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MISSION

Our mission is to assist each resident to live a fulfilling life in all ways, including physically, emotionally, intelectually, socially and spiritually. Our focus is on ability not disability. The purpose of our home is to provide persons with disabilities the opportunity to have a sense of independence, yet still have available 24-hour/day assistance as they may require. Not all persons with disabilities are completely unable to take care of themselves, and we understand that at Grace Home. However, even minor disabilities may prevent a person from being able to live completely on their own, and living alone can be lonely. At Grace Home, we respect each person's ability to determine their level of need for assistance and will provide appropriate assistance based on individual care plans. We will encourage residents to be as independent as possible, while providing a safe, loving, family environment in which to live.
Please follow the menu links above (Trust, Loving, Family, Learning, Bonding) to learn more about our philosophies and what is important to the staff of Grace Home.

Recent articles in the St. Catharines Standard present an excellent overview of our Mission

They're creating a home for youth with disabilities
Posted By KRISTINE MASON, SPECIAL TO THE STANDARD

A small home in a quiet St. Catharines neighbourhood is undergoing renovations that will not only make it more beautiful, but will also be the start of a life-changing opportunity for youths with disabilities in Niagara. Grace Home for Disabled Youths is set to open its doors in September. For a while, the future of Grace Home hinged on finding funding. Through some good fortune, the finances were found.

I was able to buy the home because of the support of my dad," said Grace Home founder Tina Vale. "Basically, he believes in our cause and he believes in us."

Vale came up with the idea of a home for youths with disabilities when she noticed there was no place for young people who were looking to leave home to go to, other than moving into a place with people much older. She and partner Rob Lambert both disagree with the idea of placing people in an institution.

"There are too many people and not enough staff; there's not enough staff to have one-on-one time," said Lambert. "Here, with the two of us working and only four to five residents, we'll have time for that. And it's very important, people need it." Vale took possession of the home June 30 and renovations started immediately after that. Although the home has just the amount of space Grace Home needs, more than a little cosmetic work has taken place. The house is undergoing a complete revamp.

"We want to get everything done right. We can't leave it because when we have residents living here, this will be their home and we want them to be able to stay here once they're in here. We don't want to kick them out to do work," said Lambert.

Grace Home will be a place where abilities -- rather than disabilities -- will be the focus, said Vale.

She said the home will be a place where youths can experience independence, but still have 24-hour care available. She and her team hope to provide a safe, family-oriented atmosphere based on trust, love, learning and bonding. It will have five spots for people ages 18 to 30.

Vale is a community support worker with the Canadian Red Cross and has worked privately with a client with multiple sclerosis. She is currently finishing her personal support worker certification and has a background in psychology and counselling and is taking courses in pharmacology.

Lambert also has a background of working with people with disabilities. Both are looking forward to being able to work full-time at Grace Home when it opens. Vale has been in talks with a few potential residents, but so far no one has formally applied to live at Grace Home.

"We are open for applications right now. One way or another, we will be open in September. Right now, we want people to know that we're here" she said. "Even if we only have the room on the main floor done, we'll have someone in that room while we continue to work on the other rooms upstairs."
Applications for Grace Home can be found on their website, www.gracehome.ca.
To complete the renovation, Vale and Lambert are looking for some household and renovation items. Contact information can also be found on the website.

Woman hopes to find cash to open residence for disabled
Posted By RAHUL GUPTA, SPECIAL TO THE STANDARD

Tina L. Vale is certain she'll be able to open a residence for disabled youths sometime this year. She just needs to figure out how to pay for it.
Vale is stockpiling the money necessary to purchase a residence somewhere in St. Catharines that will house young people with mental or physical disabilities and who are looking to be independent from their families, but are unable to live on their own. Grace Home for Youth with Disabilities is expected to have enough space for six residents between the ages of 18 and 30.

"We're going to get away from an institutional setting and towards a family one," Vale said Wednesday. "I want the residents to feel like it's their own home."
When Grace Home opens its doors as planned in September, residents will have the chance to enjoy a more independent lifestyle than they are used to.
They'll be able to cook their own meals, go on excursions and practise their faiths with the assistance of a trained staff of support workers, including Vale and her daughter Monica .
"We'll focus on the person as a whole," Vale said. "If they have spiritual needs and need to get to church, we'll drive them."

A community support worker for the Red Cross, Vale said she was motivated to open a home for disabled Niagara youths, who are often forced to move into facilities where the residents are decades older.
"Clearly, a young person might feel uncomfortable living in a place where everyone is 50 years older," she said.
Rob Cammaert, a community support worker with Housing Help Centre, said he's not surprised with the lack of adequate resources for youths in the region.
"There's only so many people who'll deal with youth," Cammaert said. "Aid organizations are only starting to recognize the problem."
Community Care CEO Betty-Lou Souter said it's often difficult to find housing due to negative perceptions in the community of youth.
"We're finding more and more there's a challenge finding housing for youth," Souter said. "All it takes is one bad experience for landlords to become cautious."

Another obstacle for Vale is the cost of running a group home.
She estimates it will take a minimum of $9,000 per month to run the home with only a "skeleton staff." To raise funds, she's relying on grants and fundraising.
She has planned a craft show May 1 at the Niagara Regional Native Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake with 100% of the proceeds going towards the home.
"We're looking for vendors to volunteer their crafts, plus businesses to help us out with raffle prizes," she said. "We're hoping local businesses can donate a gift certificate or a meal voucher."
Vale said she's had 10 vendors sign on already and is looking for 40 in total.
If the fundraiser proves successful, it might become an annual event. But Vale isn't ready to make any projections, she's just hoping people wish to donate.
"I don't want to set any goals just yet," she said. "I don't want to be disappointed."
For more information about the Grace Home for Youth with Disabilities and to find out how to participate in the upcoming fundraiser, visit www.gracehome.ca or e-mail: gracehome@cogeco.ca

rgupta@stcatharinesstandard.ca