CCACC - Community Care Access Centres, A Reminder
Joe Hamburger
There's what I consider to be a very important issue concerning the citizens
of Ontario that I wish to bring to your attention. I doing so, I also would
like to enlist your support and assistance.
I've had the sincere pleasure of forming a wonderful relationship with the
good folks at CCAC (Community Care Access Centres) and the organizations
affiliated with them over the last
4 years. During these 4 years, I've had the opportunity to learn a great
deal about the operation of CCAC and its sister organizations. The issue
regarding CCAC that brings me to writing you at this time is one of great
concern to me, and I'm certain, once you understand, it will also be a great
concern to you as well.
CCAC is terribly under funded by The Province of Ontario. Just here in
Kingston alone, a small town (city), there are innumerable folks on waiting
lists to get assistance in order that they might continue to remain living
independently. Unfortunately, for some, by the time funding is available for
them to get the help, they will have already been forced into institutional
residence simply because the monies weren't there to provided them with the
wee bit of help so that they could continue to live independently.
The Province of Ontario itself acknowledges that providing the services that
CCAC does is substantially less expensive than the cost of maintaining an
individual in a governmentally funded facility. Should The Government of
Ontario fully fund the CCAC centres across The Province of Ontario, each
measurable and immeasurable results would occur. First, measurable ... as
it is less expensive to The Province to fund CCAC and enable residents of
The Province to remain living independently in their respective homes with
some assistance from CCAC, The Province would save countless taxpayer
dollars ... dollars that could be re-allocated from funding residing in
facilities to much needed and worthwhile endeavours such as Education,
Health Care, The Environment, and the list goes on and on and on. The
immeasurable results ... like the Mastercard commercial says, "Priceless"
... what is the value of enabling otherwise able-bodies people to continue
living independently in their own homes ... how do you measure dignity ...
how do you measure self-worth ... you can't ... its priceless.
So, I beseech you. If you believe as I do and countless hundreds of
thousands if not millions of Ontarians do, please go to
http://www.petitiononline.com/060960/petition.html and sign the on-line
petition for full funding to CCAC centres across The Province of Ontario.
There is also a link on my own web site,
http://www3.sympatico.ca/exiledinkingston to the site where the petition is.
At a later date, I will print out the petition and present it to The
Honourable John Gerretson, our local MPP, for presentation in The
Legislature. I would also ask that you email this to all of your friends,
work colleagues, everybody that you can think of. Even send it to friends
outside of Ontario. Although they cannot sign the petition, they will
possibly know other residents of The Province that they can forward this
email to, and those friends who do reside in Ontario ... others that you may
not have been able to personally reach, will have the opportunity to sign
the petition.
I thank you most sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, for your
consideration and participation in this very worthwhile endeavour. If we
are able to make an impact of The Government ... actually achieve full
funding for CCAC centres across The Province, we will be giving a gift to
countless people who will be able to share the wonderful benefits of in-home
assistance that will prevent them from unnecessarily having to move from
their own homes into a facility. Now there's a gift certainly worth giving.
And the cost to you is just a few moments of your time. Isn't that the best
value you've ever received .... anytime, anywhere.
Sincerely,
Joe Hamburger
http://www3.sympatico.ca/exiledinkingston