Seventy years of service, visibility and advocacy

Rosemary Couture (left) and daughter Siobhan take in the memories at Community Living Tillsonburg's archival event, celebrating 70 years of service, growth and visibility. (Robin Krafft Photo)

Robin Krafft, Post Contributor

Community Living Tillsonburg held an event at the Tillsonburg Town Centre on Oct. 16, displaying highlights in celebration of 70 years in the community.

Town residents and shoppers stopped to explore and share conversations, stories, memories and milestones. The non-profit organization "works with people with intellectual disabilities to ensure they are included in their community and enjoy active and productive lives." (communitylivingtillsonburg.ca)

Community Living Tillsonburg (CLT) was originally initiated by families in the 1950s who refused to institutionalize their children, which was the common recommendation at the time. Some individuals who endured years of institutional care now live here in Tillsonburg and are supported by Community Living. Board of directors president Doug Cooper said that "they are still dealing with that trauma, some won't even talk about it."

"It's important to share our stories about people with intellectual disabilities for the community to see the struggles they've gone through," Cooper said, "particularly over the last few years and the closing of institutions."

Several organizations, including Community Living Ontario, all worked together to get those institutions closed.

"People were just housed," Cooper said, "and there are horrific stories of abuse. Children were dropped off, and their families never saw them again. We must never go back, and we're always on guard to make sure that never happens. We have proved that they can contribute to society."

While the name of the organization and its mission statement have changed over the years, its compassionate mandate has never wavered.

"The name has changed to reflect our changing understanding and a more evolved approach to the people we support,” Cooper said.

"Building inclusive communities by promoting acceptance" is their current mission statement and the vision is to achieve "a community where everyone is included." CLT’s long history of ensuring that people are being seen rather than shut away has had a significant impact on the community.

"Tillsonburg is more tolerant than other communities," Cooper noted, "and the town always raises our flag during Community Living month in May."

Raising awareness is important, but Community Living does so much more, connecting families and individuals with supportive services. As an umbrella organization, it’s associated with over 200 agencies. Some of the services offered include: family support services, accommodation services, the Tillsonburg Children’s Centre, and community participation.

"Services have changed over the years," Cooper said. "We used to have the farm, now we have Enterprise. We have contracts with different companies; we train, and our employees go out and do the work for them. We're one of the largest employees in town and we've had a huge impact on the community."

Vice Chair Rosemary Couture and her daughter Siobhan stopped by to look at all the photos and reminisce. Rosemary pointed out a newspaper clipping about a walkathon fundraiser.

"I remember doing this walk in 1971 and the blisters I had after,” she recounted. “That's when it was ARC Industries out in the country. There are a lot of memories here."

Siobhan was involved with mentoring high school students, a program that just started back up called Student Links. She values the opportunity to encourage teens to stay in school and have aspirations for college and careers.

"They belong to the community," Rosemary said. "They are just like you and me. You should never be ashamed of who you are."