August 19th, 2026
Year in Review: 2025-26
2025-26 marks a year of growth, reflection, and a renewed focus on connection, centering relationships and belonging at the heart of our work.
This focus continues to guide our 2024–27 Strategic Plan, where ideas and shared aspirations are taking shape through the dedication and creativity of our staff team. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) remains deeply woven into this work. Throughout the year, we continued to recognize culturally and spiritually significant days, creating space for learning, reflection, and celebration. These moments, alongside our Strategic Plan work, help ensure our values are not only spoken, but lived in our day‑to‑day work.
Advocacy has also remained a strong and consistent thread. We continued to connect with local MPs and MPPs, raising awareness of issues impacting the people and families we support. From amplifying Community Living Ontario’s #WaitingToBelong campaign, to raising awareness about the Disability Tax Credit and Canada Disability Benefit, we used our collective voice to push for meaningful change. In May, representatives joined Community Living Day at Queen’s Park, an opportunity to stand alongside others from across the province, engage in dialogue, and carry these important conversations forward.
This year also brought progress in creating spaces where people can live and belong. A new partnership with Union Co‑operative Housing — part of Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region’s BUILD NOW project — will provide affordable homes for 10 adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities in its University Avenue project in Waterloo. Our continued work with the Shared Living Collective Waterloo Region is raising awareness and encouraging people to explore shared community living.
We also took time to look inward. In partnership with Capacity Canada, staff engagement sessions created space to reflect on who we are, how we work, and where we are going. These conversations are helping shape a future grounded in flexibility, accessibility, and deeper community connection, especially as we consider where we will be next.
At the heart of it all are the people we support. This year, we welcomed new families to our services, joining them as they pursue their goals. Creativity continues to open new doors, through initiatives like Supported Extended Experiences and Discoveries, and growing partnerships with the Kitchener and Cambridge Public Libraries. Our expanded Caregiver Connection Groups for Special Services at Home waitlist families offer spaces for caregivers to connect and for children to grow their confidence and independence. These moments build connection, spark possibility, and create a sense of belonging.
We were honoured to receive two Ontario Trillium Foundation grants, supporting both the expansion of the Kitchener-Waterloo Library of Things and growing the Employable Skills Development Program. These investments will create more inclusive opportunities for people to build skills, gain experience, and pursue meaningful employment.
As we look ahead, we celebrate an important milestone—2026 marks EAFWR’s 45th anniversary. What began in 1981 around a kitchen table, with parents coming together to create connection and community, has grown into an organization supporting nearly 3,000 children and adults. This growth reflects our enduring commitment to fostering inclusion, connection, and opportunities for people to live fully and meaningfully.
Throughout the year, our work has reflected a spirit of “going back to hello”—returning to connection, strengthening relationships, and creating opportunities across our community. Each step we take continues to support people in building meaningful lives, rooted in inclusion, connection, and belonging.
Serving the community together,
Allan Mills
Executive Director