A Year of Manitoba Possible & a Pandemic

A few weeks into a global pandemic, on April 15, 2020, Society for Manitobans with Disabilities began a new chapter with a fresh look and a new name: Manitoba Possible. 

Changing the name of a company is no small undertaking, and it was a project years in the works! We sought the help of Uphouse Inc, a local branding and marketing firm, to engage with Manitobans about changing our name.  We heard from our clients and others in the disability communities, as well as our staff & volunteers, donors, funders, partner organizations & supporters. We listened to people who identified as disabled and those who do not, and we heard a strong desire for a fresh look to raise up our vision of an inclusive and accessible society and mission of working together to eliminate barriers to full and equal participation.  After much consultation and research to find a name people embraced, we found it:  Manitoba Possible.   

In the year since, we’ve faced an ongoing pandemic, and have had to innovate and collaborate to meet the needs of our clients. We’re proud of our new name and new, modern, accessible website. We’re also proud of the resilience of our clients and the dedication our staff has shown in the past year. Join us in celebrating a year full of successes!

Celebrating 70 Years

Incorporated in 1950, 2020 was a milestone year for our organization, marking 70 years of breaking down barriers on June 16th. While we would have liked to have celebrated our 70th and our new name with clients, friends, partners, donors, and stakeholders, the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans. So, we launched an online awareness campaign, with the help of some famous Manitobans, inviting Manitobans to think about accessibility and inclusion - 70 Ways to Make Manitoba Possible - and received over 150 fantastic ideas. All of these great ideas got us thinking of how we could recognize those who are putting ideas into action, so we set Paint the Town Possible in motion.

We can’t wait to celebrate our 71st year in a COVID-safe way, and we’ll be sharing more on that soon!

Care Services Innovation

Just a few weeks after we announced our new name and look, we launched a digital platform for finding care services, envoyy. A digital marketplace for families and individuals who have self- or family-managed care agreements with the province, the web and mobile app connects people seeking care with service providers, all while eliminating paperwork, taking care of background checks, and offering scheduling, payment, and communication tools in one easy to navigate place. We’ve since partnered with the province to recruit hundreds of service providers, provide free training with Red River College, and increase administrative support. There are currently over 450 verified service providers on the app offering services like respite care, elder support, home care, and so much more. 

Turning Digital

As lockdowns became the reality in the province, leadership and staff at Manitoba Possible stepped up to the plate creating new policies and procedures and embracing innovation and technology to stay connected with our clients. Though we may have to be physically distant, we promise not to be socially distant. For our frontline staff, this meant taking calls and appointments via phone or virtual means, and it meant checking in, and being a support for clients and program participants. 

A client from our Western Regional Office shared, “The support we receive from our service coordinator is priceless – emails and checkins during the pandemic are priceless, but not having to worry about money is a different kind of priceless. Not having to stress about that during a pandemic was really helpful. It was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders.”

Fun in the Sun & Virtual Connection

As the summer drew nearer, camps programs across the city began to announce cancellations and postponements, but for the participants of Manitoba Possible’s recreation and leisure programs, the opportunity to participate in accessible sports, develop social and life skills, and let off steam was essential. Our recreation and leisure team worked hard to make a safe summer camp season possible, and they pulled it off. Staff also encouraged participation online with virtual events like the Lego Challenge, Family Feud, and Virtual Music Therapy, and so much more. 

A regular participant of our adult program shared, “Thank you for putting so much dedication, hard work and creativity into these virtual events! It does not go unnoticed or unappreciated by me! These virtual events have been and continue to be something that I look forward to every week! Thank you all for keeping us socially connected during this time where we have to be physically apart!”

Community Care

Throughout the pandemic, we saw an incredible amount of community spirit - one of the ways that we raised spirits were the Make It Possible Care Packages, thanks to the Gov of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program via United Way. 70 packages of essential items and groceries went out to folks in Winnipeg, Dauphin & Thompson!

Later in the year, we were able to deliver 250 Sobey’s gift cards to families with a value of $250, supported by United Way Winnipeg. 

When the Government of Canada announced the Emergency Community Support Fund, to be distributed in Manitoba by United Way Winnipeg and United Way Brandon & District, we saw an opportunity to combat social isolation with the Tech-Connect initiative, delivering digital devices to families and individuals to make connection possible in a time of physical distancing. The program also provided PPE care packages and envoyy care credit hours for people who indicated a need.  The program delivered 128 devices throughout the province, serving 134 families and individuals. 65 PPE packages were provided and 37 recipients were provided with envoyy tutorials and 12 credit hours each. Based on recipient responses, over 140 virtual social activities have been enabled by the Tech-Connect Initiative. 

A recipient of one of the devices shared, “Thank you! We love being able to participate in family video parties and that our kids get to still be able to see the family during the pandemic. It’s made things a little easier on all of us.”

An Opportunity for Good, Clean, Growth

Clean Ventures, a social enterprise we began in 2019, providing meaningful and sustainable employment to Manitobans  who are Deaf or hard of hearing in addition to newcomers. It’s good clean service, for good. The COVID-19 pandemic was an opportunity for the custodial enterprise, more than doubling its client base, and providing essential services, like sanitizing, to help keep Winnipeggers safe in spaces like the Assiniboine Park & Zoo, Main Street Projects, ArtCity, and more.

Staying Engaged While Having Fun

As a team, we shared some bright times while giving back, by participating in United Way Winnipeg’s Walk This Way campaign, with 42 team members walking nearly 200km over the weekend event. A short time later, we hosted our annual employee Our Charities Campaign and raised a goal-smashing $18,079 for United Way and Manitoba Possible. The generosity and community spirit of the Manitoba Possible team makes all of us proud.

Big Audacious Goals

The pandemic couldn’t stop or slow down the incredible force that is Manitoba Possible. In addition to all our client and company successes, we wanted to end the year with beginning of a very big, very exciting new project: a proposed inclusive and accessible place to live, work, shop, and play. While we don’t have the perfect name for it yet, so we’re calling it “the development” for now, we do have big plans!  After successfully placing a bid to secure property in an excellent location in Winnipeg, we’re well on our way to making “the development” a reality. 

We envision a location that combines meaningful technology-driven employment, education/vocational training, social enterprises, a community gathering place that is accessible to the public with opportunities for local entrepreneurs to partner with us, and affordable and accessible housing for persons with disabilities - creating a strong model of accessibility and community integration. An inclusive and accessible society is possible, and it’s on the horizon. 

The End of Our First Year is Just the Beginning to Many More

Both Manitoba Possible clients and staff have shown incredible resilience throughout our first year of Manitoba Possible and the COVID-19 Pandemic. As we reflect on the last 12 months, we can’t help but look forward to all that is yet to come, both for Manitobans and for us. 

We’re excited about the opportunities to engage our teams and clients in new ways, we’re filled with hope as vaccines get distributed, and we know that with a little innovation and a lot of collaboration, we can keeping breaking down barriers for an inclusive and accessible Manitoba.