August 27
Dear EAFWR Community, With September comes the beginning of fall, and Days of Significance that bring renewal, celebration, reflection and remembrance. This month, we highlight Rosh Hashanah, Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Rosh Hashanah – September 11 – 13 Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, celebrating the anniversary of the world’s creation and […]
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August 20
Our 2025-26 Annual Report is here! This report is filled with stories put together by our team that share Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region’s impact over the past year. Some of these stories are about you and the people and families we support. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s report! Read the 2025-26 Annual […]
Read morePosted by Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region, in Adult, Advocacy, Blog, Children, Community, Direct Support People, News, Press & Releases, Youth
August 19
By: Christina Koenig, Community Ambassador When people ask me how I got connected to Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region (EAFWR), I often share a little about my family, my sister, and the support we received when I was growing up. This is what I think of when I think of going back to hello…our family introduction, but […]
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August 19
By: The Community Engagement Team (Kerry Cressman, Avishka Juta and Lisa Stanley) 2025-26 was another exciting year for the Community Engagement Team! We’ve enjoyed connecting with people and families, direct support professionals, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and the wider community. After three successful online auctions in 2021, 2022, and 2024, we were thrilled to bring back […]
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August 19
By: Kim Sproul, Community Development Manager In January 2026, Kitchener-Waterloo Library of Things’ (KWLOT) Support Librarian, Kevin, pointed out how cool it would be if KWLOT hosted a workshop where a group of newbies were able to practice hanging pictures on walls where mistakes don’t matter! The idea was to learn by trying and doing. […]
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August 19
By: The Residential Services Team (Kristen Atkinson, Michelle Boismier, Monserrat Del Carlo, Tanya Feeney, Katie Hagedorn, Jerushia Hoang, Rajwinder Pannu, Carol Ruddick, Kyla Segin and Alexis Smith) Over the past year, the Supported Independent Living (SIL) and FamilyHome (FH) programs at Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region (EAFWR) have been shaped by moments both big and small— each […]
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August 19
By: Rebecca Fowlie, 2RL Progam Manager In 2025-26, we made it a priority to ensure that the people we support had the tools, confidence, and opportunities to become strong self-advocates. We began this journey with a joint Direct Support Person (DSP) and Self-Advocate conference in the spring, creating space for learning, collaboration, and shared experiences. […]
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August 19
By: Trena Barnes and Megan Tadman, Community Participation Services – Ground & Grow Facilitators For most people, ordering a coffee is routine. For others, it can be a significant personal milestone. Through Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region’s (EAFWR) Ground & Grow (G&G) program, one community member transformed what once felt impossible into a moment of independence, confidence, […]
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August 19
By: Haela Von Hatten-Baer, WALES Community Facilitator At Working Adults Learning Empowering Skills (WALES), every journey begins with getting to know the person behind the goals. After we get to know someone, we work with them to create a Person Directed Plan (PDP) based on their wants and needs. The PDP is the foundational plan […]
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August 19
By: Mimi Mahmud, Equity Strategist Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) are not confined to a single strategic priority at EAFWR – they shape how we work, learn, and relate to one another every day. Advisory & Support – Supporting teams through complex, real-time equity questions Tools & Infrastructure – Policy review, data collection, inclusive […]
Read morePosted by Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region, in Story