Heads up for Inclusion receives $5000 grant to pilot the Amigos in the Community project in Campbellford.

John McNutt (Chair, Heads Up for Inclusion), Donna Desjardins (Supports and Services Manager, Community Living

On Wednesday June 30th, 2010 at the Campbellford Seymour Community Foundation (CSCF) building in Campbellford, announcements were made of this year’s successful CSCF grant recipients. Heads Up for Inclusion was one of 16 organizations that received funds, and will be using the $5000.00 received to partner with Community Living Campbellford/Brighton to pilot the Amigos in the Community project in Campbellford.  The project is a one-on–one youth based inclusion program pairing youth with and without intellectual disabilities who are no longer in high school.  The youth pair communicate every week and meet twice a month doing something surrounding their shared interests, over time meaningful connections develop between the youth as well as their greater community.

The Amigos in the Community program was piloted in Peterborough this past year in partnership with Community Living Peterborough and continues to run successfully.  The project will benefit many including youth with and without an intellectual disability who are actively participating in the program, and also the greater Campbellford community, where they will see first hand that a healthy and vibrant community contains many people with diverse abilities and disabilities where everyone is welcomed and appreciated for who they are.