This year’s Federated Health Charities campaign runs from April 3, 2023, to June 30, 2023. During the campaign, we will highlight how each of our 21 charities works to improve the health and well-being of people across our province.
The ninth charity in the spotlight is the Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy. A Federated Health Charities member since 1988, the Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy is dedicated to supporting Ontarians with cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term for a number of permanent disorders that impair the brain’s control of some muscles related to movement and posture, affecting a person’s balance, posture and ability to move. Most cases of CP are related to brain injuries that occur either before, during or within a few weeks of birth. As a result, children with CP may also experience other challenges, such as seizures or problems with sensation, perception, communication, learning and behaviour. Each case of CP is different and each person’s experience of life with CP is unique. Some people with CP experience very mild symptoms, such as a slight weakness on one side of the body, while others experience more serious limitations, such as difficulties speaking or moving, that can require assistance with daily living. CP is the most common physical disability diagnosed in children in Canada. Currently, there are about 34,000 people living with CP.
The charity has made a huge difference for my daughter.
The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy (OFCP) is dedicated to supporting Ontarians with CP to live lives of independence, inclusion, choice and full integration in society. The OFCP provides people with CP, their families and caregivers with a wide range of programs and services, ranging from inclusive and supportive education and recreation programs for children, to help with housing and life planning.
“When you turn eighteen and lose the support of our wonderful paediatric health system, you go into the standard hospitals, they don’t know what CP is,” says Shira W. Shira credits the OFCP for helping bridge the gap between the care provided for children with CP and services available to adults. “They helped me secure my own apartment and funding for my singing lessons.”
“We believe in supporting our members in a way that offers a variety of opportunities for full inclusion, and give them a choice to enjoy the freedom as to where they live, where they work,” says Gordana Skrba, Executive Director, OFCP. ” The dollars that we receive from Federated Health Charities, OFCP uses to support our members through life-enriching activities, and programs. It also provides funding assistance to assist them with the purchase of much-needed equipment.”
The OFCP’s programs and services are funded almost entirely through the collection and resale of used clothing and other used goods, and donations from organizations like Federated Health Charities.
For more than 30 years, Federated Health Charities has worked with the Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy to advance solutions through service, advocacy and research that improve the self-sufficiency, dignity and quality of life for people with CP.
To learn more about the Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy and the programs they provide, please visit The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy (ofcp.ca).
To make a payroll pledge or donation to support the Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy and Federated Health Charities, please visit Federated Health Charities.