Look who's got a new name and new look

Community Living North Bay Executive Director Rhéal Thorn takes a moment to thank the agency's biggest supporter Jean Dellandrea. Dellandrea has worked tirelessly on the betterment of the agency and its clients since day one.

Staff, board members and community partners of the North Bay and District Association for Community Living gathered at the Davedi on Airport Thursday night to unveil the agency’s new name and logo.

“We are announcing our name change Community Living North Bay,” says Executive Director Rhéal Thorn of the process that took over a year to complete.

“And we are trying to signal to the community that we’ve changed some of the things that we are doing, we’re trying to get closer to Community Living Ontario.”

The agency, which provides support for people with developmental challenges and their families, started from humble beginnings in 1954 and has continued to change, grow and adapt to the times and needs of the clients they serve.

Thorn says moving closer to Community Living Ontario isn’t just about the provincial like mindedness but alleviates confusion for families who are moving to the area who are looking for service.

“Community Living is what it is really all about ... before we used to be concerned with 4 walls and life skills programs, sheltered industries, group homes,” He explains.

“Now what we are trying to do is we are trying to assist people to live independently as possible in the community and that means having real jobs and real homes.”

“So the times are changing and we are trying to change with them.”

Thorn says the agency is still working towards securing funding to accommodate the waitlist for services that they have in the city.

“Our waiting list is a mixture of about a hundred people that are still waiting for services of various kinds.”

“I think any organisation today does have waiting lists because we don’t have all the funding that we would like, but we do get our fair share and we have to protect the people that we already supporting and it is a slow process unfortunately.”

But Thorn says they are not just looking to the various levels of government to help the agency’s clients realise true community living the private sector can play a role as well.

“What we are trying to do is get out of the fact that we are the be all and end all for people ... we want the community to do their part as far as helping people with disabilities.”

“And I think you judge communities today by what they do for what they do for people with disabilities so it’s not just an agency that’s helping people it’s all of us together making it easier for people to live independently,” he adds.