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Groups and Events Calendar

November 2020
Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
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2	3 1:30 pm: Sharing Space Support Group. November 3, 20201:30 pm – 3:30 pm zoom BALANCE is pleased to announce that Sharing Space Support Group is moving to a year-round format, with groups running every Tuesday, starting September 22nd. You may now join (or re-join) at any of the seasonal changes over time, and stay in the group indefinitely. To learn more, email info@balancefba.org or call the office at 416-236-1796 and speak with our receptionist. This is open only to BALANCE clients. You need a service agreement in place in order to participate. If you don't have one, Lisa will let us know and we will see that you are taken care of; service agreements can now easily be signed remotely.	4 2:30 pm: UP Skills workshops. November 4, 20202:30 pm – 4:00 pm zoom BALANCE is proud to partner with ABC Life Literacy to offer a workshop series on Wednesdays, starting October 7th, from 2:30pm-4:00pm. The series is comprised of 9 sessions featuring all the soft skills necessary for those looking to set new personal goals or move into new careers. These sessions will explore: time management, stress management, teamwork, presentation, confidence, accountability, adaptability, motivation and attitude. BALANCE will be hosting weekly workshops through Zoom, with each week covering one of the nine topics mentioned. You may either sign up for the series or only for the classes that are of interest to you. Contact our Community engagement Specialist, Cristina Lopes, at 416-576-4413 or by email at c.lopes@balancefba.org	5 10:00 am: Writing for Life: Creative Writing Workshop. November 5, 202010:00 am – 11:30 am zoom Do you wonder where creative people find their ideas? Do you often wish you could think more creatively, or express yourself in new ways? Is there a writer in you trying to come out? Or do you just like writing with other people, and talking about ideas? Balance and Common Boots Theatre bring you this creative writing workshop that will get you past your blank screen, writing, and opening up new ideas you might not even know you have. Through a series of writing prompts and exercises, participants will enjoy the act of creative writing, together, with themes that link to Balance and the Common Boots winter drama series. This event is led by professional playwright and screenwriter Alex Bulmer, the current Artistic Director of Common Boots Theatre and the lead Curator of CoMotion Disability Arts Festival with Harbourfront Centre. Her work has been produced and presented all over the world. Alex was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigemtosa in 1987, and is a proud member of Toronto’s blind community. Her experience of becoming blind has shaped her artistic career, and deeply informed her writing. This is a 4 session workshop, with 12 spots available on a first come, first served basis. 10:00 AM to 11:30am on: Thursday November 5, 2020 Thursday November 12, 2020 Thursday November 19, 2020 Thursday December 3, 2020 You can register by calling our office at 416-236-1796 ext. 0 or registering on Zoom Meeting Registration	6	7	8
9 4:00 pm: Living with Uncertainty: How to find and keep calm during challenging times. November 9, 20204:00 pm – 5:30 pm zoom Do you find yourself feeling increasingly overwhelmed or frustrated? These days, self-care is more important than ever which is why BALANCE is offering a free 6-week program that will teach you practical ways to help manage stress and anxiety in your daily life. Facilitated by our Occupational Therapist Naomi, this group will start Monday November 9th from 4pm-5:30pm until Monday December 14th. If you are interested in participating, please email info@balancefba.org or call our receptionist Chloe at 416-236-1796 extension 0. Spaces are limited. BALANCE would like to thank La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso for making this opportunity possible.	10 1:30 pm: Sharing Space Support Group. November 10, 20201:30 pm – 3:30 pm zoom BALANCE is pleased to announce that Sharing Space Support Group is moving to a year-round format, with groups running every Tuesday, starting September 22nd. You may now join (or re-join) at any of the seasonal changes over time, and stay in the group indefinitely. To learn more, email info@balancefba.org or call the office at 416-236-1796 and speak with our receptionist. This is open only to BALANCE clients. You need a service agreement in place in order to participate. If you don't have one, Lisa will let us know and we will see that you are taken care of; service agreements can now easily be signed remotely.	11 1:00 pm: UP Skills workshops. November 11, 20201:00 pm – 2:30 pm zoom BALANCE is proud to partner with ABC Life Literacy to offer a workshop series on Wednesdays, starting October 7th, from 2:30pm-4:00pm. The series is comprised of 9 sessions featuring all the soft skills necessary for those looking to set new personal goals or move into new careers. These sessions will explore: time management, stress management, teamwork, presentation, confidence, accountability, adaptability, motivation and attitude. BALANCE will be hosting weekly workshops through Zoom, with each week covering one of the nine topics mentioned. You may either sign up for the series or only for the classes that are of interest to you. Contact our Community engagement Specialist, Cristina Lopes, at 416-576-4413 or by email at c.lopes@balancefba.org	12 10:00 am: Writing for Life: Creative Writing Workshop. November 12, 202010:00 am – 11:30 am zoom Do you wonder where creative people find their ideas? Do you often wish you could think more creatively, or express yourself in new ways? Is there a writer in you trying to come out? Or do you just like writing with other people, and talking about ideas? Balance and Common Boots Theatre bring you this creative writing workshop that will get you past your blank screen, writing, and opening up new ideas you might not even know you have. Through a series of writing prompts and exercises, participants will enjoy the act of creative writing, together, with themes that link to Balance and the Common Boots winter drama series. This event is led by professional playwright and screenwriter Alex Bulmer, the current Artistic Director of Common Boots Theatre and the lead Curator of CoMotion Disability Arts Festival with Harbourfront Centre. Her work has been produced and presented all over the world. Alex was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigemtosa in 1987, and is a proud member of Toronto’s blind community. Her experience of becoming blind has shaped her artistic career, and deeply informed her writing. This is a 4 session workshop, with 12 spots available on a first come, first served basis. 10:00 AM to 11:30am on: Thursday November 5, 2020 Thursday November 12, 2020 Thursday November 19, 2020 Thursday December 3, 2020 You can register by calling our office at 416-236-1796 ext. 0 or registering on Zoom Meeting Registration	13	14	15
16 4:00 pm: Living with Uncertainty: How to find and keep calm during challenging times. November 16, 20204:00 pm – 5:30 pm zoom Do you find yourself feeling increasingly overwhelmed or frustrated? These days, self-care is more important than ever which is why BALANCE is offering a free 6-week program that will teach you practical ways to help manage stress and anxiety in your daily life. Facilitated by our Occupational Therapist Naomi, this group will start Monday November 9th from 4pm-5:30pm until Monday December 14th. If you are interested in participating, please email info@balancefba.org or call our receptionist Chloe at 416-236-1796 extension 0. Spaces are limited. BALANCE would like to thank La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso for making this opportunity possible.	17 1:30 pm: Sharing Space Support Group. November 17, 20201:30 pm – 3:30 pm zoom BALANCE is pleased to announce that Sharing Space Support Group is moving to a year-round format, with groups running every Tuesday, starting September 22nd. You may now join (or re-join) at any of the seasonal changes over time, and stay in the group indefinitely. To learn more, email info@balancefba.org or call the office at 416-236-1796 and speak with our receptionist. This is open only to BALANCE clients. You need a service agreement in place in order to participate. If you don't have one, Lisa will let us know and we will see that you are taken care of; service agreements can now easily be signed remotely.	18 2:30 pm: UP Skills workshops. November 18, 20202:30 pm – 4:00 pm zoom BALANCE is proud to partner with ABC Life Literacy to offer a workshop series on Wednesdays, starting October 7th, from 2:30pm-4:00pm. The series is comprised of 9 sessions featuring all the soft skills necessary for those looking to set new personal goals or move into new careers. These sessions will explore: time management, stress management, teamwork, presentation, confidence, accountability, adaptability, motivation and attitude. BALANCE will be hosting weekly workshops through Zoom, with each week covering one of the nine topics mentioned. You may either sign up for the series or only for the classes that are of interest to you. Contact our Community engagement Specialist, Cristina Lopes, at 416-576-4413 or by email at c.lopes@balancefba.org	19 10:00 am: Writing for Life: Creative Writing Workshop. November 19, 202010:00 am – 11:30 am zoom Do you wonder where creative people find their ideas? Do you often wish you could think more creatively, or express yourself in new ways? Is there a writer in you trying to come out? Or do you just like writing with other people, and talking about ideas? Balance and Common Boots Theatre bring you this creative writing workshop that will get you past your blank screen, writing, and opening up new ideas you might not even know you have. Through a series of writing prompts and exercises, participants will enjoy the act of creative writing, together, with themes that link to Balance and the Common Boots winter drama series. This event is led by professional playwright and screenwriter Alex Bulmer, the current Artistic Director of Common Boots Theatre and the lead Curator of CoMotion Disability Arts Festival with Harbourfront Centre. Her work has been produced and presented all over the world. Alex was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigemtosa in 1987, and is a proud member of Toronto’s blind community. Her experience of becoming blind has shaped her artistic career, and deeply informed her writing. This is a 4 session workshop, with 12 spots available on a first come, first served basis. 10:00 AM to 11:30am on: Thursday November 5, 2020 Thursday November 12, 2020 Thursday November 19, 2020 Thursday December 3, 2020 You can register by calling our office at 416-236-1796 ext. 0 or registering on Zoom Meeting Registration 6:00 pm: Let's Get Quizzical. November 19, 20206:00 pm – 7:30 pm zoom We’ve decided to increase the spirit of competition and offer a prize to the winning team for each Trivia Night that we are hosting! Perhaps you are a trivia buff, or perhaps you are new to this trivia game thing…either way you will have tons of fun, get to know your teammates, and also be playing for a small prize that will be mailed to each member of the winning team (staff and volunteers excluded). The following registration link will register you for the monthly trivia night series. You do not have to attend all of the nights if you pre-register, but you can attend them all if you wish. The upcoming trivia night dates are on September 17, October 15, November 19, and December 17. Register at this link please: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvcOyurDMiHNZW-rH3Wt-e8NzWvVYLNfik	20	21	22
23 1:00 pm: CILT invites you to “The Second Wave: Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) for COVID-19 and People with Disabilities” November 23, 20201:00 pm – 3:00 pm zoom Topic: Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) and COVID-19 for People with Disabilities Description: CILT will be providing two sessions of the same workshop on IPAC education to empower people with disabilities in making informed choices about COVID-19, PPE use, and infection control measures. This will help people with disabilities to reduce their transmission risk so they can live more independently during the second wave of this pandemic. Both sessions cover the same content, so you are asked to choose one date. When: Monday November 23, 2020, 1pm-300pm Register in advance for this meeting on zoom. This workshop will cover the following topics: Importance of Infection Control Routine Practices to Prevent Infections What Causes and How to Prevent the Flu and Covid-19 The Importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Different Types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and How to Use it Properly Question and Answers Resources If you need assistance with registering please or e-mail rebecca.wood@cilt.ca or call 416-599-2458 ext 291. Please note, you will not be able to join the session without registering first. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Workshop Presenter: Timothy Valyear, RPN, Owner, Integrity Care Consultants Inc. Workshop Facilitators: David Meyers, Senior Manager of Independent Living Programs, Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) Leisa DeBono, Direct Funding Program Manager, Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) John Mossa, Independent Living Skills Coordinator, Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) Rebecca Wood, Peer and Parenting Program Coordinator, Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) CILT funding support provided by United Way Greater Toronto, City of Toronto, Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), and Independent Living Canada. 4:00 pm: Living with Uncertainty: How to find and keep calm during challenging times. November 23, 20204:00 pm – 5:30 pm zoom Do you find yourself feeling increasingly overwhelmed or frustrated? These days, self-care is more important than ever which is why BALANCE is offering a free 6-week program that will teach you practical ways to help manage stress and anxiety in your daily life. Facilitated by our Occupational Therapist Naomi, this group will start Monday November 9th from 4pm-5:30pm until Monday December 14th. If you are interested in participating, please email info@balancefba.org or call our receptionist Chloe at 416-236-1796 extension 0. Spaces are limited. BALANCE would like to thank La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso for making this opportunity possible. 7:30 pm: Music to my Ears: Modern Music Appreciation 101, led by Toronto Artist and Teacher Dan Minchom. November 23, 20207:30 pm – 8:30 pm zoom In this 6-week discussion group, we’ll look at music through the decades starting from the 1960’s, and work our way to present day. Through this program, you’ll learn how to identify texture, form, time signature, mood, instrumentation, and basic trends that have evolved in popular music from the 1960’s to present day. Attendees will gather over Zoom to listen to pieces of music, and then actively participate in discussions. By the end of this program, you’ll be able to articulate why you like or dislike any song. Dan is a prolific bass player on the Toronto scene, whose musicality, time feel, and work ethic has led to him sharing stages with a number of high-profile artists including Jojo Mason, Madeline Merlo, and an international tour with Nuevo flamenco artist Jesse Cook. He is the in-house arranger and musical director of the Supersonic Hearts Band, and is the in-house bassist for both Coach House Studios and Westend Studios. Music to my Ears is open to everyone. No previous knowledge of music required. Sessions are from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM on the following Monday’s: Monday November 23, 2020 Monday November 30, 2020 Monday December 7, 2020 Monday December 14, 2020 Monday January 4, 2021 Monday January 11, 2021 This 6-week event is free, but if you’d like to make a donation you can do so here: balancefba.org/donate/ Spaces are limited. To register, please sign up on zoom, or call our office at 416-236-1796 extension 0 to talk to Chloe.	24 1:30 pm: Sharing Space Support Group. November 24, 20201:30 pm – 3:30 pm zoom BALANCE is pleased to announce that Sharing Space Support Group is moving to a year-round format, with groups running every Tuesday, starting September 22nd. You may now join (or re-join) at any of the seasonal changes over time, and stay in the group indefinitely. To learn more, email info@balancefba.org or call the office at 416-236-1796 and speak with our receptionist. This is open only to BALANCE clients. You need a service agreement in place in order to participate. If you don't have one, Lisa will let us know and we will see that you are taken care of; service agreements can now easily be signed remotely. 7:30 pm: The Listening Stage Series Presents: Assassinating Tomson November 24, 20207:30 pm – 9:00 pm zoom Join us on the evening of Tuesday November 24th 2020 as critically acclaimed visually impaired visual artist Bruce Horak brings his hit show “Assassinating Thomson” to you, in your home! Presented by Common Boots Theatre in association with us here at BALANCE, we’re very excited for the first presentation in our series of “The Listening Stage.” Critically acclaimed visually impaired visual artist Bruce Horak lives with 9% of his vision and has, over the last five years, painted a series of over 500 unique portraits which attempt to capture the way that he sees, aptly named The Way I See It. As he tells the story of The Way I See It, the tale of Canadian painter Tom Thomson’s unsolved murder is interwoven throughout, including the truth and lies behind the mysterious death of one of Canada’s greatest artists and the subsequent rise of The Group of Seven. The mystery takes you from the tiny community of Canoe Lake, to the hallowed halls of our nation’s capital, and eventually on to the World stage. Art, politics, greed, ambition, love and murder are intertwined in a one-man tour-de-force as Horak exploits icons of Canadian History, including Tom Thomson, Lawren Harris, and William Lyon Mackenzie King. As he reveals his controversial perspective on Canadian Art History, he shares the unique way he sees the world through an original portrait of each new audience.  This is a free event, but donations are always welcome. You can donate to either of the two organizations at the links below: Common Boots Theatre BALANCE for Blind Adults This event will be hosted over Zoom, with the ability to call in and listen to the performance. You can sign up for the performance at the link below, or give us a call at the BALANCE office at 416-236-1796 ext. 0. DATE: Tuesday November 24th, 2020 TIME: 7:30 PM (EST); please note that the show begins at 7:30 pm but you are welcome to sign in a few minutes earlier Click here to register for Assassinating Tomson Made with the support of ACTRA Toronto	25 2:30 pm: UP Skills workshops. November 25, 20202:30 pm – 4:00 pm zoom BALANCE is proud to partner with ABC Life Literacy to offer a workshop series on Wednesdays, starting October 7th, from 2:30pm-4:00pm. The series is comprised of 9 sessions featuring all the soft skills necessary for those looking to set new personal goals or move into new careers. These sessions will explore: time management, stress management, teamwork, presentation, confidence, accountability, adaptability, motivation and attitude. BALANCE will be hosting weekly workshops through Zoom, with each week covering one of the nine topics mentioned. You may either sign up for the series or only for the classes that are of interest to you. Contact our Community engagement Specialist, Cristina Lopes, at 416-576-4413 or by email at c.lopes@balancefba.org	26	27 1:00 pm: CILT invites you to “The Second Wave: Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) for COVID-19 and People with Disabilities” November 27, 20201:00 pm – 3:00 pm zoom Topic: Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) and COVID-19 for People with Disabilities Description: CILT will be providing two sessions of the same workshop on IPAC education to empower people with disabilities in making informed choices about COVID-19, PPE use, and infection control measures. This will help people with disabilities to reduce their transmission risk so they can live more independently during the second wave of this pandemic. Both sessions cover the same content, so you are asked to choose one date. When: Monday November 23, 2020, 1pm-300pm Register in advance for this meeting on zoom. This workshop will cover the following topics: Importance of Infection Control Routine Practices to Prevent Infections What Causes and How to Prevent the Flu and Covid-19 The Importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Different Types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and How to Use it Properly Question and Answers Resources If you need assistance with registering please or e-mail rebecca.wood@cilt.ca or call 416-599-2458 ext 291. Please note, you will not be able to join the session without registering first. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Workshop Presenter: Timothy Valyear, RPN, Owner, Integrity Care Consultants Inc. Workshop Facilitators: David Meyers, Senior Manager of Independent Living Programs, Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) Leisa DeBono, Direct Funding Program Manager, Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) John Mossa, Independent Living Skills Coordinator, Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) Rebecca Wood, Peer and Parenting Program Coordinator, Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) CILT funding support provided by United Way Greater Toronto, City of Toronto, Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), and Independent Living Canada.	28	29
30 4:00 pm: Living with Uncertainty: How to find and keep calm during challenging times. November 30, 20204:00 pm – 5:30 pm zoom Do you find yourself feeling increasingly overwhelmed or frustrated? These days, self-care is more important than ever which is why BALANCE is offering a free 6-week program that will teach you practical ways to help manage stress and anxiety in your daily life. Facilitated by our Occupational Therapist Naomi, this group will start Monday November 9th from 4pm-5:30pm until Monday December 14th. If you are interested in participating, please email info@balancefba.org or call our receptionist Chloe at 416-236-1796 extension 0. Spaces are limited. BALANCE would like to thank La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso for making this opportunity possible. 7:30 pm: Music to my Ears: Modern Music Appreciation 101, led by Toronto Artist and Teacher Dan Minchom. November 30, 20207:30 pm – 8:30 pm zoom In this 6-week discussion group, we’ll look at music through the decades starting from the 1960’s, and work our way to present day. Through this program, you’ll learn how to identify texture, form, time signature, mood, instrumentation, and basic trends that have evolved in popular music from the 1960’s to present day. Attendees will gather over Zoom to listen to pieces of music, and then actively participate in discussions. By the end of this program, you’ll be able to articulate why you like or dislike any song. Dan is a prolific bass player on the Toronto scene, whose musicality, time feel, and work ethic has led to him sharing stages with a number of high-profile artists including Jojo Mason, Madeline Merlo, and an international tour with Nuevo flamenco artist Jesse Cook. He is the in-house arranger and musical director of the Supersonic Hearts Band, and is the in-house bassist for both Coach House Studios and Westend Studios. Music to my Ears is open to everyone. No previous knowledge of music required. Sessions are from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM on the following Monday’s: Monday November 23, 2020 Monday November 30, 2020 Monday December 7, 2020 Monday December 14, 2020 Monday January 4, 2021 Monday January 11, 2021 This 6-week event is free, but if you’d like to make a donation you can do so here: balancefba.org/donate/ Spaces are limited. To register, please sign up on zoom, or call our office at 416-236-1796 extension 0 to talk to Chloe.