ABOUT
The H.O.M.E. Society was formed to respond to the needs of 16 individuals who had not succeeded in previous attempts to leave institutional life and return to the community. The society grew out of a coalition of managers from 5 existing societies, family members and staff from the former institution.
Many of the support services were consolidated within the agency for quick response.Finally there was a major focus on the environment and neighborhood. Homes were designed to allow the men and women we serve to succeed despite challenging behaviours. Working closely with BC Housing and the architects enabled us to find rural sites, which allowed distance from neighbours and enough space and options to allow energetic and productive living in a community setting.
OUR FOCUS
At the HOME Society we are focused on:
- Individuals who have not had a chance to live in a community home.
- Rural and city settings with a focus on building and contributing to local Community.
- Training and Education
- Celebrating and sharing the skills and gifts of caregivers and the men and women we serve.
OUR MISSION
At the HOME Society we are committed to:
Welcoming men and women who need a supportive home in the community by embracing the Philosophy of Gentle Teaching. Linking with family, friends and neighbors’ to provide a circle of support for those we serve Supporting the community in which we live and work, contributing to the local economy, agencies and events, and sharing the gifts and skills of those within the H.O.M.E. Society.
At HOMES, we currently support nearly seventy individuals in the rolling hills of the Fraser Valley, about an hour east of Vancouver.
At HOMES we are always posting opportunities for volunteer and paid positions. Give back to the community today.
Donate today through Canada Helps and you can help support troubled individuals live a healthy and stable life.
OUR VALUES
GENTLE TEACHING
Gentle Teaching is many things. Gentleness toward others, in spite of what anyone does or does not do, is the critical factor. It is a paradox. Fists are met with hugs. Cursing is met with words of affection and nurturing. Spiteful eyes are met with warmth. Gentleness recognizes that all change is mutual and interwoven. It starts with caregivers and, hopefully, touches those who are most marginalized. Its central focus is to express unconditional love. It is the framework around a psychology of human interdependence. The main idea of gentleness is not to get rid of someone else’s behaviors, but to deepen our own inner feelings of gentleness in the face of violence or disregard.
SELF ADVOCACY
Self-advocacy is the ability to speak-up for yourself and the things that are important to you. Self-advocacy means you are able to ask for what you need and want and tell people about your thoughts and feelings. Self-advocacy means you know your rights and responsibilities, you speak-up for your rights, and you are able to make choices and decisions that affect your life. The goal of self-advocacy is for YOU to decide what you want then develop and carry out a plan to help you get it. It does not mean you can’t get help if you need or want it, it just means that you are making the choices and you have to be responsible for the choices you make.
PURCHASE VIDEOS
We support individuals in traditional shared homes of four persons, individual homes with one or two persons and we have many Supported Family Care homes. We train our caregivers in a philosophy of Gentle Teaching and our mentoring from John McGee has led to the formation of Gentle Teaching International, which is better known as GTI. GTI works worldwide to support Gentle Teaching through the www.gentleteaching.com web page. We put aside the traditional models of control, compliance and building independence – for a philosophy of gentleness, companionship, caring, and building inter-dependence and community. Gentle Teaching Training DVDs available at GTI site The HOME Society has been providing warm caring homes for over 20 years. That’s lots of homes often isolated from each other and neighbours.