This week we welcomed guest speaker Alexandria Fisher and Catherine Shanahan from Family Respite Services to join us for an informative presentation and discussion about the upcoming initiatives of the FRS!

They work with 1200 families in Windsor-Essex, caring for children and youth with disabilities in our community. They create individualized, flexible, family centre, respire support plans for their clients' ages 0-18 years.
 
Families apply for funding and then access specific programs based on the family and the child’s needs.
 
They have 600, Direct Support Providers to work one-on-one with a child with disabilities in the family home or in the community to ensure that parents get a much-needed break and children engage in meaningful activities. They also work with various community partners, including the City of Windsor, Town of Lasalle and Lakeshore, The Town of Leamington, so that children with disabilities can register for community programs at seven local community centres. There are also 2 Respite homes where children can stay for a weekend or regularly.
 
They are constantly seeking extra Direct Support Workers. Visit their website to learn more about the position and to apply.
 
They are excited about the construction of a new accessible respite home. To build this new home, they are looking to raise an additional $225,000 to complete the project.
 
They are grateful for the support that Rotary has provided, and they look forward to furthering opportunities to collaborate in the future.