible job of supporting people in our services. The work that each of you do is valuable and at times, difficult. Please do honor what your body/mind may be communicating. If you feel increased stress or grief, please pay attention to those signals and reach out to the EAP or us for resources of support.
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What is happening in Vancouver in January?
Click on the link below to see what’s happening:
https://www.destinationvancouver.com/events/calendar-of-events/vancouver-events-in-january/
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Is there anyone you know that is looking for meaningful work?
If you have a friend, family member or meet someone in the community that is interested in joining the team and you refer them to Spectrum, you could be eligible for a referral bonus!
If the person referred is hired and maintains at least 6 months of consistent employment with Spectrum, we will award a $250 Referral Bonus.
*for more information on the program, please email hr@spectrumsociety.org
We thank you for bringing us quality applicants/employees!