Harmony In Action Tackles Housing Challenges For Adults With Disabilities
Among the many challenges that parents of children with developmental disabilities face, there is another hurdle that needs to be addressed — being an aging caregiver.
It’s a cold reality for families who must ask, “What happens to my child when I die?”
Parents are caring for disabled children at a time when mom and dad might need care themselves.
There are few options for adults aging with a disability, so many end up in nursing homes. Social housing is also unattainable for many.
Along with the massive waiting list for affordable housing in Windsor Essex, many adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities require around-the-clock care.
“It’s a crisis,” declares Elizabeth Esposito, Executive Director of Harmony In Action, a charitable non-profit organization situated at 3335 Woodward Blvd. in Windsor, that provides day support opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Esposito speaks with parents every day about the lack of housing support available.
“It’s always on your mind,” adds Dianne Serran, President of Harmony In Action’s Board of Directors and a parent of two children on the spectrum. “What happens when I’m gone?”
Serran, 60, a retiree of the Greater Essex County District School Board, says that nursing homes are not the answer considering the type of care and activities provided, as well as the loss of connections within the community.
“The future is grim,” she comments for a community that she feels is overlooked.
With a better future in mind, this fall, Harmony In Action launches a new capital campaign.
There is a huge demand for the organization’s day program and with resources already on site, the goal is to build small homes to allow residents to live on the Windsor property.
“We want it to be a very inclusive surrounding for them,” says Esposito who hopes to create all-encompassing support for their participants.
She needs this solution to be ready in four years, as many participants who attended when they were six or seven years old, are now entering their 50s!
Originally created in 1981, Harmony In Action is the longest-running day program in the community.
It started as an informal way for friends to meet and allow their disabled children to build friendships through weekly activities, and blossomed into a valuable resource for individuals to build connections, facilitate personal growth and independent skills, and participate actively in the community.
Esposito earned her Masters’ in Social Work from the University of Michigan and originally worked in child welfare and psychiatric social work. After a number of years, she wanted to make a change, but still wanted to focus on helping.
In December of 2006, Esposito joined as Executive Director when the organization was located in the Novelletto Rosati Sports & Recreation Complex and had 35 participants.
Now there are 67 participants who attend the extensive programming at Harmony In Action’s location in the former St. Christopher’s Church, acquired in May 2010.
For its new home, the organization was creative and utilized government funding, fundraising, and a partnership with Habitat for Humanity to renovate.
As Windsor prepared to build its super highway, Habitat went into expropriated homes and removed useable materials like flooring and countertops.
“We had to find what we could,” Esposito indicates.
They also hired a contractor and worked with Habitat for Humanity to provide work experience for individuals who wanted to learn construction. The workers did the renovations under the contractor’s supervision.
The church property also came with a second building, an old army barracks.
In November 2011, Harmony took advantage of the Toldo Foundation’s matching program; with $100,000 raised and Toldo giving an additional $100,000, Esposito and her team were able to arrange for renovations on what is now the Toldo Recreational Complex.
The building houses regular activities for the organization and is also made available to seniors’ groups within the community.
For Serran, awareness is key and bringing people from the community (like the seniors) in to see what Harmony does is vital to making change.
“Youth with disabilities are in our community and schools, so the visibility is there, but when they leave school, that visibility of adults with mental disability changes,” she states. “They are forgotten.”
Like many Canadian parents, Serran experienced first-hand the struggles with a lack of resources for disabilities.
She believes there is a misconception that the government takes care of children — but they do not.
At 21, when her son, Dale, and daughter, Lisa, were too old for high school, Serran had to find somewhere for them to go.
“Changes are very difficult for them,” she stresses.
After reviewing other programs in the area, Serran chose Harmony In Action and calls it a “godsend”. After just one month of participating, she saw the benefits of the day program and was happy to see her children with their peers again enjoying activities.
“It was nice to have them feel like a part of things again,” Serran states. “It gives them a sense of normality.”
Participants attend on any number of days to work on cooking and food prep, build skills like math and literacy, practice communication, do arts and crafts, explore the outside world, utilize the accessible playground, and work on their physical fitness.
Classes are designed to engage participants of varying abilities and focus on what families identify as their child’s greatest need.
