Ray of hope

May 5, 2020

– Our latest UPDATE on Ray of Hope’s response to COVID-19
> In collaboration with the Region of Waterloo, The Working Centre, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region and other Community Support Control Group partners, Ray of Hope is now providing daily lunches for a new drop-in for vulnerable adults at St. John’s Kitchen. This daytime space will be open daily from 10 AM – 4 PM and offers food, washrooms, showers, laundry, harm reduction supplies, and connections to emergency shelter and housing.
> St John Ambulance KW, in partnership with the Inner City Health Alliance, have stationed their Medical First Response trailer in the Ray of Hope Community Centre parking lot. They are now providing direct support to our guests in the form of first aid, wellness checks, COVID-19 education & screening.
> Morning Glory Café & Catering is now available to create Front-Line Box Lunches.

September 7, 2021

News Release >>  The Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario, Dr. Kieran Moore, has mandated vaccinations for specific sectors.  The Government of Ontario also announced last week that proof of vaccination will the required of those eligible to access certain non-essential services.

As a community organization serving vulnerable populations, Ray of Hope welcomes this directive.  From the beginning of this pandemic we have maintained that the health and safety of staff and the persons we support be our paramount concern.  While we cannot mandate vaccines for the people we support, the best way to put a “ring of protection” around the vulnerable individuals we serve is for Ray of Hope staff, volunteers, contractors, and students to be fully vaccinated.

Given the current best practice for those working with vulnerable populations, and in light of these government announcements, Ray of Hope is implementing a mandatory vaccination policy for all staff, volunteers, contractors, and students.

At Ray of Hope, we believe the health and safety of our employees, our volunteers and our community is a responsibility we all share.  Requiring proof of vaccination puts community safety first and contributes to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and it’s variants.  As the Province continues to open up and Ontario enters the 4th wave of COVID-19, particularly with the highly transmissible Delta variant spreading, it is the view of our public health officials that vaccination is an important step in protecting vulnerable communities.  Ray of Hope encourages everyone to get vaccinated.

April 14, 2021

We are very excited to welcome Julie Brown as the new Program Manager for Youth Employment Services. Julie earned a Diploma in Applied Psychology & Counseling and has spent years working primarily with youth that struggle with mental health issues and/or cognitive/developmental disabilities. As both the founder and executive director of Touch of Haven (2012-2018), a not-for-profit dedicated to using Equine Assisted Growth and Learning, she has developed the passion and transferable skills that will benefit our Youth Employment Program for years to come. When not helping others, you can find Julie and her three kids, plus Roxie the dog, spending time in the great outdoors, on the family pontoon boat, or playing softball, basketball, volleyball, and even bowling (yup, they are into sports).

March 30, 2020

– Our latest UPDATE on Ray of Hope’s response to COVID-19
> The Community Centre continues to serve TAKE-OUT MEALS only (Mon-Fri 7:00-8:30 / Sat 12:00-1:30 / Sun 4:30-6:00).
> We have limited the number of ROHCC staff & volunteers helping prepare/serve the daily take-out meal.
> The Marketplace is no longer distributing food hampers. Those looking for food support in this way will need to connect with one of the Vital Services hamper programs – https://www.thefoodbank.ca/vitalservice/
> Our agency started using a self-screening tool last week for all staff before they start their shift. This will help ensure the health of all staff and clients.
> Our Youth Addiction program will accept new admissions, where the admission and treatment is conducted by Community Based & Day Treatment staff over the phone or through video conferencing. They can be reached at 519-743-2311 or yasinquiries@rayofhope.net.
> Youth Employment staff are now checking in with participants to see if they need help accessing government aid in the event they have been laid off.

March 5, 2021

RELEASE >> On Monday, March 1, Ray of Hope was informed by the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services (MCCSS) that our Open Detention & Custody program was to be closed effective immediately. This program, formally known as Hope Harbour, provided eight (8) beds for male youth who were in conflict with the law and were either placed in Detention or sentenced to Open Custody. The youths who were in our program at the time were transferred to another Open Custody facility by the end of the day. 10 full-time and 12 part-time Ray of Hope staff are directly impacted by this closure.
This decision by MCCSS is part of a larger province-wide cost savings initiative, which will see the eventual closure of 26 youth justice facilities.
All other Ray of Hope programs, the Community Centre, Secure Custody, Youth Addiction Services, and Youth Employment Services remain open and continue to provide daily services as per usual.
~ Tonya Verburg, CEO

April 20, 2020

– Our latest UPDATE on Ray of Hope’s response to COVID-19

> Laundry services are now available – guests should notify staff at the time of picking up meals to sign up for a laundry time-slot.
> The Community Centre continues to serve TAKE-OUT MEALS only (Mon-Fri 7:00-8:30 / Sat 12:00-1:30 / Sun 4:30-6:00).
> We have limited the number of ROHCC staff & volunteers helping prepare/serve the daily take-out meal.
> The Marketplace is no longer distributing food hampers. Those looking for food support in this way will need to connect with one of the Vital Services hamper programs – https://www.thefoodbank.ca/vitalservice/