BECOMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

AUGUST 25, 2020 I SUMMER 2020

HIGHLIGHTS

BeCommunity Art Show The 9th Annual BeCommunity Art Show is now open! Stop by the Spiral Cafe for the month of August and check out some of the fabulous pieces. 100% of the purchase price goes to the artist. Unfortunately due to COVID-19 we were unable to host our usual Opening Night Celebration, but that doesn’t stop us from celebrating our artists’ art together. We hope you enjoy this special video presentation of many of the works hanging (and for sale!) for the month of August at the Spiral Cafe.

View the Highlight Video A small selection of the brilliant pieces available for sale at the Spiral Cafe:

"Summer Haze" by Bernice

"Flowers on a Table" by Claire

"Copenhagen" by Andrea

"Sand and Flowers" by Janice

"Spring" by Julia

"Hampton" by Kenny

"Pink" by Ed

"Dragonfly Breeze" by Jeremy

"Love" by Rosie

"Flowery" by Jenny

"Rainbow Reef" by Chris

"Victor School Playground" by Kyle

Art in the Park We had fantastic weather for this month's OPUS Committee activity. Coined "Art in the Park" we had a great time at Esquimalt Gorge Park painting pieces for the art show. We even added a little sparkle! Thank you to Parkside Coordinator Penny Ann for organizing the event!

BSS Summer BINGO Bonanza This summer, participate in our exciting new contest, BeConnected's BINGO Bonanza! BBQ, exercise, and explore your way to a prize this summer!! It's not too late to participate! Download the card and contest rules here.

Janice & Julia at Beacon Hill Park

George at the Beach

Rosie at the Beach

Challenger Baseball Challenger baseball is back at Hampton Little League! Our players were very excited to get back together and play a shortened summer season this year. Everyone stayed safe with enhanced sanitizing and distancing measures. Thank you to our coaches, buddies, and players for making it such a success!

Summer Harvest Our gardens are blooming! Thanks to the City of Victoria's Get Growing initiative, several of our homes have been growing their own vegetables this year. The harvest has begun with zucchinis, tomatoes, kale, swiss chard, and more!

Andrea's Zucchini Harvest

Christina's Tomato Garden

First harvest at Onyx House

Virtual Training and Meetings As we have been unable to meet in larger groups this year, our leadership team has shifted to Zoom and other virtual platforms for larger meetings within BeConnected and meetings with community partners/colleagues. We've also been able to take advantage of the many webinars offered during this time. Most recently were two webinars hosted by the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria: Black Lives Matter: Addressing Racism in our Organizations and First Steps: How Organizations can Foster Reconciliation.

ONE DAY UPDATE

Usually at this time of year we would be gearing up for our annual OneDay celebration on September 12th. Unfortunately the OneDay Planning Committee had to make the difficult decision to cancel this years event due to COVID-19 restrictions. The purpose of OneDay is to celebrate the diversity in our community and break the barriers that often result in social isolation through the planning of a free family-oriented event. While this years event has been cancelled, the spirit of OneDay lives on and we hope to be back celebrating with you in 2021!

Connect with us on Facebook and share your favourite OneDay memory!

COVID-19 UPDATE

BeConnected's COVID-19 Response BeConnected has been working hard to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our individuals, families, and personnel. We thank all of our hardworking employees who have been exceptional during this trying time. The health and wellbeing of our individuals and personnel is paramount. We continue to monitor the evolving situation and update our plans and protocols according to the latest information provided by our regulatory bodies. We have procured a healthy supply of personal protective equipment, sanitizer, and other cleaning solutions to help keep everyone safe. Our most current information is available on our website. Visit our dedicated COVID-19 Update Page.

Financial Supports for People with Disabilities The BC COVID-19 supplement for individuals who receive PWD has been extended through December. Individuals who are not collecting EI or CERB during this time will automatically receive and extra $300 on their cheque. For more information, visit the BC Government's website. The federal government has also announced a one time $600 payment for people with disabilities. The payment, expected to be sent to people in the fall, is meant to help with the extra costs faced by people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit the Government of Canada's website.

CLBC Update for Individuals and Families CLBC has continued to provide weekly updates for Individuals and Families. Find current and past updates on the CLBC website.

Kristen Kay Director, Programs and Service Quality BeConnected Support Services Head Office 240-4243 Glanford Ave | Victoria, BC | V8X 2J5 Ph: 250.727.3891 | Fx: 250.721.2571 | office@beconnectedsupport.ca Duncan Office 202-321 Festubert St | Duncan, BC | V9L 3T1 Ph: 250.748.3858 | Fx: 250.748.3859

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