Blog

by Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner How Do You Know What the Right Type of Furniture Is? Choosing the right furniture for your group home is not an easy decision. Durability and price point are often the deciding factors when buying furniture. Something that can stand the rigors of group home living on a limited […]

By Mindy Bonderofff, SARC Facilitator of Education and Training Leap, SARC’s management skills development program which is intended for senior management and Executive Directors, is beginning its seventh year this September! Over these last seven years, the program has been updated, revised, and sessions have been added; however, the program itself remains constant – an […]

By Lisa Malowany, SARC Program Manager and Trainer This week of May 4-10 has been proclaimed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) as Mental Health Week. Every year, CMHA ties a different theme to the week to help raise awareness of a different mental health topic. This year’s theme is #GetReal.  When you greet someone, what is one of the first things they ask? Usually it’s something like, “How’re you doing?” with a typical response being, “I’m […]

By SARC Facility Planner, Don Epp During my time as Facility Planner with SARC, I have had the good fortune to visit many of the group homes in the province. One question that I have often been asked during my visits is, “What can I do with the unfinished basement?” Bare concrete walls, exposed floor […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner Taking an Opportunity to Perform Some Overdue Tasks  During the Covid-19 pandemic, many organizations are closing their buildings to help slow the transmission of the coronavirus. Social-distancing is the new normal and the protection and safety of the clients and staff who would normally occupy these buildings is the highest priority for community-based organizations.  While your […]

by Lori Morphy, SARC Trainer/Resource Developer Recently, SARC was pleased to partner with the National Task Group (NTG) Canadian Consortium to offer a workshop and Train-the-Trainer session for NTG Dementia Capable Care of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.  This is the first time this training has been offered in Saskatchewan. It was a full house at SARC’s training centre as people from across the province attended the two-day workshop, as […]

By Lisa Malowany, Program Manager and Trainer Without a doubt, we are facing a time in our world that we have never seen before with the COVID-19 pandemic.  There are so many things happening and the news and updates seem to come at us at lightning speed.  This can produce feelings of anxiety in many of us and we may be left wondering what to do.  Then, […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner What Does Aging in Place Mean? Aging in place has become a catchphrase in the housing industry. It is a response to the need that people want to live in their home for as long as they can. More specifically, aging in place is the ability to live in […]

By Amy Janzen, SARC Communications Coordinator Marketing for Your Nonprofit Organiztion: Why Should Do It If you’re running a nonprofit, you likely have a lot going on beyond marketing your organization. Perhaps you find it daunting to tackle all the things that other organizations are doing. Maybe you’re doing some things to promote your organization […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner You’ll remember from the previous two blogs in this series how we discussed the importance of a good plan, scope of work, and a budget. We were able to get some good quotes and find a qualified contractor. Now that the details of the price and contract have been […]

By Lori Morphy, SARC Trainer & Resource Developer   Stride offers a unique ‘blended-learning’ format, which means there are both online and in-person components that appeal to a variety of learners and learning styles. There are options for reading and listening to content, videos, links to documents and resources, group discussions and activities, and the hands-on demonstration of learning.   It’s engaging and full of information that Direct Support Professionals will need to support people experiencing disability, including person-centred practices, supporting choice and […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner Why You Need a Contractor In the last article, we left the renovation project with a sound budget, accurate drawings, and a detailed plan. All we need now is a contractor to do the work; finding the right contractor will make all the difference in your renovation project. In […]

By Amy Janzen, SARC Communications Coordinator From Shaunavon to North Battleford (and a few places in between), we travelled across the province to spend some full and fantastic days with many incredible people. The SARC Awards are an opportunity for our Members to acknowledge people from their community whose commitment to community building, volunteer efforts, […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner Every home or building owner knows that renovations are a necessity for their building over the course of time. Items wear out, the purpose of rooms change, or the needs of the people using the space have adjusted. Renovations can replace items at the end of their lifespan, rejuvenate […]

By Lisa Malowany, SARC Program Manager and Trainer If you asked Maggie Zacharias, “Do you want the people who support you to go home safe from work?” or “Do you like helping Train staff to be safe?” her answer is an enthusiastic, “Yep, I do!” Let us tell you about Maggie and how she has […]

By Joy McKinnon, SETI Coorindator For the past 8 years, SARC has been celebrating October as Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM).  October is just around the corner, so it’s time to start planning for DEAM!  Last year we noticed a huge increase in the number of organizations engaging in DEAM, but think we can do […]

Filling a position with the perfect candidate isn’t always the easiest task: how to locate the right candidate and ensure that they have the right qualifications, experience, and attitude to fit your organization’s needs can feel daunting. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top five ways that your organization can market your job […]

Upon entering CLASI’s new space in Saskatoon, I am immediately greeted by many smiling faces, a bright atmosphere, and a clearly fun environment. In one corner, there’s a karaoke machine set up, displaying bright, alternating lights; along one wall is a collection of games, supplies for colouring, and various activities that will keep the frequent […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner The Government of Canada has declared the last week in May (May 26 – June 1) as National AccessAbility Week. The goal is to promote accessibility and inclusion across our country through our communities. Accessibility and inclusion are important topics in the Disability Services sector and creating more accessible spaces […]

By Kari Boudreau, SARC Education & Training Assistant When Abilities Manitoba’s Board of Directors and their Executive Director, Margo Powell, chose to enroll in SARC’s ELEVATE program, they understood that they would be supplementing their current knowledge and gaining more awareness of their governance role. ELEVATE is a prgram that is specifically designed for nonprofit […]