About Keystone House
Keystone House began as a labour of love but also of necessity. In Canada today, a crisis is facing many aging parents of now adult children with intellectual or physical challenges. Whom will provide care for these individuals when they no longer can? Where will they go?
Faced with these difficult questions, a group of parents decided to take action. They envisioned not only a place where their children and others like them could be cared for, but a place that they could truly call home. Their vision became the Northumberland Keystone House initiative.
Keystone House will provide residents not only the utmost freedom, accessibility, and care but also will allow them to remain in the communities that are familiar to them. Trained staff will be provided at all hours for the residents should they require assistance. The home that is built will include a common living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and private rooms for all residents. It also will be fully wheelchair accessible and outfitted with specialized equipment such as walk-in bathtubs to ensure full accessibility and safety for all residents.
Keystone House represents a new approach to care for individuals with intellectual challenges, one which emphasizes the freedom, comfort and dignity of the residents in a community setting.
Message from the Fundraising Chair
Kahlil Gibran wrote in The Prophet, "It is only when you give of yourself, that you truly give." Many people have come together in the past three years to give of themselves to help the effort to build the first Keystone House. They have brought dedication, determination and enthusiasm to a noble goal, the goal of building a home in Northumberland for people with intellectual or physical challenges It's an exciting project that will mean independent living and real empowerment for the residents.
We are depending on the communities of Northumberland to also give a little of themselves to support this goal. We have no doubt that the generosity already shown to our cause will continue until the job is done. Thanks to everyone who has or will donate funds, building materials, furnishings, or equipment and also to those who have helped organize the many events, draws and silent auctions that have moved us ever closer to our goal.
Cordially,
Bill Patchett,
Fundraising Chair
Letter from the Co-Chair
Since the launch of the Keystone House fundraising drive in July of 2007, the community support for our project has been extraordinary. What started as a dream in the minds of a small group of parents almost ten years ago is now starting to become a reality.
I think it is important for you to know why we are doing this… In years gone by, families had no choice but to rely solely on government to provide long term housing and care solutions for our sons and daughters.
Although intentions were good, what we ended up with were large institutions far outside our home community with living conditions that did not remotely resemble a normal home and life experience.
Group homes to a certain extent have been better, but there are not enough of these residences to ensure a transition from one’s family home to living in the community, happens in a timely, planned and caring way. Wait times for available spaces that can potentially be far from family and friends, are many years long, and can leave aging parents and care givers wondering and worrying about the future.
Keystone House is working hard to change things… By building relationships with a wide range of community partners - social organizations, service clubs, business, different levels of government and individuals, Keystone’s goal is to build homes and provide living arrangements that uniquely meet the needs of our intellectually disabled community members. Working with the wider community not only shares the responsibility, but it also helps build awareness to people who often have difficulty engaging in the things most of us take for granted.
Things are moving forward…
Our fund raising committee is working hard to collect the donations that will allow us to move forward with our first residence. As you can imagine, buildings that are totally accessible that include much specialized medical equipment is not inexpensive, but we are determined to have everything that we need to provide a safe living and working environment.
And finally… we’d like to thank the thousands of people, many businesses and service clubs who have donated both money and time to Keystone…without them we simply would not be realizing our dream.
Make no mistake, Keystone is real and it’s happening.
Regards,
Colin Sanders,
Board Co-Chair
Message from the Executive Director
Alfred North Whitehead said “The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order.” Keystone is an example of how this is true.
Change has been the only thing that has remained constant with Keystone since the beginning and is still so today, and WE HAVE MADE PROGESS!
Having grown from the knowledge that there was a housing crisis being faced by aging parents of people with an intellectual disability in Northumberland County, Keystone took off. The solutions were going to come from the community, there would be no waiting for anyone else to come along and solve this problem. Keystone House Capital Campaign was launched.
The community has embraced this idea and is making changes happen. Support is coming from all sectors of the community and the campaign has already reached a point where development of the first house will begin shortly.
The Honourable Madame Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services has met with staff and reviewed the business plan on two occasions and is very impressed with how Keystone has taken a new approach to finding solutions.
The province came out with the Opportunities and Action document in spring 2006. Keystone had already implemented it’s plan of action for change, which is supported completely by this provincial direction.
On behalf of Keystone, I would like to thank all of you who have pushed forward such innovative change while preserving order and ensuring progress.
I look forward to working with you all towards another year of progress and change!
Thank You
Nancy Brown,
Executive Director