Reach

Looks good, doesn't it? What if we told you that purchasing this cheesecake, or anything from www.papajackpopcorn.ca, and using the code REACH would support access to justice for people with disabilities in Ottawa and the Champlain region? Go ahead, have a slice!

Reach would like to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season. Please note that Reach will be closed December 18, 2020 - January 3, 2021. If you require urgent assistance, please contact the Law Society of Ontario at 1-855-947-5255 or the Crisis Line at 613-722-6914 or 1-866-996-0991.

https://stepstojustice.ca/guided-pathways/simple-will

Have you registered for Reach's December 3rd seminar on COVID-19 and Mental Health? Learn tips for managing workplace stress and anxiety related to the pandemic, self-care pointers for parents and caregivers, and information about how the mental health of people in Ontario has been impacted by the pandemic.

Steps to Justice has new information on the law and home care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more at: https://stepstojustice.ca//new-information-law-and-home-ca

On December 3, 2020, Reach Canada in collaboration with CMHA Ottawa held a session on mental health and coping strategies during COVID-19. Our speaker, Corry Comeau, gave practical tips that were helpful to many. Thank you to Corry for generously offering his time and to the Ottawa Community Foundation for making our free community education sessions possible.

Congratulations ABLE2!

Meet Arghavan Gerami and Niku Shaeri of Gerami Law PC who will be speaking at Reach's educational seminar - Permanent Residency Options of Interest for People with Disabilities: Humanitarian & Compassionate Grounds and Spousal Sponsorship Applications - on November 25, 2020, 11:00am - 12:00pm. Arghavan Gerami is the Founder and Senior Counsel at Gerami Law Professional Corporation (‘PC’), a full-service immigration law firm in Ottawa, Ontario. She completed her Juris Docto...r and Master of Laws at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2007. Ms. Gerami also completed a Master of Arts at the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Arts at York University, graduating first in her class. Since founding Gerami Law PC, in 2011 Ms. Gerami has focused her practice on immigration and refugee litigation, and successfully represented numerous clients before the Federal and provincial Courts, as well as the various divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board. Niku Shaeri earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa in 2018, prior to which she earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the University of Manitoba. Ms. Shaeri has been with Gerami Law PC since shortly after graduating law school, first as an articling student, and later as a Barrister-at-Law. Ms. Shaeri’s practice covers a number of areas of Immigration and Refugee law, including applications for permanent residence in Canada such as spousal sponsorship and common-law partner sponsorship; humanitarian and compassionate grounds applications; various temporary residence applications; and refugee claims and appeals. Prior to graduating law school, Ms. Shaeri was also involved with various initiatives related to Immigration and Refugee law, including the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program, which provided support to community groups privately sponsoring refugee applicants. She also completed an internship at a local Immigration and Refugee law firm and conducted research for the Refugee Hub at the University of Ottawa. To register for this seminar, visit reach.ca.

Why do you support Reach? Hear from a legal professional (Goldblatt Partners LLP) , non-profit group (ABLE2), volunteers and staff about why Reach is important to them and tell us why Reach is important to you! https://youtu.be/mgn6dUBl3V8

November 13th is Kindness Day. Take a moment to call a caregiver you know and ask them how they’re doing. Caregivers care, we can too. #CallACaregiver today! https://www.facebook.com/events/3471412949613328

Thank you to everyone who participated in Reaching Out - A Virtual Non-Gala! Special thanks to Gowling WLG Canada and auctioneer extraordinaire Lawrence Greenspon.

Meet Matthew, a legal referral volunteer with Reach! Why does Matthew give his time to Reach? "I was diagnosed with generalized seizure disorder when I was 12 and it was a traumatic ordeal for my entire family. I wanted to work and volunteer for Reach because I have personal experience with a disability and know how challenging it can be. It was very difficult for me to find the right medication plan. Moreover, I know how community organizations like Reach can help. I worked ...for an Epilepsy support organization in Southern Ontario and witnessed services that community organizations can provide to people with disabilities. As I transition to my future career in law, Reach allows me to pursue a personal passion in way which aligns with professional and academic goals in the legal field." Visit reach.ca to learn about ways you can support Reach!

Get your final bids in for auction items at tonight's event - Reaching Out - A Virtual Non-Gala. Bidding ends at 9:00 pm EST! Items include original art, local restaurant & brewery gift certificates, winery tours, golf passes, and much more! Proceeds support Reach's mission of access to justice for people with disabilities.

The line-up of silent auction items available at tonight's event - Reaching Out - A Virtual Non-Gala - keeps getting better! Bidding closes at 9:00 pm EST tonight, so place your bids now! http://reachauction.com/silent-auction-items/

On October 20, 2020, Reach held an education session on Family Law, Access, and COVID-19. Our speaker was Lisa Sharp, an Ottawa family lawyer, who shared her expertise and tips for navigating the family court process. We are very thankful to Lisa for sharing her knowledge with us and to the Ottawa Community Foundation for making our virtual education sessions a success.

We've added some very exciting live auction items to tonight's event - can you guess what they are from the photos? Visit reachauction.com to learn the details and to place your bids!

Join us tomorrow at 11:00 am for Family Law, Access, and COVID-19 with family law and immigration lawyer Lisa Sharp. There is no fee to attend this event, but advanced registration is required. Visit https://www.reach.ca/en/education/seminars-conferences.html for more information and to register.

Have you heard Ottawa's Rebecca Noelle before? Check out some of her work before watching her acoustic performance at Reaching Out - A Virtual Non-Gala on October 21st! Register for the event at www.reachauction.com. https://youtu.be/c4IPSD6jJo0

Learn more about Ottawa's mask by-law & disability: https://www.reach.ca//the-mandatory-masks-by-law-in-ottawa