Dear Friends,

Every day at Ometz, we meet people with a desire to get back on their feet, take control of their life and move forward.

Our work is possible because of generous donors, volunteers, and community advocates who empower us to quickly and compassionately do what we do best: support our community during this unprecedented time. Thank you!

Nothing About Us, Without Us

This month we are turning our attention to the individuals and groups in our community who have faced added challenges during the pandemic: families of children and young adults with disabilities.

The phrase “Nothing About Us, Without Us” is an empowering mantra that has fueled the disability rights movement over the years—and is also the theme of a webinar we are proud to be co-hosting this month, along with several community organizations based in both Montreal and Toronto.

Generously sponsored by The Azrieli Foundation, Disabilities & Opportunity in a Pandemic will look specifically at the challenges and available resources for families who have a youth or young adult child living with a brain-based disability (including but not limited to Autism Spectrum Disorders). At a time when their usual support structures have crumbled, many parents find themselves feeling isolated, stressed and overwhelmed when they need more support than ever to deal with the loss of routine, heightened anxiety and other challenges created by the pandemic.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Paul Karwatsky (formerly of CTV News Montreal and now with Giant Steps School), and showcase the stories and lived experiences of a parent and young adult, along with the expertise of some of Canada’s leading researchers—namely Dr. Yona Lunsky of Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Dr. Tara Flanagan of McGill University. The evening promises to be informative, inspiring and uplifting—offering hope for families during these uncertain times.

One Step at a Time

To that end, we are pleased to share this video on our award-winning Small Steps Program, a summer day camp designed to meet the needs of children between the ages of 4 to 12 years-old with mild to moderate neurodevelopmental challenges.

Done in partnership with both YCC Day Camp and McGill University, Small Steps is going on 10 years of providing children with intensive occupational, speech and language therapies—all while encouraging friendships, skill development, independence and fun! Due to the unusual circumstances, this past summer, our team was able to pivot and successfully offer the program virtually via Zoom.

Thinking of you

While the world around us is changing, our commitment to you and our community is not. Thank you for believing in the work we do.
If you or anybody you know needs our services, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With our best wishes,

Michael Aronovici
President, Ometz

Dominique McCaughey
Chief Executive Officer, Ometz

Make a year-end gift to the Ometz Hanukkah Fund.
Your support makes a positive impact on the lives of children and families in our community.