The ILSM was the Dragon Boat Charity for 2008-2009!
We are thrilled to have been chosen by the Dragon Boat Festival Organization as the charity for 2008 & 2009. As the chosen charity, Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin will receive all of the money raised in pledges!
The Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin officially opened its doors in 2002 with the goal of building an inclusive community for people with varying disabilities. We believe that people are the experts of their lived experiences, and that all people have skills and talents that they can potentially contribute to building a healthy and vibrant community. Our staff and Board of Directors are made up of people with varying lived experiences. Many of us live daily with the realities of varying disabilities, and we work as a very strong team by bringing our diverse experiences, skills and perspectives to the table. Our motto is “Because We Belong,” and our role in this, at the Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin, is to promote and create opportunities for people with disabilities to live empowered and independent lives.
Today we have a membership of over 300, and we have outgrown our current home at 66 Elm Street. All money raised by pledges will go towards helping us to build our new, fully accessible location at 268 Larch Street. This new location will foster the needs of our growing membership, and will house a diversity of projects and programs in our commitment to raising the profile of the disability community in Sudbury / Manitoulin.
We can’t wait to expand our current Active Living Programs such as the Adaptive Rowing Program in partnership with the Sudbury Rowing Club, our Neil Squires Work-Ability Program which encourages employability for people with varying disabilities, and our bi-weekly lunch program which provides an inexpensive healthy lunch, and gets people involved in lunch preparation and healthy food choices. Most importantly, Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin provides a welcoming environment where all people can come in and socialize, meet new people, have a coffee, share a game of cards, read the paper, and chat about life.
So, Thank You to everyone involved in this wonderful community event. Your support is vital to building an accessible and inclusive City of Greater Sudbury for all people!!
We will see you on the water, because we are paddling too
