Staff and clients with Community Living Fort Frances gather for a flag raising at the Civic Centre to recognize Community Living Month. Image: Randy Thoms/May 2, 2023

May is Community Living Month.

Community Living Month raises awareness and celebrates the inclusion of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in the broader community.

Community Living Fort Frances Chief Executive Officer Ted Scholten (shoal-tun) says it is also an opportunity to put a spotlight on the organization’s activities.

“We support many individuals across the district, from Rainy River to Lac La Croix, that could be in the form of providing residential support from a few hours to full support,” says Scholten.

“There are a variety of ways that we support people from, again, host family, where a person is getting support through Community Living to be with a family and supported in the community or to full support in supported independent living or an intensive residential support situation.”
Scholten says they are using the month to share their success stories with the community.

“We’re going to be sharing some overall information with the newspaper as well as providing some stories of success stories that Community Living has had throughout the month.”

Staff and some of their clients kicked off the month with a flag raising at Civic Centre on Tuesday.

Mayor Andrew Hallikas says it’s an opportunity to remind everyone of the outstanding service Community Living Fort Frances does.

“The Community Living organization does an amazing job of supporting individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities throughout their lives to ensure that they live in a state of dignity and participate in all aspects of living in the community. We thank this wonderful organization for their contribution to the quality of life and the people they serve,” says Hallikas.