// HEALTH & WELLNESS //
Michele Viner
and wellness.
is a Toronto writer who writes about people’s lives and believes we all have a story to tell. She is also an advocate for mental health
Reena Offers a Community a Place to Belong PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF REENA’S PLACE
New state-of-the-art residence for people who live with development disabilities, mental health challenges and physical disabilities.
Greena is Reena’s newest environmentally-aware program that sees residents producing their own fruits and vegetables at the Reena Community Farm.
J
ulia Slater, 24, is very excited about moving into her new home. “I have plans,” she says. “I have things that I want to do there.”
That home is in the newly-built Lou Fruitman Reena Residence in Vaughan. Julia is one of 138 residents who will move into this state-of-the-art facility through Reena, a non-profit organization that works with people who live with development disabilities like autism, mental health challenges and physical disabilities. Reena was created in 1973 when a group of parents looked for an alternative to institutions for family members with special needs. Within several years, Reena began to receive provincial funding and the Reena Foundation was established. The Toby and Henry
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Battle Developmental Centre, Reena’s first stand-alone facility, opened its doors in 1999 and offered day and evening programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities, offering a health and wellness centre, sports centre, creative arts workshop, computer lab, greenhouse and library. Since those early days, says Sheila Lampert, Executive Director at Reena Foundation, the organization has grown to over 700 employees with an annual operating budget of $55 million and has never waned in their commitment to promote dignity, individuality, independence, and personal growth among their individuals. Working with valued community partners, Reena has continued to offer programming to thousands of people in the areas of supported employment and community participation.
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