Choose from the links below, or scroll down the page to view each entry in chronological order:
We Are Moving! June 25, 2001
Fun In The Sun June 24, 2001
Looking To The Future June 23, 2001
Thank You People Services June 18, 2001
"Master Wellar" June 16, 2001
Additional Media Coverage May 29, 2001
The Garage Sale Was Great May 26, 2001
Auction A Big Success! May 24, 2001
Taking To The Airwaves May 19 and 21, 2001
Co-Founders Front & Centre May 18, 2001
First Annual "Mauction" A Hit April 28, 2001
Rabbi Bulka Creates Some Buzz About SNN March 11, 2001
Caroline Was (On) Moving On! March 11, 2001
Getting On-Line With CAP March 9, 2001
Giving Made Easier! March 8, 2001
Celebrating Productive Living II February 28, 2001
Thank You Citizen! January 9, 2001
Hello 2001 January 1, 2001
Happy Holidays! December 9, 2000
New Year's Eve...On Top? December 6, 2000
Entertaining News! November 6, 2000
Bizzy Tizzy Grand Re-Opening October 23, 2000
Costumed Fun October 21, 2000
Exciting New Board Of Directors September 20, 2000
YSC Project Underway September 11, 2000
SNE Trophy Case Expands September 9, 2000
Now Providing: Employment Supports August 10, 2000
ACES and WOWEE and SMILE...oh my! June 30, 2000
Another Great Year For Network 303 June 17, 2000
Celebrating Productive Living - Success! June 1, 2000
June 25, 2001
LWP is on the move! The organization will be out of the current 211 Bronson location no later than July 31, and the ACES summer program will be hosted from the new location beginning today!
The new LiveWorkPlay headquarters is being established at 153 Chapel Street (at Rideau) in the former Jewish Community Centre. The building is now known as Heartwood House: au coeur de la vie, and will be home to about a dozen like-minded community organizations by September 2001. LWP is occupying some 3,000 square feet on the top floor, which is one level above ground. The new headquarters will include a computer learning centre, counselling facilities, a programming room, and an administrative office. Heartwood House should prove to be an incredible opportunity for LWP clients to develop relationships with the entire building community, and to extend their connections with the greater community through those supportive contacts.
June 24, 2001
Sunday, June 24, was the third annual "Summer Blast-Off Barbeque" which was
hosted, as always, by SMILE participant Jennifer Harris and family.
Swimming, trampoline, and of course, delicious food, made for a wonderful
afternoon of fun in the sun for the 50 guests in attendance.
June 23, 2001
Saturday, June 23, was the second annual "Visioning Day" for the LWP
organization. Hosted by corporate partner MBNA Canada Bank at their Ottawa
headquarters, 55 individuals invested their time in a full day of listening,
learning, and sharing.
All in attendance expressed great satisfaction with existing LWP programs and services, but various participants brought forward two grave concerns:
The end of day ceremonies featured the release of the new LiveWorkPlay theme song, written and performed by Journeys participant Stephen Mullins and his father Jim. The tune and lyrics were a big hit, and are sure to become a regular feature at future events.
June 18, 2001
LiveWorkPlay (LWP) Incorporated (formerly the Special Needs Network) is
pleased to announced the receipt of funding support in the amount of $20,000
from the City of Ottawa's People Services department. The City reviewed
hundreds of applications for this year's "One-Time Grants" allocations, and
LWP is fortunate to have been chosen as a 2001 grant recipient.
June 16, 2001
LiveWorkPlay Co-Founder Keenan Wellar took part in graduation ceremonies at Carleton University today, where he received a Master of Arts degree from the Department of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies. He completed the MA program on a part-time basis, beginning in the fall of 1995, while at the same time helping to build LWP from a part-time volunteer venture into a full-time and expanding organization. Keenan specialized in the study of communication issues related to people with developmental disabilities, as well as general questions related to language, power, and disability. He previously completed degrees in History and Education at the University of Ottawa, and has no current plans for continuing formal studies.
May 29, 2001
The Ottawa Sun contributed additional coverage of the successful Celebrating Productive Living auction event. The piece features Cyndi Edwards and David Kingstone, LWP volunteers, and members of the Board of Directors. Click here to see the article.
May 26, 2001
The third annual LiveWorkPlay Great Glebe Garage Sale brought in over $500. Thanks to the use of volunteer Pennie Styan's Glebe Avenue home and driveway, the volunteer sales team enjoyed a fun but busy day. Client families dropped off items on Friday night, providing enough donations to cover the driveway and lawn. JOURNEYS and SMILE participants manned a portable barbecue, and sold several dozen hotdogs to hungry bargain-hunters.
May 24, 2001
The second annual Celebrating Productive Living auction event was a huge success, almost tripling last years proceeds, with a final tally of approximately $22,000. Jim Watson, Cyndi Edwards, and Dave Smith hosted the evening, which also included performaces by SMILE participants Jennifer Harris, Moira Fuenzalida, and Caroline Matte, as well as the presentation of a Community Builder award to Lucie Goulet, representing the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The most competitive bidding took place when a beautiful black and white Malak Karsh photograph of the Rideau Canal went on the auction block, and eventually sold for just under $1000. Many of the 200 persons in attendance took the time to let organizers know that the evening was smooth and enjoyable, which was due in large measure to volunteers from MBNA Canada Bank who were on hand to register the bidders and process their purchases. The incredible spread of appetizers donated by the Mackay Street Epicuria was also a big hit, as were the dozens of desserts provided by LiveWorkPlay client families.
This year's event attracted attention from all the major media outlets, including the Ottawa Citizen, which featured the auction in Margo Roston's Around Town column. Click here to view the article.
The evening was also the occasion for the official launch of LiveWorkPlay (LWP) Incorporated, the new operating name for the former Special Needs Network (SNN) organization. A banner was unfurled with the new name and logo, which has retained the popular bumblebee motif.
May 19 and 21, 2001
Chief Development Officer Julie Kingstone will be on MAJIC 100 FM with Codi Jeffreys on Saturday morning starting sometime between 9:30 and 11:30, and then on Monday with the CFRA 580 AM Steve Madely show starting sometime between 7:30 and 8:15. Tune in to learn more about the event, as well as some exciting announcements, including the organization's name change and the launch of a new website.
May 18, 2001
Co-Founders Julie Kingstone and Keenan Wellar were featured through a pictorial in the Ottawa Citizen. The article went on to talk about the upcoming auction. The picture and article are right here.
April 28, 2001
The April 28th family brunch was the occassion for the first annual "Mauction" event, a mock auction as a lead-up to the second annual Celebrating Productive Living fundraising event. One of the most popular Mauction items featured an SNN golf shirt signed by staff members, which sold for $23 of funny money, which was distributed to those in attendance who found the fake cash taped under their chairs. The shirt was designed to get people thinking about the Mats Sundin and Vince Carter jerseys which will be up for bids on the 24th.
March 8, 2001
Making a charitable donation to the Special Needs Network has never been easier! Thanks to a partnership with charity.ca, SNN is now accepting on-line donations via secure web transaction. Simply visit the SNN home page at www.snn.ca and click on the "Donate" button. You will receive a a receipt for tax purposes.
February 28, 2001
Details are now available for the second annual Celebrating Productive Living fundraising auction. This major event is essential to the survival of the Network 303 programs, serving 40 children and young adults. For details of this year's extravaganza, visit the Celebrating Productive Living website now!
January 9, 2001
The Ottawa Citizen Literacy Foundation has announced a grant of $5000 in support of Literacy for Survival, which describes SNN's various initiatives designed to assist people with developmental disabilities to manage information in a world that is increasingly reliant upon the written or digital word.
January 1, 2001
80 fun-loving partygoers attended the third annual SNN New Year's Eve Gala (see below). The feedback from everyone in attendance was very positive, with special thanks to DJ Dale Kerr, the staff at the Crowne Plaza, and organizer Julie Kingstone. Stay tuned for details of next year's party, which should sell out the 90 seats available.
December 6, 2000
Ring in the New Year from the top floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Panorama Room! The SNN New Year's Eve Gala for 2000-2001 features an incredible view of the city, an all you can eat gourmet buffet, music by DJ Dale, party favours, and surprises! Get your tickets now...Click here for more information.
November 6, 2000
Although a few weeks remain, the annual Entertainment Discount Book sales campaign is set to beat last year's mark of 106 books. Our stock of books is almost gone, and there are few books remaining in the entire city, so if you have yet to buy, reserve your book now!. Thanks to the great many members of the volunteer sales team for making this year's campaign a great succcess. Please return all unsold books by Friday, November 24.
October 23, 2000
The Bizzy Tizzy, operating out of the lower level of the Bronson Centre, has re-opened for the 2000-2001 season. The Bizzy Bizzy, a thrift store selling a variety of second-hand goods, is staffed by clients of the SMILE system of supports and YSC project trainees. Proceeds from the sale of donated items go to support the programs and services of the Special Needs Network. The Bizzy Tizzy is open from 10:00-3:00, Monday through Thursday. Give them a call at 565-7609 if you have questions or have quality used items to donate.
October 21, 2000
Today's edition of the SNN family brunch was a great success, featuring a delicious meal with a main course of perogies, as well as costumed fun. A number of Network 303 participants, staff, and volunteers rehearsed air band performances that were well received by an enthusiastic audience of 75 diners.
September 20, 2000
As part of the activities of this year's Special Needs Network Annual General Meeting, the organization is now represented by an expanded Board of Directors that features several new members. Returning to the Board from the previous year are:
September 11,
2000
Youth Service Canada, an HRDC Youth Empoyment Initiative, is supporting SNN in sponsoring an innovative training program for six young adults interested in exploring the field of community services. The selected individuals will be closely involved with the SMILE system of supports and other activities at SNN compatible with their career goals. To see who is involved, check out the contacts page.
September 9,
2000
The Special Needs Education (SNE) project has been managed by SNN since 1997 through a partnership with the Industry Canada SchoolNet program. The SNE recently received two new awards, adding to the already substantial list of honours. Please see the awards page for more information.
August 10,
2000
Special Needs Network has been officially approved as a Service Provider for the Ontario Disability Support Program - Employment Supports which provides people with disabilities the supports they need to get and keep jobs. Itıs a program designed for people with disabilities who can and do want to work.
If you qualify for employment supports, you can receive a range of services and supports including:
You will be asked to complete a basic application. If you need help, contact the SNN office at 235-9550 and we can assist you in completing the forms.
June 30,
2000
This will be the busiest summer ever for the Special Needs Network! With the combination of the ACES (Active Community Experiences and Summer) and WOWEE (World of Work Exploration and Experience) summer learning programs, and the launch of the SMILE (Skills and More for Independent Living and Employment) system of supports, the SNN organization has become a hive of activity beginning July 4th.
With the start of the SMILE program, which provides independent living, comunity participation, and employment supports to young adults making the transition from school to community life, SNN is expanding to an additional room at the Bronson Centre. The SMILE participants will be designing their own headquarters and completing the interior design work to refurbish Room 309. In addition to the system of support activities, the SMILE room will also be host to an Information Technology Literacy Centre.
The SMILE system of supports will also make possible the re-opening of the Bronson Community Thrift Centre (in the basement of the Bronson Centre) as a transitional employment training centre, providing affordable used merchandise to the local community. The thrift store raised several thousand dollars in 1999-2000 through the sale of donated items.
June 17,
2000
The Network 303 program closed out the year in a relaxed party atmosphere with a barbecue and pool party at the Stittsville home of Network 303 Independent Living Club participant Jennifer Harris. The marked the end of the third year for Network 303, which is comprised of four weekly community participation programs serving ages 13-29 from September to June.
No major changes to Network 303 are planned for next year, with the exception of some minor alterations to the membership fees and requirements. Most significantly, all participants in Network 303 programs will be required to hold a valid Special Needs Network >membership. There will also be a minor fee increase and a refundable deposit for bus fares and admission fees.
June 1,
2000
The first ever presentation of the Celebrating Productive Living fundraiser was an incredible success. Hosted by TV personality Cyndi Edwards, with entertainment by performer Dave Kalil, and auctioneering by philanthropist Dave Smith, the sold-out crowd of 150 supporters jammed into the Bronson Centre cafeteria for a fun-filled evening. Through the combination of ticket sales, event sponsors, and the sale of auction items, SNN raised over $8000 in support of programs and services for youth with developmental disabilities. For further information, see the event website.
