Living Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: WILMA BLOKHUIS By Billy Canning SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER www.oakvillebeaver.com Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 250) Fax 905-337-5567 email blokhuis@haltonsearch.com · WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2006 15 STRIDE relocates to larger facility People who suffer from mental illnesses are sometimes turned away from employers because of perceived `stigmas,' or they lack certain work skills, but STRIDE is working to change those views and assist mental illness sufferers to get them into the workforce. Recently, STRIDE (Supported Training and Rehabilitation in Diverse Environments) a non-profit community based vocational rehabilitation program, opened a new office and packaging plant in Oakville. They previously had one site in Burlington and another in Oakville, but couldn't afford to keep both sites. "We picked the spot in Oakville that's readily accessible by the Burlington people," said Mark Cox, STRIDE's South Halton Manager. The new location is not only easier to access for the travelling employees, but according to Cox, the cost of the new site is saving them $20,000 on lease costs than the other two sites combined. The building also offers loading docks, racks to store equipment, higher ceilings and a more professional front office, said Cox. The new 9,746 sq.-ft. facility is at 2245 Wyecroft Rd, Units 1 and 2. But STRIDE offers more to their employees than a new facility that is a larger working environment and easier to locate. The main goal is to help people with mental illnesses find employment in the community or work directly at the packaging plant attached to the new building. At the South Halton work site, there are 65 registered employees and 45 are receiving supportive employment training. The packaging plant where most of them make their daily earnings, from packaging supplies for pharmaceutical companies, toy companies and retail stores, are paid between $3 to $4 an hour on piece rate contracts. The wage can increase depending on how quickly the contracts are completed. Cox said the plant and wages prepares them to gain an understanding of the workforce. "Its to help them get ready to go into the competitive workplace to make minimum wage or above." Even though STRIDE offers support training and working positions at the packaging plant, it can be troublesome to find employers who will hire someone with a mental illness because of "stigmas," said Cox. "It sometimes takes a sympathetic employer to want to hire someone with a mental illness, because of the whole fear that they might be violent," said Cox. "Usually it's someone who has mental illness in their own family and they are the ones (employers) who are sympathetic." About 80 per cent of mental illness sufferers at the South Halton site have schizophrenia and the other 20 per cent have bipolar or serious depression. Since Cox was hired as manager in 2003 at the South Halton work site, he can't recall a STRIDE member acting violently while working in the community. "We've had no experience with it, but there is the odd publicized case that you hear about," said Cox. "It's in peoples minds that if you have mental illness your unpredictable with your behaviour." KAREN NEWMAN / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER NEW SITE: Anita Lloyd, left, executive director of STRIDE South Halton, looks on as Joyce Geoghegan packages bags of candy for the Niagara Falls tourist area, as bundles of computer cables for another client await packaging. See Staff page 16 Large Canadian Wholesaler & Grower of Usual and Unusual Plants Opening their Doors to the Public er Sale! Summ Huge Selection of Perennials Canada Day 4" Perennial Special starting at Large selection of 5'-6' premium Cedar hedging ¢ 99 Blue & Green Spruce, Shade Trees, Fruit Trees, Junipers and Yews Great Selection of Flowering Trees & Shrubs up to %OFF 30selected items One FREE Rose Bush with every purchase WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER. EXPIRES JULY 15, 2006 ABERFOYLE Gilmour Road GUELPH / ABERFOYLE LOCATION Guelph HORTICO GARDENS 128 BROCK RD. S. 519-767-5326 South of Aberfoyle only 15 miutes from Milton ahd Cambridge OPEN MON. TO FRI. 8 AM - 8 PM; SAT, 8 AM - 6 PM; CLOSED SUNDAYS HORTICO 128 Brock Road McLean Road Brock Rd. N Hwy. 401 Toronto 000 Perennials Over 250, ose From! to Cho Hwy. 6 OPEN CANADA DAY *Hortico Gardens is independently owned and operated. London 5th Concession East Robson Rd. Roses, Trees & Shrubs HORTICO INC. SERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 30 YEARS 422 5th Conc. HORTICO 723 Robson Road WATERDOWN LOCATION Evans Rd. Burlington Perennial Yard Parkside Drive Hamilton 723 ROBSON RD., WATERDOWN 905-689-6984 OPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAY 8 AM - 5 PM; CLOSED SUNDAYS email: sales@hortico.com website: www.hortico.com Dundas St. (Hwy. 5)