Progress Place Clubhouse
576 Church Street M4Y 2E3 Toronto, ON, Canada

Wishing the Progress Place and Clubhouse community happy holidays and a wonderful new year! While we couldn't get together in person for the Holiday Choir this year, we're excited that we can still be together with the help of technology and holiday spirit. Hope you enjoy the song and video! A reminder that we will be hosting Zoom activities throughout the Holidays - have a look at our Calendar in the previous post. Hope you can join us!

Hey everyone! Here is our virtual clubhouse schedule for the next 2 weeks. As always, you can call us at the clubhouse from 8AM-5PM Monday to Friday if you need any assistance getting connected. Stay safe and hope to see you there!

We're so happy to announce that we'll be hosting virtual activities over the holiday season - see below for more details! While we not be hosting any activities on New Year's Day, we will be offering virtual activities every day of the 2020 leading up to it. On December 25th we’ll be having a Holiday Lunchtime Get-Together from 11AM-12PM, where members and staff can chat virtually and spend some time with one another on Christmas Day.... On December 26th, we’ll be having Writer’s Group from 11AM to 12:30PM, as we always do on Saturday mornings. On December 27th, we’ll be hosting online board games. And on December 28th we’ll be having Holiday Trivia. And while we will be closed for New Year’s Day, we will be hosting New Year’s Eve Bingo from 6-8PM on Thursday December 31. All other days will follow our regularly scheduled activities. If you haven’t joined any of our online virtual activities, we recommend that you chat with your contact person or someone on your unit before the 25th to get some assistance in getting set up for it. If you’re well versed in joining Zoom - as always, our Meeting ID is 683-146-633 and our passcode is 3230223 We really hope that you will be able to join us! If you have any questions, give us a call at the clubhouse at (416) 323-0223.

Hey everyone! Don't forget that this Tuesday December 15, we are having Holiday Unit Parties from 1PM-3PM! Members from each unit are welcome to come join us using the main Zoom Meeting ID (683-146-633) - if you're looking for our passcode, please give us a call at the clubhouse Monday to Friday from 8AM-5PM. Hope to see everyone there!

Hey everyone! Covid-19 has unfortunately changed what we are able to do at the Clubhouse this Holiday Season - however that doesn't mean we won't be able to share in the holiday cheer together in other ways! Tomorrow (Friday)at 1PM in the regular Zoom meeting room, we will be continuing on from last week's Decision Making Meeting to help decide what activities we will be doing for the holidays! Hope to see you there!

Hey everyone - a few updates to our virtual schedule! Writers Group is now being held on Saturday mornings from 11AM to 12:30PM. Online Board Games will be happening 1PM to 2PM, Saturdays.... Bingo will now be taking place Thursdays from 5PM to 6PM. Sundays Double Recovery Meeting will now be taking place Mondays at 3PM. We have also added an Employment related virtual meeting Wednesdays at 11AM where we will discuss various employment topics every week. This first week we will look at the benefits of working/volunteering for ones overall well being. And lastly, for this week, the RTNT meeting is moved from Friday to Thursday from 2PM to 3PM. In its place on Friday at 1PM we will be hosting the second part of our recent Decision Making Meeting about the Clubhouse's plans for the holidays. Phew that was a lot - please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions! Looking forward to connecting with everyone!

This #RecoveryMonth let’s #CelebrateRecovery in all its forms. Individualized plans are critical to help meet the needs of different people on their mental health recovery journey. #TogetherWeCan #SuicidePrevention Addictions and Mental Health Ontario Here's a story from Don, a member of Progress Place about his recovery journey. I'm Don and I am 26 years old. I'm originally from Burundi, but for almost five years, I have lived in Toronto, Canada.... I am the oldest of five kids, with one brother and three sisters. My father passed away in 2010. When I first came to Canada, I was as a student at Centennial College. I came with my younger brother and sister, while my mother and two other sisters stayed in my country. We arrived in May, and the summer here was so hot, but the winter was cold. It was an adjustment. I liked school, and I got decent grades. I would speak with my family in Burundi on the phone and through Skype. But things were not easy. There is civil unrest in my country, and my mother and sisters eventually came to Canada as well and we all claimed refugee status. My mom is taking English classes now, and there is a growing Burundian community here in Toronto that we are a part of. Before they arrived, though, I was hospitalized for symptoms of schizophrenia. I didn't know what schizophrenia was before I was hospitalized, but I learned fast. I was in the hospital for two months. When I was discharged I stayed in a short term safe bed. After that, I moved into my own apartment and my case worker referred me to Progress Place. There are nice people here and Progress Place lets people be who they are without stress. I love dj'ing for the clubhouse because music is so relaxing. I used to DJ in Burundi and I make my own beats now. I also like working on the Progress Place podcast and the audio visual projects. Eventually I would like to return to school, and work in business, ideally in the music business. "

This #RecoveryMonth, your journey can give someone else strength. It's important to have an open dialogue. Don't be afraid to share your story and challenge the stigma around mental health and addiction. #CelebrateRecovery Addictions and Mental Health Ontario Clubhouse International - ICCD Clubhouse Canada Here is one Progress Place member's story of her journey through mental health and addiction recovery. "My name is Emily. Back in 2008 I was getting into a lot of trouble a...nd not taking care of my mental health. I was also going through a number of addiction issues. It’s now been nine years since I joined Progress Place. It has taken a lot of work but thanks to the support that I’ve been receiving at Progress Place, I have been doing a lot better. A few years ago I set a goal of taking steps to get back to work and am so happy I was recently able to work on a Group Employment Program preparing holiday mail for a law firm. My next goal is completing my high school GED. I got started on that with the help of Progress Place’s education support, but Covid-19 put that on hold for the time being. I’m looking forward to getting back to work and finishing it up. I have now been out of the shelter system for 7 years and I recently received a grant that helped to furnish my apartment so I’m now able to call my apartment my home. On top of all of this, I have been sober for 8 years thanks to the support of the Progress Place Double Recovery Program and all of my friends there. It has taken a lot of work for me to get where I am today, and without the support from organizations like Progress Place, I’m not sure where I would be."

Hey everyone! Chess Meeting over Zoom has been moved to 5:00pm instead of 5:30pm from now on. Join us this afternoon! New to Zoom? Call the Clubhouse at 416-323-0223 between 9am - 5pm to get more information (meeting ID and password).

Happening this afternoon! Join us!

@AMHOnt Suze Morrison #DYK 74% of Ontarians experienced increased addiction & mental health challenges as a result of #COVID19? #TogetherWeCan ensure there’s support for Ontarians when and where they need it. #RecoveryMonth https://bit.ly/2Qn2rNQ

Have a great long weekend everyone! Please be aware that there will be no Zoom activities on Monday, September 7th. We will see you all on Tuesday, September 8th for the House Meeting at 9:30am instead of Yoga. Take care and be safe!

Recovery is different for everyone. This is one #progressplace member's story of her recovery journey through employment. This #RecoveryMonth, let us know what Recovery means to you. #CelebrateRecovery Addictions and Mental Health Ontario

Did you know that September is #RecoveryMonth? It is time to share stories of recovery and continue to break the stigma associated with mental health and addiction. Let’s #CelebrateRecovery together.#TogetherWeCan Addictions and Mental Health Ontario

The Reach Out Response Network is partnering with the City Manager's office to design and implement a non-police mental health emergency service, which will be accessible both through 911 and its own easy to recall number such as 811. The teams will be staffed by mental health clinicians and peer support workers from the communities they serve. They will be available across the city 24/7, with rapid response times equivalent to the response times of police, fire, and ambulanc...e. The civilian-led teams will replace police response to most mental health crises. They are holding a community town hall (via Zoom) on Thursday, August 27 at 6 pm (today!) with service users and people with lived experience to learn about your experiences using crisis services and what you'd like to see in a new service. You can register to attend the town hall and future events here: reachouttoronto.ca/events. Zoom links to attend the town hall will be emailed at least one day in advance of the event. To learn more about the Reach Out Response Network, you can read this Toronto Star article that recently covered them, or their op-ed in the Toronto Star. You can also visit their website at reachouttoronto.ca, or contact them at [email protected].

DJ'ing has been apart of Clubhouse work for more than 10+ years. Silence is not very interesting so we enjoy listening to music while we work through the day. Thanks to everyone for keeping the vibes going through the good and difficult times! #Toronto #MentalHealth #ClubhouseWorks #Basecamp #DJ

We're happy to announce that Progress Place is open for scheduled member visits for our Clubhouse Work-Ordered Day program! The units are limiting how many members and staff are allowed in the Clubhouse. Members are asked to call in to their respective units to schedule themselves in for the following week. Please reach out to your contact person to address any questions! If members express any concern about attending Progress Place and/or riding public transit, they are enc...ouraged to consult with their family doctor and/or Toronto Public Health. For those who are unable or not feeling up for attending, we will continue to provide additional services such as group virtual support activities, telephone outreach, expanded Warm Line services and meal provision. Additionally, we are providing Community Walks (physically distanced) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30AM which are open to all members. If you have not scheduled yourself to come into the Clubhouse on a specific day, be advised that you may not be able to enter the Clubhouse. We therefore ask that you not travel to the Progress Place unless you are a) scheduled to attend that day, b) picking up a meal or c) attending a 9:30AM Community Walk. Thank you and we look forward to seeing and connecting with you soon!

Hey everyone! Starting Weds Aug 5 you can join other members and staff for a community walk every Mon, Weds and Fri morning - all members are welcome to attend! We'll meet at Progress Place at 9:30AM and will be walking to nearby parks and sights for a half hour to an hour. Plus we'll bringing along free snacks and refreshments for all those who are joining! Hope to see you there!!

A reminder that this coming Monday is a civic holiday and our virtual activities and meal distribution is on hold for that day returning Tuesday. Have a look at here at our virtual schedule - looking forward to connecting! A reminder that the Warm Line will be open as always!

The Young Adult Zoom meetings have moved to 3:00PM on Tuesdays. Come on down to connect members from 18-35 years old! We play games, chat about movies and TV, our favorite activities, and much more! https://zoom.us/j/683146633 Please call the Clubhouse to access the password for the meeting at (416) 323-0223

Online board games have moved to Saturdays at 3:00PM! Join us for a super fun afternoon. This meeting is open to the community. We play games such as Taboo, Charades, HeadsUp, and much more. https://zoom.us/j/683146633 Please call the Clubhouse if you have any questions at (416) 323-0223

Happening today from 5:30PM to 7:00PM! Join us to work out those creative muscles! See you there.

Good Morning everyone! The lunch pick up timing outside of the clubhouse will be shifting. Members coming to pick up their take out lunch outside can pick up between 11:45am-12:30pm. We are asking, If members are late to pick up lunch, they can buzz in at the front of that clubhouse after 1:30pm (and not between 12:30- 1:30pm).... Thank you everyone for your patience! See you soon!

Join us Saturdays at 1:00 PM on Zoom for an opportunity to win prizes playing BINGO! Max daily wins are at 2! Come by the meeting to find out what the prizes are.... It's a fun group and we enjoy seeing and chatting with everyone. https://zoom.us/j/683146633 Please call the Clubhouse to access the password for the meeting at (416) 323-0223