Please join me in congratulating Claudia Cota to the Position of Manager of Finance for the Community Ventures Society. Claudia is no stranger to CVS as she previously served as our Finance and Administrative Coordinator from 2014-2016.
Claudia is well educated and has a Bachelor of Education from Babes-Bolyai University, in Romania. She has also recently earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with concentration in Accounting from Simon Fraser University and is currently enrolled in the CPA PEP Program.
Claudia has worked in both the public accounting industry as well as the private enterprise sector.
With a heart for social justice, Claudia has previously worked with children with disabilities in Romanian orphanages, to improve their quality of life through education and life-skills programs. Accordingly, Claudia brings values, skill and leadership to CVS.
It was announced this week that TransLink will be implementing a new hands-free access program for users who aren\’t physically able to tap a Compass Card at SkyTrain fare gates. This new program will soon be available and individuals will be able to gain access by using a radio-frequency identification card.
The $9 million Universal Fare Gate Access Program, funded by the federal and provincial governments and TransLink, provides eligible customers a radio-frequency identification enabled card (RFID) to automatically open accessible fare gates when they move within range. The card is read by an antenna above the gate and automatically opens without the need to tap a card.
Disability and seniors advocates have been waiting for a permanent solution since the Compass Card was introduced in January 2016. When first introduced, the new tap system was found to prove impossible for use by some passengers. In March 2016 the authority said it had come up with a system where an attendant would be made available to help — or a gate would be left open for those who needed it. Advocates for people with disabilities said gates would be regularly closed with no available attendant, and that sometimes a gate would be open at one end of a station but not the other.
More than 40% of SkyTrain stations with the tap fare gates have been outfitted with the RF readers. By the end of the year, all SkyTrain and SeaBus stations will be equipped with the systems.
Community Ventures Society (CVS) is happy to hear that this has been implemented and will finally be available. Individuals in our community utilize public transit often and having this system will help many individuals out significantly.
The program is now open for applications, please visit translink.ca/opengates for more information or to register.
This 3-day event is designed to provide a robust learning environment that will facilitate strategic approaches to inclusion and belonging for all students in B.C.’s elementary and secondary schools.
The theme for this year\’s conference is Creating the Future: Partnerships for Inclusive Learning. The conference will be held at the University of British Columbia and is intended for individuals who have an interest in inclusive learning and will include teachers, administration, parents, paraprofessionals, therapists and other members of a school-based team.
Topics include:
Universal Design for Learning (Dr. Jennifer Katz)
Positive Behaviour Supports (Dr. Brenda Fossett)
Transition & Employment (Dr. Paul Malette)
LiteracyAcross the Curriculum (Vicki Rothstein)
Self Regulated Learning (Dr. Nancy Perry, Dr. Deborah Butler, & Dr. Leyton Schnellert)
The New Curriculum (Shelley Moore)
Social Emotional Learning (Dr. Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, Dr. John-Tyler Binfet)
Community Ventures Society is a proud sponsor of the event and is encouraging people in our community to join this wonderful conference.
Registration opens on February 1st. To find out more about the conference or to register from Feb 1st onward, please visit the BC Summer Institute website.
At Community Ventures Society (CVS), we are committed to inclusion. We know that when people are able to work in their community it promotes economic and social inclusion. At CVS, we help our members find employment in the local community as well as support members in a range of ventures.
We stumbled on an excellent example of this in action and thought we would share it with our community. John’s Crazy Socks is a father-son venture inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colourful and fun socks. As a company, they have a mission to spread happiness through socks.
Recently, the BBC did a spotlight on John\’s Crazy Socks and highlighted how this crazy idea from John has turned into a million dollar business. Back in 2016, the 21-year-old told his dad, Mark, that he wanted them to start a business when he graduated from high school, but he wasn\’t sure what kind. He chose the sock business as John loved socks and always had worn crazy and colourful socks his whole life. His dad agreed and John\’s Crazy Socks was born.
The business started in 2017 and only a year on, they say they\’ve made US$1.4m in revenue, raised $30,000 for charity, and shipped socks to customers including Canada\’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former US President, George HW Bush.
The best part of this story so far is not only the financial benefits John & Mark have realized but also the social dividends it\’s paid. John\’s Crazy Socks hires people with disabilities and they give 5% of their profits to the Special Olympics. They also have a corporate motto that doing the right thing is the best business, always placing people first – whether that\’s their customers or their employees.
Overall, John\’s Crazy Socks is a great example of what can be possible. CVS continually strives to develop opportunities for its members, that benefit them but also the community at large. In 2018, we hope to focus even more on these efforts so stay tuned.
To learn more about John\’s Crazy Socks, click here or watch the video below:
Please join me in congratulating Scott Bewley for his appointment to the position of Senior Director of Operations at Kinsight (formerly the Simon Fraser Society for Community Living). Scott\’s last day at CVS will be February 23rd.
Scott has made a significant impact on the Community Ventures Society with his skill and his leadership. His efforts helped us grow in size, we have much better financial systems, and he represented us in the community very well.
We will be sad to see him go and he will be very much missed. Good luck Scott!
familyWORKs is having a meeting on Monday, January 29th from 7-8:30pm on the topic of Person Centred Planning with the Facilitator Bob Kashyap. Please see the poster below for further information.
Our Winter/Spring 2018 sessions are starting in February.
Come hang out with the girls! Join us for our women\’s only group devoted to friendship
building, social skills practice and fun activities. Must be 19 or older. 2018 is set to be a fun year for us all and we are looking at a variety of activities for the upcoming sessions.
A couple of spots have opened up but space is limited. To register or for more information, please contact Holly Calver at [email protected] or 604.939.8070 ext. 2028.
When?
6 sessions will be held every second Monday evening from 6:30-8:00 pm.
February 26th, March 12th, March 26th, April 9th, April 23rd & May 7th
Doors open at 6:15 pm
You need to register for this program – space is limited. There is a $30 registration fee.
Where?
Community Ventures Society, 2322 St. John\’s Street, Port Moody, BC.
For more information on this event or other CVS events, please visit our Events Calendar.
Our team in Port Coquitlam has been working hard at making some Valentine\’s bath bomb gifts for teachers or loved ones. These are made in-house in PoCo for our DisDaBomb venture.
Boxes of three DisDaBombs are $10 or single bath bombs are $4 each. If you have several orders we can can do something custom for you. You can choose from all natural essential oils and dye-free or beautifully scented ones with a hint of colour.
We are sad to announce that we have lost another kind soul at CVS. Joanne Friend, who has been with CVS for over 20 years, passed away over the weekend while in hospital. Joanne taught us what person centered practice was before it was even a term. She will sadly missed by all of us at CVS. We will let you know of any details with respect to a service when it becomes known.
NPR launched a radio series on January 8th, detailing its investigation on a silent epidemic occurring across America. The audio episodes share stories of victims of abuse and crime and highlight startling statistics such as the fact that people with intellectual disabilities are sexually assaulted at a rate that\’s seven times that of people without disabilities.
To listen to the introductory discussion on NPR, click the link below:
To listen or read transcripts from the complete investigative series, visit the NPR website.
The NPR investigation examines an important reality for people with intellectual disabilities. It also discusses the fact that many of these incidents occur and are kept silent by the victims. As a result, no proper investigation is conducted so those individuals who commit these crimes are brought to justice. Community Ventures Society (CVS) fully supports the investigative series and the message that these criminal acts need to stop and that the silence must be broken.
Posted: January 31, 2018 by cvsadmin
Meet our New Manager of Finance Claudia Cota
Please join me in congratulating Claudia Cota to the Position of Manager of Finance for the Community Ventures Society. Claudia is no stranger to CVS as she previously served as our Finance and Administrative Coordinator from 2014-2016.
Claudia is well educated and has a Bachelor of Education from Babes-Bolyai University, in Romania. She has also recently earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with concentration in Accounting from Simon Fraser University and is currently enrolled in the CPA PEP Program.
Claudia has worked in both the public accounting industry as well as the private enterprise sector.
With a heart for social justice, Claudia has previously worked with children with disabilities in Romanian orphanages, to improve their quality of life through education and life-skills programs. Accordingly, Claudia brings values, skill and leadership to CVS.
Posted: January 25, 2018 by cvsadmin
TransLink Launches Universal Gate Access Program for People with Disabilities
It was announced this week that TransLink will be implementing a new hands-free access program for users who aren\’t physically able to tap a Compass Card at SkyTrain fare gates. This new program will soon be available and individuals will be able to gain access by using a radio-frequency identification card.
The $9 million Universal Fare Gate Access Program, funded by the federal and provincial governments and TransLink, provides eligible customers a radio-frequency identification enabled card (RFID) to automatically open accessible fare gates when they move within range. The card is read by an antenna above the gate and automatically opens without the need to tap a card.
Disability and seniors advocates have been waiting for a permanent solution since the Compass Card was introduced in January 2016. When first introduced, the new tap system was found to prove impossible for use by some passengers. In March 2016 the authority said it had come up with a system where an attendant would be made available to help — or a gate would be left open for those who needed it. Advocates for people with disabilities said gates would be regularly closed with no available attendant, and that sometimes a gate would be open at one end of a station but not the other.
More than 40% of SkyTrain stations with the tap fare gates have been outfitted with the RF readers. By the end of the year, all SkyTrain and SeaBus stations will be equipped with the systems.
Community Ventures Society (CVS) is happy to hear that this has been implemented and will finally be available. Individuals in our community utilize public transit often and having this system will help many individuals out significantly.
The program is now open for applications, please visit translink.ca/opengates for more information or to register.
Posted: January 24, 2018 by cvsadmin
BC Summer Institute – Registration opens Feb 1st!
Save the date- August 20-22, 2018
The Family Support Institute of BC recently announced that it will be hosting its 3rd BC Summer Institute in Vancouver this August 2018.
This 3-day event is designed to provide a robust learning environment that will facilitate strategic approaches to inclusion and belonging for all students in B.C.’s elementary and secondary schools.
The theme for this year\’s conference is Creating the Future: Partnerships for Inclusive Learning. The conference will be held at the University of British Columbia and is intended for individuals who have an interest in inclusive learning and will include teachers, administration, parents, paraprofessionals, therapists and other members of a school-based team.
Topics include:
Community Ventures Society is a proud sponsor of the event and is encouraging people in our community to join this wonderful conference.
Registration opens on February 1st. To find out more about the conference or to register from Feb 1st onward, please visit the BC Summer Institute website.
For all questions, please contact Angela Clancy at 604-540-8374 or
email: [email protected].
Posted: January 23, 2018 by cvsadmin
Million Dollar Sock Entrepreneur Inspiring a Community
At Community Ventures Society (CVS), we are committed to inclusion. We know that when people are able to work in their community it promotes economic and social inclusion. At CVS, we help our members find employment in the local community as well as support members in a range of ventures.
We stumbled on an excellent example of this in action and thought we would share it with our community. John’s Crazy Socks is a father-son venture inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colourful and fun socks. As a company, they have a mission to spread happiness through socks.
Recently, the BBC did a spotlight on John\’s Crazy Socks and highlighted how this crazy idea from John has turned into a million dollar business. Back in 2016, the 21-year-old told his dad, Mark, that he wanted them to start a business when he graduated from high school, but he wasn\’t sure what kind. He chose the sock business as John loved socks and always had worn crazy and colourful socks his whole life. His dad agreed and John\’s Crazy Socks was born.
The business started in 2017 and only a year on, they say they\’ve made US$1.4m in revenue, raised $30,000 for charity, and shipped socks to customers including Canada\’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former US President, George HW Bush.
The best part of this story so far is not only the financial benefits John & Mark have realized but also the social dividends it\’s paid. John\’s Crazy Socks hires people with disabilities and they give 5% of their profits to the Special Olympics. They also have a corporate motto that doing the right thing is the best business, always placing people first – whether that\’s their customers or their employees.
Overall, John\’s Crazy Socks is a great example of what can be possible. CVS continually strives to develop opportunities for its members, that benefit them but also the community at large. In 2018, we hope to focus even more on these efforts so stay tuned.
To learn more about John\’s Crazy Socks, click here or watch the video below:
Posted: January 22, 2018 by cvsadmin
Congratulations to Scott Bewley
Please join me in congratulating Scott Bewley for his appointment to the position of Senior Director of Operations at Kinsight (formerly the Simon Fraser Society for Community Living). Scott\’s last day at CVS will be February 23rd.
Scott has made a significant impact on the Community Ventures Society with his skill and his leadership. His efforts helped us grow in size, we have much better financial systems, and he represented us in the community very well.
We will be sad to see him go and he will be very much missed. Good luck Scott!
Posted: January 19, 2018 by cvsadmin
familyWORKs Meeting
familyWORKs is having a meeting on Monday, January 29th from 7-8:30pm on the topic of Person Centred Planning with the Facilitator Bob Kashyap. Please see the poster below for further information.
Posted: January 19, 2018 by cvsadmin
Join Us for Girl\’s Night!
Our Winter/Spring 2018 sessions are starting in February.
Come hang out with the girls! Join us for our women\’s only group devoted to friendship
building, social skills practice and fun activities. Must be 19 or older. 2018 is set to be a fun year for us all and we are looking at a variety of activities for the upcoming sessions.
A couple of spots have opened up but space is limited. To register or for more information, please contact Holly Calver at [email protected] or 604.939.8070 ext. 2028.
When?
6 sessions will be held every second Monday evening from 6:30-8:00 pm.
February 26th, March 12th, March 26th, April 9th, April 23rd & May 7th
Doors open at 6:15 pm
You need to register for this program – space is limited. There is a $30 registration fee.
Where?
Community Ventures Society, 2322 St. John\’s Street, Port Moody, BC.
For more information on this event or other CVS events, please visit our Events Calendar.
Posted: January 18, 2018 by cvsadmin
Valentine\’s Day is around the corner – Get pampered with DisDaBomb!
Our team in Port Coquitlam has been working hard at making some Valentine\’s bath bomb gifts for teachers or loved ones. These are made in-house in PoCo for our DisDaBomb venture.
Boxes of three DisDaBombs are $10 or single bath bombs are $4 each. If you have several orders we can can do something custom for you. You can choose from all natural essential oils and dye-free or beautifully scented ones with a hint of colour.
To purchase, please email us ([email protected]) with your order.
Thank you to all that have supported us in the past & pick up some bath bombs for Valentine\’s Day!
Posted: January 16, 2018 by cvsadmin
Joanne Friend
Kevin Lusignan, MA
Posted: January 10, 2018 by cvsadmin
National Public Radio (NPR) Investigation Finds Hidden Epidemic of Sexual Assault
NPR launched a radio series on January 8th, detailing its investigation on a silent epidemic occurring across America. The audio episodes share stories of victims of abuse and crime and highlight startling statistics such as the fact that people with intellectual disabilities are sexually assaulted at a rate that\’s seven times that of people without disabilities.
To listen to the introductory discussion on NPR, click the link below:
To listen or read transcripts from the complete investigative series, visit the NPR website.
The NPR investigation examines an important reality for people with intellectual disabilities. It also discusses the fact that many of these incidents occur and are kept silent by the victims. As a result, no proper investigation is conducted so those individuals who commit these crimes are brought to justice. Community Ventures Society (CVS) fully supports the investigative series and the message that these criminal acts need to stop and that the silence must be broken.
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