Your Quarterly Agency Update
The Holiday Season is here! Check out what we have been up to!
Through this newsletter, our aim is to strengthen our connection with our community by sharing insightful stories, impactful updates and offer a peek a into the transformative work happening every day at Canopy.
Join us in our journey as we work together to empower individuals and enhance support - because together, we can make a positive difference!
A Message from Our CEO
Season’s Greetings from Canopy Support Services!
As we close out an extraordinary year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable milestones we’ve achieved together. This year, we proudly celebrated 50 years of service, expanded our impact by opening the Cobourg Autism Services Clinic, and joined The County Hub Program to bring essential supports to rural communities, as well as the Talk Now Clinic to support essential mental health services.
We hosted a hugely successful Canopy Cares Carnival in the fall and received the Ontario Trillium Foundation Seed Grant, enabling us to address housing instability for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities—furthering our mission to build a stronger, more connected community.
We’re excited to share a festive update on what we’ve been up to and what’s ahead:
Celebrating Success: We’re proud to share what we have been up to, showcasing the life-changing work we’ve accomplished together.
Holiday Giving: Spread holiday cheer by donating or volunteering to support the individuals and families we serve.
Looking Ahead to 2025: With new services and initiatives on the horizon, we’re excited to continue growing our programs to meet the needs of the communities we serve.
On behalf of the entire Canopy Support Services team, thank you for your trust, inspiration and support in our mission to empower individuals over the past 50 years. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful, peaceful holiday season and a bright new year ahead.
Warm regards,
Himanshu Shah
CEO, Canopy Support Services
2024 Highlights
Canopy Celebrates 50 years of Empowering Lives
This year, we celebrated an incredible milestone—50 years of supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and FASD. Since 1974, Canopy has been helping people live their best lives, and we’re so proud of how far we’ve come! What started as two small programs in the '70s has grown into a vibrant organization serving 6,500 people each year across 13+ programs. None of this would have been possible without our amazing staff, volunteers, and community partners—thank you for being part of our journey!
As Jenn Girard, one of our longest-standing team members of 31 years, put it: “The impact Canopy has made over the past 50 years is incredible. I’m so proud to be part of this amazing team!” Here’s to continuing our work together and building even more inclusive, empowered communities for years to come!
Canopy Tackles Housing Instability with Ontario Trillium Foundation Seed Grant
Canopy Support Services is proud to announce that we’ve received an Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Seed Grant to address the growing housing crisis among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This funding supports a pilot project to hire a dedicated housing support worker, who will provide essential resources to help individuals with IDD access stable housing and build resilience.
Research shows that homelessness disproportionately affects people with IDD, yet they often face barriers to accessing housing services. With homelessness accounting for over 30% of referrals to Canopy’s Adult Urgent Response Program, the need for targeted support is clear.
Thanks to OTF’s investment, we’re taking steps to break down these barriers. The housing support worker will connect individuals with resources, offer education in independent living, and collaborate across sectors to create better outcomes for those we serve. We’re grateful for OTF’s support in launching this critical initiative and look forward to creating lasting change for individuals with IDD in our community. Together, we’re building brighter futures!
Learn more about OTF's community contributions here.
2nd Annual Canopy Cares Carnival
We Had a blast at the Second Annual Canopy Cares Inclusivity Walk & Carnival!
On Saturday, September 14th, we hosted our second annual Inclusivity Walk & Carnival—and what an amazing day it was!
This year, we were thrilled to double our attendance from 2023, selling over 45 family passes.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for a day filled with inclusivity, fun, connection, and community spirit.
A huge shoutout goes to our incredible sponsors and community partners, without whom this event wouldn’t have been possible.
Thank you to:
Electric City Physio
East Peterborough Lions Club
Central Smith Ice Cream
Adam Simmonds, Flat Rate Realty
Hanoi House
Commercial Press
Mike's Tattoos
Orange Theory Fitness
The Council for Persons with Disabilities
Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre
And an extra-special thank you to our title sponsor, The Babbling Brook!
Together, we raised over $4,000 for the Canopy Cares Support Fund, all while sharing an unforgettable day with our Canopy Community! We’re so grateful to be part of such a supportive and caring community, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year! Stay tuned on our website for details about 2025—we hope to see you there!
Canopy Expands Autism Services to Northumberland
In the fall of 2024, we opened a brand-new Autism Services Clinic in Cobourg, partnering with Northumberland Christian School.
This expansion brings vital autism services closer to families in the area, offering 1:1 behavioral support, family foundational groups, and social skills programming.
“We’re thrilled to bring these services to Northumberland and strengthen our ties with the local community,” shared Angela Rose, Autism Services Manager.
This new clinic builds on Canopy’s 20+ years of experience delivering evidence-based autism supports and highlights our commitment to empowering families across the region.
Please reach out to our Central Navigation team if you are interested or have questions.
Canopy Joins the Peterborough County Hubs Program
We were excited to partner with the City of Peterborough and other amazing organizations in Fall 2024 for the new Peterborough County Hubs Program, making services more accessible to rural residents!
People living in or near Millbrook, Havelock, Apsley & Norwood can now drop by a hub in their community to meet with staff and get help accessing the programs & services they need.
For more information, including hours and locations click here. We’re proud to be part of this effort to bring supports closer to the community!
Talk Now Partnership
In May 2024, Canopy Support Services proudly joined TALK NOW, a collaborative mental health program bringing together local organizations like PRHC, Peterborough Youth Services, CMHA HKPR, and more.
TALK NOW offers virtual and in-person clinics to all ages, combining expertise and resources to provide accessible, high-quality mental health support for individuals in our community.
As a trusted leader in developmental services, Canopy is excited to contribute to this initiative, working alongside partners to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those facing mental health challenges.
Learn more at prhc.on.ca or call 705-876-5826 for support.
Recent Events
Sloan Respite Donation
Canopy was fortunate enough to be chosen as the recipient of funds from Sloan’s Respite Halloween Dance on November 1st! Thank you to Irene with Central Nav for helping foster this connection for Canopy as well as Michael for attending on the night of to accept these funds on Canopy’s behalf. The total donation from this event was $770 that will go directly into the Canopy Cares Support Fund.
APS Housing Initiative Program: Fostering Community and Connection
We are thrilled to share the success of our APS Housing Initiative Program Caregiver Connection events!
Over the course of three events, we had an impressive total of 141 attendees with 2 of the 3 events being sold out!
In 2024, we hosted two events, one in March and one in October. Our March Caregiver Connection event focused on housing and planning for the future, we were joined by Peterborough Housing Corporation, Respite Services, Our Daughter's Home, Shared Dreams, Achieve Charity, Casa D'Angelea, and the Passport Program, fostering a rich discussion on these crucial topics. Conversation starters were provided to caregivers, and the questions designed to help parents find topics to discuss were a big hit. They fostered a warm and interactive environment, which was greatly appreciated by both caregivers and agencies. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive!
October’s Caregiver Connection was a standout. The focus of this event was on estate planning, which sparked engaging and meaningful conversations among the attendees with B&C Financial sharing invaluable information on Henson trusts, the Disability Tax Credit, and RDSPs. The positive feedback and active participation highlighted the importance of this topic for our caregivers.
Feedback surveys were distributed to tailor future presentations to the needs of the caregivers. We are excited to use this valuable input to make our future events even more impactful!
A Heartfelt thank You to Our Donors!
As 2024 comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to each of you who have supported the Canopy Cares Support Fund. Your generosity has truly made a difference, and we’re excited to share the incredible impact you’ve had on our Canopy Community.
Since the fund launched in 2022, your contributions have supported three essential programs:
The Crisis Backpack Program, which provides backpacks filled with necessities to individuals in immediate need until more permanent supports can be arranged.
The Canopy Snack Program, which ensures access to food for individuals struggling with food insecurity.
Mental Health services, which provides specialized Mental Health Supports to the Canopy Community
This year alone, we provided 10 backpacks and served over 50 individuals through the Snack Program. Looking ahead to 2025, we’re planning to expand this initiative into a Pantry Program, offering not just food but hygiene items and other essentials to those we support. Thanks to you, we’ve also been able to create life-changing opportunities. Your donations helped two children access Autism Services group programming and provided two individuals with FASD the chance to attend summer camp—experiences that foster connection, growth, and relief for their families. Canopy Cares also contributed to three sensory-friendly events in both our Autism Services and FASD programs. These moments of support, joy, and relief would not have been possible without your kindness. Your belief in our mission is helping us build a stronger, more connected community. Thank you for standing with us and making such a meaningful difference. We can’t wait to see the lives we’ll touch together in 2025!
Looking for a Cause to Support this Holiday Season?
Every mind matters but for those with developmental disabilities, mental health challenges can feel even heavier. As a developmental service agency with over 50 years of experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities – we know the importance of mental health services. However, we urgently need your help to extend our reach, deepen our programs, and offer more individual and group counseling sessions to those in need focusing on both their mental health and developmental diagnoses! Together, we can ensure no one faces mental health challenges alone - your support empowers people to lead meaningful lives. Thank you for considering a donation to support our vital programs, bringing hope and healing to those who need it most!
Christmas at Canopy
Fill the Truck for Kawartha Food Share
This December, Canopy proudly participated in the Kawartha Food Share Fill the Truck food drive, hosted by Kawartha Food Share and Central Smith.
Donations were collected at our main office to help ensure no family in the Peterborough area goes without food this holiday season.
On Wednesday, December 18, members of the Canopy team also volunteered at Kawartha Food Share to sort food donations, lending a helping hand to this vital community effort.
We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to give back and support such an important cause in our local community!
Santa Clause Parade
At the beginning of December, we had an absolute blast participating in the Peterborough Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade! It was an incredible experience to be part of such a festive and joyful community event. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this year's parade truly unforgettable!
FASD Holiday Party
Holiday magic brought to you by our FASD coordinators! Thanks in part to the Canopy Cares Support Fund, we hosted a holiday party to remember! Guests enjoyed: A delicious dinner, hot chocolate & snacks, crafting, glitter tattoos, and a festive photobooth!
It was a night full of laughter, creativity, and holiday cheer!
Autism Services Holiday Extravaganza!
We hosted a sensory-friendly holiday party to remember with the help of the Canopy Cares Support Fund!
Guests enjoyed:
Sensory-friendly crafts & cookie decorating Storytime with Mrs. Claus Pictures with Santa
We’re so grateful to our community for making moments like these possible. Together, we can do so much more!
Holiday Office Cheer
Happy Holidays from HR
Our HR department is in the holiday spirit! Debbie and Krista are sending you all their warmest wishes for a wonderful Holiday season filled with joy, laughter, and lots of festive fun!
Happy Holidays and a joyous New Year from everyone here at Canopy! We look forward to an amazing 2025!
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