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Team News

[ID: an illustration of a smiling woman in a green jacket and orange pants with a blue and green polka dot umbrella caught out in the rain.]

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Cineplex Theatres offering $5 movies & popcorn

[ID: an illustration of a family at the theatre enjoying a movie together.]

Every Tuesday for the month of February, movie admission and a small bag of popcorn will be $5 each, plus tax, across Canada. The last Tuesday for this deal is listed below!

WHEN: Tuesday, February 24th, all day.

WHERE: A list of participating theatres:

  • Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas
  • The Park Theatre
  • Fifth Avenues Cinemas
  • Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver
  • Cineplex Cinemas Marine Gateway and VIP
  • Cineplex Cinemas Park Royal and VIP

Click for more information.

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Make Your Mark!

[ID: illustration on a orange background with various crafting items around a blank piece of paper.]

Join us every Thursday from 3:30-6:30pm at the Annex and Make Your Mark with Yoko Tomita!

Folks can bring their new or in-progress art projects, whether it’s watercolour, acrylic, embroidery, knitting, origami, crocheting, or whatever medium they’re working in! All ages and experience levels are welcome to join in these sessions for an opportunity to learn and share their skills with each other. Basic art materials are provided by donation.

WHEN: 
Thursday, February 29th 3:30PM – 6:30PMWHERE: Collingwood – Annex (3690 Vanness Avenue, Vancouver, BC)

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CQC Banner Decorating Party

[ID: photograph of the 2023 CQC banner, hearts with 2SLGBTQ+ flags inside are drawn on the page.]

Adults with cognitive disabilities who are 2SLGBTQIA+, curious, or questioning get together to decorate a banner about what the CQC group has meant to them.

Join us for a fun night of art as we explore what the CQC group has meant to us this past year! We’ll have a few different prompts for you to explore as you get crafty:

  • What does the CQC group mean to you?
  • What was your favourite CQC event this past year?
  • Why is a group like CQC important?

We hope to hang this banner at the Kinsight Head Office, to showcase how important Connecting Queer Communities has been to folks!

We’ll eat pizza, drink some pop, chat, mingle, listen to music, and decorate the night away! Come join us.

Need help with transport? Need ASL interpretation? Email kelsey@real-talk.org!

 

WHERE: 336 Columbia St, New Westminster, BC

WHEN: Friday, March 1st 7:00PM – 9:00PM

COST: FREE

Click here for more information!

[ID: a logo with text that reads: 'Real Talk: Free, Accessible Sexual Health Education']

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From Sound to Silence

[ID: a picture of various musical instruments surrounding a sculpture of the earth. The Art of Living logo is on the upper right-hand side, and text that reads: FREE ENTRY is on the lower left-hand side.]

Come experience Sanskrit singing to calm the mind and uplift the spirit with profound uplifting music and deep meditation.

It’s a vegetarian eggless potluck so feel free to bring something delicious to share.

This event is free and open to all.

Organized by the Art of Living www.artofliving.org

WHEN: Saturday, March 2nd 6:00PM – 8:00PM

WHERE: 161 East 1st Avenue Vancouver, BC

COST: FREE

Click here for more information and to register!

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CNH’s Community Lunch Menu For February/March (PAUSED)

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We will be pausing the program from February 15 until March 14. We will confirm details about reopening in March.

For updates, please send an email to schu@cnh.bc.ca.
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Inclusion BC Provincial Budget Alert 2024-2025

Spectrum is a member of Inclusion BC and supports their provincial advocacy on behalf of individuals and families with developmental disabilities.

This is their report on the provincial budget announced yesterday for 2024-2025. 

[ID: logo of Inclusion BC]

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2024 TD1 and TD1BC Forms

[ID: a stock image of a tax return form with a black pen placed on top.]

If there are any changes to your income circumstances, please ensure to fill out the following forms for 2023 and provide them to Accounting once complete.

TD1: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/td1-personal-tax-credits-returns/td1-forms-pay-received-on-january-1-later/td1.html

TD1BC: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/td1-personal-tax-credits-returns/td1-forms-pay-received-on-january-1-later/td1bc.html

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Sun Life Healthy You: Be a fan of your health

We launched the Sun Life Healthy You (SLHY) hub in 2023. We want to encourage Canadians to take charge of their health. We also want them to know that Sun Life is here as a partner that can help them live healthier lives. We built the SLHY hub as part of Sun Life’s ongoing multi-year partnership with the Toronto Raptors. It provides practical advice on the topics of goal setting, routine building, physical fitness, nutrition, and mental health.

[ID: a logo on a white background that reads: 'Sun Life: Healthy You']

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[ID: a logo on a white background with the text that reads: 'Sun Life | Lumino Health]

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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[ID: a logo on a white background with text that reads: 'Community Living British Columbia']

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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[ID: a logo on a white background with text that reads: 'Plan Institute for caring citizenship']

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 February 28th, 9 – 10:30am

Next Level 2 Webinar: Wednesday March 27th, 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 March 28th, 7 – 8:15pm

Click here to register and for more information

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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 1-844-342-3327A 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:

For questions regarding benefits plan information, you can

*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 March?

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Click on the link below to see what’s happening:

https://www.destinationvancouver.com/events/calendar-of-events/vancouver-events-in-february/

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Come Join the Health & Safety Committee

Are you passionate about enhancing workplace health and safety? Spectrum has a great opportunity for you to share your unique experiences and opinions as a part of the Health and Safety Committee.

Spectrum’s Health and Safety Committee are on a mission to fix and build our membership. The committee consists of Community Support Workers, Managers, and Human Resources personnel. The main purpose of the Health and Safety committee is to ensure we meet WorkSafeBC standards and that every employee and people we support know that their safety is a priority.

Some Roles and Responsibilities of Committee Members are:

  • To review all workplace reports of injuries and illness
  • Review reports of unsafe working conditions
  • Develop and review safety plans and protocols
  • Review training opportunities for staff
  • Ensure our Policies & Procedures align with WSBC regulations

You might be thinking that this sounds like a big commitment with an already busy schedule. However, we meet just once a month for a couple hours and you are paid for your time. Additionally, you also receive 8 hours of paid Health and Safety training each year.

This is a great opportunity to contribute to Health and Safety at Spectrum, diversify your skills, as well as connect with fellow Spectrum staff.

If you are interested in this opportunity, or want to know more information, please email Safety@spectrumsociety.org or speak to your manager.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Your Health & Safety Committee

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[ID: a graphic design with a yellow background. There is a white hanging sign with bold yellow text that reads: 'Employee Referral Program'.]

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!