(Elmwood Residences Inc./Facebook)
Group home residents living in Kinsmen Manor in Saskatoon were beaming ear to ear as they received special care packages made just for them.
Just before Christmas, Michelle Cates started the Facebook group Local Love Saskatchewan Shopping Guide, which promotes local businesses. The idea of the group is to connect people in Saskatchewan with local businesses that sell the items they are looking for.
The group’s members also like to give back. Before Christmas they raised $10,000 to purchase food, clothing, toys and other necessary items to make Christmas hampers for Haven Kids House, OUTSaskatoon’s Pride Home and Saskatoon Interval House.
The coronavirus. (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota/Twitter)
Saskatchewan Alternative Initiatives is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak, the second group home for those with intellectual disabilities to have an outbreak declared in the past 10 days.
According to executive director Tim Jones, he is aware of three cases within the organization.
“We’ve been very fortunate up until now,” he said. “Last week, we had one of our homes declared an outbreak as we had two employees at the same home test positive for COVID. Since then on Saturday, public health came and did mass testing for all the employees and the individuals from that home.”
SASKATOON A COVID-19 outbreak at Elmwood Residences Kinsmen Manor has a staff member calling for Covid-19 vaccinations to the disability sector. Elmwood staff have confirmed there is a COVID-19 outbreak at its Kinsmen Manor in Saskatoon. A significant number of residents and team members are directly impacted, but all are experiencing only mild symptoms at this time, said Elmwood Executive director Rachel Steinke. Elmwood Residences provides housing support for individuals experiencing intellectual disabilities. The organization oversees an additional 11 community homes in Saskatoon. None of these facilities are experiencing outbreaks, Steinke told CTV news. All residents and team members at Kinsmen Manor were tested on January 15, 2021 after four (4) team members tested positive between January 10-12, 2021, said Steinke. The Ministry of Social Services is providing additional resources to maintain full staffing levels so that residents continue to receive the