OHSWEKEN – Stefanie Williams, executive lead of Community Living Six Nations is ecstatic over receiving their new wheelchair accessible van thanks to the financial support of the Six Nations Community Trust Fund, the Dreamcatcher Charitable Foundation, and the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
“It was quite a process to bring this project full circle, but here we are, with a new van,” she said. “Living here, transportation is a big need for the people we support as we assist individuals with intellectual disability, and especially for people with wheelchairs.”
The new van can accommodate up to three wheelchairs.
“With the other vans we have, we can take everybody to events and community outings at once,” says Williams.
She explains that there are three other vans, acquired in other past funding efforts, but they are getting older and the other wheelchair van can only accommodate one chair.
“We had a forth van but it had transmission trouble and was not worth the cost of getting it fixed,” says Williams.
Community Living Six Nations has a client list of around 35 clients, some reside at the Community Living facility and some live with family but go to the Chiefswood Road facility for support and activities.
“We are so thankful to those who helped financially,” beamed Williams.
The day they got delivery of the new van also happened to be what would have been the 33rd birthday of Noah Thomas, a Community Living client who died earlier this year as a result of a traffic accident. Noah was also an important part of the Caledonia Corvairs hockey club.
To celebrate his memory, the residents and other clients and friends of Noah, wanted to send a message to their departed friend by releasing 33 balloons to the heavens with personal messages for Noah written on them.
