ABOUT US

Community Support Connections is a non-profit organization (charitable registration number 12962-1298-RR0001) that promotes the health of the whole person – mind and body – through our support services. Our client-centred approach ensures we offer personalized care that helps older adults and persons with different abilities live a healthy life in the comfort of their homes.

Love for our community is at the root of our work. Our services help people live independently and with dignity, and we create personal connections with them along the way. Every touchpoint with Community Support Connections conveys genuine care for our clients and our high standards for service quality.

We’re more than just a service provider – we’re a friendly neighbour.

Mission – Enabling people to live at home with independence and dignity.

Vision – A community where everyone feels at home – valued, connected, and empowered.

Values – Our values are reflected in our name: Community Support Connections.

We are Community-based, building strong and lasting relationships with our clients, caregivers, volunteers, donors, and community partners.

We Support and respect our clients’ choices and decisions, responding with empathy and compassion.

We Connect people, ideas, and opportunities together. We work collaboratively with our partners and clients to ensure they receive the services and supports they need.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are committed to Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity for our clients, volunteers and staff. We will ensure that services, policies and procedures apply to all, regardless of their race, colour, ancestry, creed (religion), place of origin, ethnic origin, citizenship, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, physical or mental ability, income, or any other factors. We acknowledge and value these differences and promote a culture that respects and appreciates the unique perspectives and contributions of each individual.

Our Current Commitment to DEIB:  

• Policies in place to document CSC standards and expectations for staff (both internally and when dealing with clients) regarding DEIB. 

• Training for all new staff and volunteers, plus annual training refreshers for current staff on accessibility, inclusion, bias, workplace bullying, harassment, embracing diversity, gender identity, anti-oppression, mental health. 

• Gender-neutral washrooms in our office and gender-neutral terminology in procedures and policies.

• DEI calendar on internal website to help us recognize and learn about days of cultural, historical, social and health significance. 

• Accessibility descriptions of building/classroom sites with in-person exercise classes. 

• Our website has a Google Translate button to translate the content into many languages and an Accessibility Tool that allows users to change the size of text, font type, contrast, and background to suit their preference.

• Advertising of our services and awareness presentations to a diverse audience.

• Our staff will recommend available free services as well as/instead of our own fee for service options.  We offer a sliding scale for service payments based on income.

  We recognize that being truly inclusive is a work in progress, if you have any suggestions on how we can improve, we would be happy to hear them. You can complete an anonymous suggestion form here.

  New Territorial Acknowledgement

• We acknowledge that the work of Community Support Connections takes place on the traditional territories of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg (pronounced Ah-nish–inaw-bay), and Haudenosaunee (pronounced Ho-den-noh-show-nee) peoples who were the original inhabitants and caretakers of this land.  Many generations of these peoples lived here, protected and cared for this land and continue to have an enduring connection to it.    

   Our office is located on the Haldimand Tract, land that was formally granted to the Six Nations in compensation for their alliance with British forces during the American Revolution under the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784.   We respect the holistic understanding of aging amongst Indigenous Peoples which emphasizes balance between the mind, body, spirit, and emotions and strive to incorporate these values into our work.  We are honoured to pay our deep respects to the ancestors who have gone before us and the members still present.    

  Community Support Connections recognizes that our journey towards reconciliation and allyship is in its early stages. However, we are committed to taking meaningful actions that raise awareness about the historical and ongoing impact of the taking of this land, the rightful caretakers of this land, the impact of residential schools and the unique challenges faced by Indigenous older adults.  

  We have a deep respect for the first peoples of this land and encourage all to learn more about the Upper Canada Treaties to better understand how they continue to impact Indigenous Peoples.    

   

  *drafted by CSC and reviewed by the University of Waterloo’s Office of Indigenous Relations