RAPID's new website now up and running

RAPID's website is now up and running.

It is located at the same address that the previous, simple web page was at, www.rapidsouthshore.org.

The link is also available here in the side bar.

The website provides an overview of RAPID's services, activities, fundraising initiatives, contact information and links.

If you have any information that you would like to appear on the website, or have any suggestions or comments, you are most welcome to submit your ideas via email or even add them here below in the form of a comment.

Rapid to Participate in EMSB Special Needs Fair April 12

Rapid (Resources for the Anglophone Population with Intellectual Disabilities) will be represented at a public Special Needs Resource Fair hosted by John Grant and Paul VI High Schools, in collaboration with the English Montreal School Board and Inspirations Newspaper.

It will take place at the EMSB Administration building (6000 Fielding Avenue) in NDG on Thursday, April 12 (7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) John Grant and Paul VI cater to students with special needs. Their mandate is to encourage personal and academic growth for all learners, regardless of the challenges they face. The Transitioning Towards Independence Resource Fair will bring together a variety of resources for parents, family members, teachers and caregivers of students of all ages with learning difficulties and/or special needs.

The goal of Rapid's participation in this event will be to raise the south shore non-profit organization's profile in the Greater Montreal region, to establish relations and contacts with key service providers and resources in the special needs sector, and to keep well-informed about ongoing innovations. 

Making all of these resources available under one roof will enable parents/guardians and teachers to make better informed life decisions for their special needs child or student.

A Father's Promise - Download Don Hasting's song, I Wish

You may have seen the touching video on youtube, A Father's Promise, by Antoinette Salera.

The video tells the story of her son James, who was born with a brain malformation, and the promise his father made to always be there for him.

Sadly, James' father, Don Hastings, passed away from lung cancer in 2005 and has been unable to keep his promise until now.

The song Don Hastings wrote for his son, I Wish, can now be downloaded on cdbaby. Every time someone downloads this song, a large portion of the price will go towards a respite / educational / social / activity centre for special needs children and adults on the south shore area of Montreal.

This link takes you directly to the page where you can download the song: Don Hastings 'I Wish' on CD Baby. It is also on itunes.

As the price of downloading is only 99 cents, obviously this initiative will need to receive mass exposure and support in order to be successful, so please spread the news!

The project is being supported by RAPID, and of course any donations over and above downloading the song are gratefully accepted. Contributors of donations over the amount of $20 will be provided by RAPID with official tax receipt. Tax deductible donations to Rapid can be made through Rapid members or directly online at CanadaHelps.

Associated with this project is an initiative called POEMS (Parents Organizing Educational Missions Through Songs), which was also the creation of Antoinette. With the background of both Antoinette and her late husband Don Hastings both being educators, combined with the real and present needs of our special needs community, and the magic of song, the opportunities and potential for POEMS are huge! For more information, please refer to www.poemsorg.com.

Further information will be published on this site and also on the Rapid South Shore facebook group page, which all concerned individuals are encouraged to join.. 

Rapid to Launch New Phase of Growth at Next Meeting Wednesday, Feb. 15

All interested parties are invited to attend the next Rapid meeting, to be held this coming Wednesday, February 15, at ARSDI in St. Lambert, 240 St. Laurent St.

Rapid has already initiated a number of services and strategic partnerships and we are now presented with new and interesting fundraising and programming opportunities. Please attend if you would like to contribute to improving services to kids and adults with special needs on the South Shore.

Rapid's service area is the entire south shore of the Montreal region, including most of the territory covered by Riverside and New Frontiers School Boards. Rapid caters specifically to anglophone families who have members with intellectual difficulties, however is open to welcoming people of all language backgrounds and all types of special needs.

RAPID Gets Official Charitable Organization Status

RAPID has now received its charitable organization status and federal tax number, after years of perseverance.

RAPID, or "Resources for the Anglophone Population with Intellectual Disabilities", is a south shore (Montreal) based non-profit organization whose mission is to facilitate services, communication and support for members of its community.

With its charitable status, RAPID will now be able to issue official tax receipts for donations, which effectively puts it into the big leagues in terms of credibility. Not only will RAPID have a much better chance of receiving donations from companies or large corporations, it will also be in a position to receive support from charitable foundations.

During the time that the application for charitable status has been in the works, RAPID has had the opportunity to conduct needs and interest surveys within its community and have accumulated substantial data, which gives them a good idea of how current services are lacking.

RAPID's recognition as a charitable organization was officially announced at the Annual General Meeting held June 15.

RAPID ARSDI joint Open House Set for Feb. 21 in St. Lambert

The joint RAPID - ARSDI (L’Association de la Rive-Sud pour la Déficience Intellectuelle) open house will be held Monday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., at the ARSDI office in St. Lambert at 240 Saint-Laurent.

 The Open House will include a financial planning seminar specially designed for people with special needs in the household. There will also be information tables from both ARSDI and RAPID, as well as a chance to see the ARSDI facilities first hand.

There will also be a town hall type session, where a new survey will be presented with the objective of learning more about the type of services that the community needs.

Rapid-ARSDI Open House - first event of 2011 in final planning

Watch for news of the first RAPID event for 2011 - It will be a joint Open House with ARSDI (L’Association de la Rive-Sud pour la Déficience Intellectuelle) - date and time TBA mid-late February. There is also planned to be a financial planning seminar with a focus on special needs issues held in conjunction with this open house. Stay tuned for further news!

Rapid Meeting

The next Rapid meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 11, 5 p.m. at the ARSDI. Major item of discussion will be the Open House now in planning for the latter part of February.

Next RAPID meeting Dec. 1, 7 p.m. at ARSDI

The next RAPID meeting will be held Dec. 1 at 7:00 p.m. at the ARSDI building in St. Lambert. RAPID stands for "Resources for the Anglophone Population with Intellectual Disabilities."

Comedy Nest Fundraising Event a Great Success for RAPID

The comics were on top of their game, the joint was packed, everyone had a great time and all the tickets were sold, with a few possible exceptions - final tallies to come. The event in support of kids and families with special needs / intellectual difficulties in the Montreal south shore area was termed a great success by organizers.

You couldn't ask for much more from a fundraiser evening so kudos to all involved. The Comedy Nest, the RAPID volunteer ticket selling "machine" and the four excellent Canadian comics, headlined by Jay Malone, who is now working out of LA. Let's just put it this way: further biographical details of the comics, as revealed during the performances, fall under the category of "what happens at the Comedy Nest..." you get the picture!

   

Special Needs Resources - Which is the Chicken and Which is the Egg?

As RAPID has grown and evolved, we have experienced some interesting results.

For example, we established years ago, literally, that there is a shortage of services in English for kids with special needs in the South Shore Montreal area (as if there were ever any doubt).

After all, this was the whole reason for establishing RAPID (Resources for the Anglophone Population with Intellectual Disabilities) in the first place.

Meanwhile, we have gotten to a place where we are now able to offer some services that have not been available in the past, such as ped day day camps or summer day camps for English-speaking kids with special needs.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, it seems like the programs we have offered or co-offered with other service providers so far have had limited enrollment.

Whether there have been price issues, scheduling conflicts, or people have just gotten used to their own homemade solutions, we have learned that there is a gap between offering a service and having it well utilized.

Another piece of the puzzle is that, after years of people just "getting by", we suddenly throw a service out there with a price, a registration deadline and a certain marketing approach, basically on a one-shot deal.

Perhaps it is a lot to ask to hope that all the ducks are going to line up right off the bat for a given service that we offer.

It's almost as if we started this whole thing with a clientele but no services and we've almost gone full circle to having services but wondering where the clients are!

Perhaps the secret is persistence and repetition?

Please feel free to post your thoughts in comment form.

Next RAPID special needs meeting Wed., Nov 3

A reminder that the next meeting of RAPID will be Wednesday, Nov. 3, 7:00 P.M., at the ARSDI building in St. Lambert. All interested parties welcome.

RAPID staging a fundraiser at the Comedy Nest

RAPID is pleased to announce a fundraiser at the Comedy Nest in Montreal.

The date of the event is Nov. 20 from 8:15 p.m. Tickets are $15, available from members of RAPID (Resources for the Anglophone Population with Intellectual Difficulties) or from REACH School.

According to the Comedy Nest website, the comic onstage on the 20th will be Jay Malone.

Funds raised will be used to help offset the cost of programs and services for the families with special needs in our community in the Montreal south shore area.

The address is 2313 St. Catherine St. West, (corner Atwater, Pepsi Forum) 3rd floor.

Special Needs Day Camp Offered for Ped Days on South Shore

A day camp for all special needs kids is offered at the ARSDI (l’Association de la Rive-Sud pour la Déficience Intellectuelle) during school pedagogical days. This day camp is offered in cooperation with RAPID (Resources for the Anglophone Population with Intellectual Difficulties) and with south shore school boards, although entirely operated by ARSDI.

The day camp is offered at the Maison Bétournay at 80 Rue Bétournay, in St. Lambert. Children need to be registered ahead of time with the ARSDI. The centre is open from 7 a.m. The phone number to contact the ARSDI is 450-672-9020. The cost of the day camp is $25.

The ARSDI also offers a day care program for those special needs kids whose schools do not offer day care or whose days cares have difficulty accepting special needs kids.

The Maison Bétournay normally has a very high staff-to-student ratio of 2 to 1. Also, ARSDI has undertaken to ensure that English-speaking staff will be available when there are English-speaking children to look after.

RAPID is offering a program to rebate a portion of the day camp fees to Rapid member who take advantage of the day camp services.

Rapid Offers a Rebate on 2010 / 2011 Day Camp

RAPID (Resources for the Anglophone Population with Intellectual Disabilities) is offering a rebate for members who use ped day day camp services recognized by RAPID. Presently this includes the service offered by the ARSDI. For further details and contact info, please click here or see the RAPID link above. 

RAPID next meeting Mon. October 18

Just a reminder that the next meeting of RAPID will be Monday, Oct. 18, 7:00 P.M., at the ARSDI building in St. Lambert. All interested parties welcome.