2023–2024 Annual Report

Vision

Our VISION, guided by our prophetic tradition and embodying the concepts of Tzedek (justice/equity) and Kehilla (community), is a vision of what human life should be, concerned with the full enhancement of human, and above all, social life. Absent of community and personal respect, we can become isolated.

Our dedication to building a robust and supportive community has never been stronger. This year, after the terrorist attack on Israel, we reached out to our peer agencies in Israel to offer empathy and a supportive shoulder as they struggled to continue providing support for their individuals under impossible conditions. We held four province wide multiagency meetings that revealed some of the heartbreaking situations that people with developmental disabilities currently face and the impact on all Israelis of every faith and culture. We thank the 54 agencies who joined us in these sessions.

Reena continues to follow its values based on Hillel’s quote of, “if I am not for myself, who will be? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” By identifying the priority needs expressed by families and individuals, we continue to seek ways to improve ourselves and then make sure to help others do the same.

This year we have continued our priority work to help the Developmental Services sector through:

• Quality Care: hosted in person and online training sessions to improve care provider skills,
• Housing: we advocated nationally and locally, providing guidance and practical support to over 12 agencies in the last year
• Health: We co-chair the provincial work group on developmental services, with a particular focus on mental health, where we are modelling best practices in transitional and supportive housing. This year, we played a key role in rolling out a national program supporting aging and dementia, leading a nationwide effort to educate and train others to meet the needs of our seniors.

These are just a few of the many leadership roles we have taken, including chairing the OASIS Business Resource Committee, co- chairing Western York Region Ontario Health team, chairing the Intentional Community Consortium, the expansion of GReena, setting new sustainability targets and modelling for others the benefits of developing a sustainability strategy, and so much more.

Advocacy and the New Frankfort Family Reena Residence

Over the past year, advocacy efforts have focused on increasing the housing supply for those with diverse abilities at all levels of government, with a particular emphasis on working with the provincial government and municipalities to include individuals with diverse abilities in their new building and funding programs. As founding and lead organization of the expanding Intentional Community Consortium, Reena has been directly assisting many developmental service organizations with their building plans. Advocacy has also included several speaking engagements, championing our positions to key stakeholders and hosting many visits to the Lou Fruitman Reena Residence by Ministers and elected officials at all levels of government on a frequent basis.

As a result of our advocacy work, we are delighted that the City of Toronto included the Frankfort Family Reena Residence as one of their projects with the Canadian Mortgage and Home Corporation (CMHC) for funding through the Rapid Housing Initiative. This led to the federal government and the City of Toronto announcing funding of almost $44M to ensure that the Frankfort Family Reena Residence would be built and provide 168 individuals with deeply affordable, supportive housing.

Our GReena initiative has seen tremendous progress through collaboration with local organizations, fostering environmental sustainability projects, creating healthier, greener spaces for everyone in our community to enjoy, and even developing the foundations to monetize some of the learned experiences of the hydroponic farm.

Programs

Reena continues to provide a variety of residential, community participation, mental health, aging, crisis supports, respite, social work, recreational, outreach, employment and camp programs.

Achievements and Progress

Our Community Participation programs provide meaningful daily activities for individuals both within Reena and the community. We also offer drop-in programs at multiple locations, with registration required. In addition, we have scheduled day programs at many community locations both north and south, including the Battle Centre, Sandy Keshen Reena Residence, Lou Fruitman Reena Residence, Beth Sholom Synagogue, Vaughan Road Academy, and Jewish Vocational Services (JVS).

Reena’s respite program continues to expand, with the adult respite unit at Lou Fruitman Reena Residence which opened in May 2024. The program currently supports 70 families and continues to add additional families to the roster.

Reena’s residential programs continue to offer unique, specialized and innovative living environments to many individuals. This includes our Intentional Community apartments, elder homes, and specially designed homes for individuals with behavioural challenges. This year we have embarked on a new challenge; to support individuals with dual diagnosis who have been living at CAMH without ability to move back to live in their communities. This intensive project is a collaborative effort between many teams from various organizations.

Quality Assurance

Reena’s commitment to quality and continuous improvement is demonstrated through Accreditation and MCCSS compliance.

In 2024, Reena was awarded a 4-year re-accreditation by FOCUS Accreditation, recognizing its adherence to the 2023 FOCUS Accreditation Standards. This achievement was made possible by the collaborative efforts of all Reena stakeholders who contributed through documentation, surveys, interviews and site visits, demonstrating Reena’s commitment to quality and continuous improvement.

In August 2023, Reena was successful in its annual MCCSS compliance.

Following the successful implementation of our “Beyond 20/20” strategic plan, Reena is now looking ahead to our next chapter of growth and innovation. We are excited to announce that we have initiated the planning process for our upcoming strategic plan for 2025-2030. As we embark on this new journey, we look forward to engaging with our stakeholders and the broader community to shape a strategic vision that will take Reena into the future.

Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, we are filled with a sense of mixed emotions. On the one hand are the aspirations and hope articulated in the vision of our government’s “Journey to Belonging”, with its focus on choice and belonging. On the other hand we watch as access and affordability for housing, health services and day supports becomes more challenging.

No matter the changes or pressures, Reena remains steadfast in our commitment to build and support inclusive communities where those with disabilities feel supported and safe.

Our strength as a community lies in our mutual responsibility and care for one another, especially for those who are most vulnerable. Through our collective efforts, we will continue to build a brighter future for all.