Dear Clients, Families, and Caregivers
Please accept the following update on Community Connections. We trust that you are staying safe and keeping well and hope that you continue to navigate through this COVID-19 situation as well as possible. We appreciate it is a challenging time for everyone. We all look forward to a return to more normal times and the opportunity to continue with the provision of all our support services.
As you recall, Community Connections made an initial announcement that Day Services would be closed for the period March 17th, 2020 to April 6th, 2020. The Day Services at the Water Street building were completely closed. The Day Services offered through the Employment Outreach Program were reduced significantly. The closure of Day Services is now extended until May 11th, 2020 in alignment with the announcement regarding school closures.
Community Connections will continue to focus our attention to our residential services. We will also continue to redeploy our Day Services staff in support of this essential service. In fact, we are part of a network of essential residential services that reflect NGOs like us, community care facilities, government manors, and so on. Though we operate independently, we all continue to operate within a collective purpose across Prince Edward Island during the COVID-19 situation and with a similar vision to keep clients and staff safe and healthy.
Our department (Department of Social Development and Housing) continues to support our revised operations through the month of April 2020. The contributions from all staff towards the care of our clients in Residential Services is so much appreciated. We have tremendous gratitude for the work that all staff continue to do in support of our clients and each other.
We recognize it is a more difficult time right now for some clients who are unable to attend Day Services. It is very much a departure from their daily norm and there is an absence from connecting with their friends and coworkers and our staff. And I also hear from our staff who comment on this absence because of not being able to connect with your sons and daughters.
I recognize our shared responsibility to practice physical distancing in the current time. Even so, I appreciate that staff are also reaching out to their clients in Day Services in other ways, though we recognize it is not the same. Our staff will continue to explore ways that they may be able to communicate or meet with clients in a safe manner and support our clients in their need for social contact.
Please feel welcome to stay in touch with our staff. We look forward to your communication and comments. Take good care for now, keep safe, and stay well.
Frank Costa
Executive Director
PS. If you experience any symptoms such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, please contact the 811-call line for further instructions from PEI Public Health. Should you also want updated information on PEI’s Public Health response, please view their site at: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/alert/advisory-coronavirus-infection