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MINDS ON

When you need help, to whom do you turn?  Most of us go for help to our family members or friends.  What would happen if you could no longer reach out to those people or that person?  Do you know where you can go for assistance?  Who could you call for guidance and advice?

At some point, most people face challenging times and are in need of help.  They lose their job, develop a mental or physical illness, experience the loss of a significant relationship, need help to be safe or report a crime, need a loan to pay off school fees/tuition, need money to pay rent or are newcomers and need help getting settled.  You don’t have to come up with all the answers to life’s challenges alone.  In Ontario, there are resources available to help in all matters of health, security, housing and finances.

Look over this image.  What types of scenarios are shown here that would lead to someone requiring services?  Do you access any community resources?  Have you ever?  Do you know anyone who does?  What resources are available in your community?

This graphic shows a Social Worker as stick figure icons working in multiple settings, such as healthcare, school, for child welfare, substance abuse, research, natural disasters, group counseling and referring clients.

Think about accessibility to services and resources for all people.  What factors can affect accessibility?  Think about people who live in remote areas, using a mobility device (such as a walker or wheelchair), facing prejudice, etc.  What are the potential obstacles?

Action.

ACTION

In Ontario, communities provide resources and arrange for services to residents in need.  Often, community resources go unused because people do not know how to get connected to free or low-cost information, goods and services.  There are many ways you can access community resources.   Some places to start are schools, recreation centres, spiritual/religious organizations or your doctor’s office.

This is the Portfolio icon. Community Resources

Click on each picture below to be directed to a link for more information.  Look around, access the various links provided to get more detailed information. After reading the information on the site:

  • Briefly describe what kind of resource/service is offered/available.
  • Who can access this service and provide contact information?
  • What happens when physical accessibility is an issue? How does this resource make service available to all people?

This is not a comprehensive list and if there may be resources or services that you feel are important. 

Once you finish, save your results to your Journal as you will need this list later.

Housing

This graphic shows icons icons of various dwellings including a house, mobile home, motel, apartment and more.

Financial Assistance

This graphic shows a glass jar filled with money.

 

Ontario Student Loan Program (OSAP)

This graphic shows a graduation cap sitting on one hundred dollar bills.

Food Bank

This graphic shows a box filled with a variety of food.

 

Small Business Loans

This graphic shows two human hands holding a dollar bill. A transfer of money is implied.

Government School Grants

This graphic shows graduation caps being thrown in the air. A cap at the centre of the image is being carried by a red balloon.

 

School Bursaries/Scholarships

This graphic shows a pink piggy bank sitting on top of books with a chalkboard in the background.

Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) and Ontario Disabilities Support Program (ODSP)

This graphic shows the word assistance written on a notebook.

 

Ontario Works (OW)

This graphic shows a Compass with the needle pointing to the word opportunity.

Job Fairs/Agencies

This graphic shows a team of stick figures holding a poster that reads We Are Hiring.

 

Healthcare

This graphic shows a stethoscope in a pocket.

Other

This graphic shows a question mark.

 

 

Several of these examples are online community resources.  How has internet access changed 'community'? How has it changed accessibility to services and resources?

For more information, resources and services, visit the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services site.

Consolidation

CONSOLIDATION

This is the dropbox icon. Journal: Access to Community Resources

What services and resources are available to you in your community.  Are there food banks, mental health outreach programs and financial assistance available to you?  Think about immediate, short-term, and longer-term types of assistance in your lifetime.  You may have to do some research to see what services are available.  A good resource would be the list you have from the previous task.  

Find resources for a minimum of four community services you see yourself using over the next 2-3 years in your own life, or that may be beneficial for teens and young adults.  One should be a source for financial assistance you can access for your own education/career pathway.

You can choose how you would like to capture and share the information you have found.  

  • The name of the services (for ex. The Knights Table).
  • Their contact information (address, phone number or email).
  • What service or information they provide.
  • How you can access these resources.  Is it based on income?  Age?  Other factors?
  • Identify at least one source or type of financial assistance you can access for your education/career pathway.
  • Remember to provide APA references for your research.
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