Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44FOCUS - FEBRUARY 2017 11 to make them feel safe and valued as individuals. For example, one gentle- man who was non-verbal was given an ipad so he could communicate. This made a world of difference for him, even for little things like being able to independently order his own coffee at Tim Hortons. The keyword is “respect,” Tracy noted. CLDN has come a long way since March of 1967, when a group of local parents rallied to establish Central Seven School for the Mentally Re- tarded* for six children with intellec- tual disabilities who were not being served by the public school system. There’s been vast improvements in care, name changes and extensive growth over the past half a century. On July 9, 2004, when Central Seven (a reference to the seven counties) was renamed CLDN, there were ten group homes in North Durham. When the sheltered workshop known as Central Seven Industries opened on Reach Street on Sept. 19, 1979, the budget was $123,000. This initiative supported 25 people. It was shut down 15 years ago, and now this building serves as a community hub for CLDN. Now there are 17 group homes throughout Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock townships, and a budget of $11 million dollars for 2017. One of the major employers in North Durham, 260 CLDN staff members currently supports 300 individuals. Comparatively, the budget was $2.4 million in 1997. But the biggest change seems to be in attitude and philosophy. The CLDN vision is: “Acommunity where everyone is valued.” “We give people an opportunity to have a good life,” Deb explained. “We assist them.” While some people served by CLDN are housed in group homes staffed by well-trained and caring individuals, others are supported in family settings. Respite services are offered for youth and adults. There are long waiting lists for services. “Our roots run deep,” Deb em- phasized. Dedicated board members throughout the years include repre- sentation from the business commu- nity and parents, where it all began. CLDN is a non-profit organization, financially supported by the Ministry of Community and Social Services, plus funding from the United Way, the Trillium Foundation and other donors. The sole fundraiser is Jamie’s Dream Gala, named in honour of the late Jamie Ross, a former Board Presi- dent “with a heart of gold.” He was a ...................... Please turn to page 12 As time evolved, the name was changed to Central Seven Association for the Mentally Handicapped and in May of 1986 this new board of directors held a meeting. Members were, from left front, Don Shier, Chuck Preston, past president; Ron Deeth, Pauline Nealon, and Dr. Eva Mueller. Back row left, Joe Baxter, Barb McCormick, Yvonne Christie, John Wolters, Orville Westgarth and Chuck Dewhirst. The board would then choose a new chairman at their next meeting, for a two-year term. 1918 Scugog Street, Port Perry (across from Vos’) 905-985-2451 OMESTEAD HFURNITURE & APPLIANCES HARDWOOD & LAMINATE FLOORING • WINDOW COVERINGS @HomesteadFnA