MCRI is a not-for-profit organization and we accept donations. If you wish to make a donation, please contact Melanie Martin at (506) 524-8809, or drop into our office to donate.
By 1980 plans were underway to close institutions, so not for profit organizations set up Community Residences across the province that could house both children and adults. MCRI was the leading organization in N.B. in this project, and at one time operated 15 Community Residences for adults and youth.
MCRI wanted to provide more self-sufficient and less costly living options, and lead the pathway to transition adults from Community Residences to live on their own. In 1981 the Supported Independent Living Program started, providing supports so that people could live in their own home with supports coming in to assist them. In 1985 the Peer Program opened providing supports for adults of all ages who were somewhat self-sufficient but still needed live-in help for some aspects of their lives.
Over time the Peer and House Parent programs saw a shift in thinking and launched the Associate Family Program, which was the same concept except the place of residence now belonged to those providing the care (Associate families later changed its name to Residential Associates). In the late eighties the Residential Associate Program was changed to the Alternate Family Living Arrangement (AFLA). AFLA members are welcomed as equal members of the paid family, and the natural families of members often help the paid providers with support.
Soon after, a shift in government meant reduced funding to Community Residences, and moved individuals back into institutional settings. Many not for profits could no longer operate safely, and others increased the number of residents to generate enough income, and MCRI eventually closed most of the residences.
The Supported Independent Living Program (SILP) continued to prosper over time, and now includes a 24/7 on call service, a larger variety of supports, and meets the growing interest for one to be living on his/her own, in his/her own home, while having safe structure over his/her own life. Each person has a customized service plan specifically tailored to his/her needs.
Today, we have 4 Community Residence programs supporting youth, and our AFLA and SILP Programs are actively used by Social Development and considered valued and cost-effective service options for government.
- People affected by developmental disabilities are entitled to the same opportunities as other citizens, and are entitled to the same quality of life and respect for their rights as individual citizens.
- Doing what is best for the people and the organization are top priorities.
- Providing a life that is as normal as possible, including the opportunity to interact with non-developmentally disabled people in the community, and the right to access and use the generic services in the community.
- Recognizing and developing each person’s individuality.
- That the developed services enable each individual to be challenged in order to help them learn and grow.
- That to the greatest extent possible, such individuals should have the right of choice and be empowered to make decisions with their own life.
- That families and/or advocates be involved in the decision making process.
Support Philosophies represent the attitude and philosophy used when providing people services. These concepts are based on the Mission Statement, Guiding Principle, Program Goals and relationship building strategies. The main philosophies we teach to our trained staff is through Mandt Relationship building.
Using the MANDT System, we teach concepts and techniques in building healthy relationships as the foundation of all support strategies. All supports are tailored to meet the person’s needs; therefore, we provide a wide range of evidence based approach’s that have been analyzed by research. All supports are created with the goal that everyone feels safe, in the workplace, in their home, with the surrounding support. The main topics also include building healthy Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Trauma Informed Services.
PRESIDENT – Chantal Landry
Chantal joined MCRI’s board of Directors in 2017. Her initial connection with MCRI was a summer job (2001) taking clients out for recreational activities and running Club Shades. She learned so much and had such a great summer experience! Since then, she has gotten her college diploma as a Youth Care Worker, worked for a variety of not-for-profit organizations, worked on a cruise ship tall ship in the Caribbean, and got her degree in Organizational Management while working part-time and as a single mom.
Chantal is presently the Executive Director for the Dieppe Youth House. She was previously a business college instructor at NBCC and previous to that, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Moncton. She is a board member of the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation and the NB Common Front for Social Justice.
Chantal loves learning and trying new things, coming up with innovative and creative ideas, finding new ways of doing things and is always focused on how to improve herself and the organizations she belongs to. She really enjoys being a board member and learning about governance. Chantal is focused on how we can bring our board to the next level so that we can best govern and support the organization so it can continue to grow and serve its clients.
VICE PRESIDENT – Kristen Steeves
Kristen is a native of Riverview. After receiving her Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mount Allison University, she then obtained a professional accounting designation. For the majority of her career, she has worked in non-profit member organizations. She is currently the CFO at CPA New Brunswick.
When not working, she loves spending time with her family. As a mother of two teenage boys, she spends hours at the rink watching competitive hockey or running a taxi service for them. As a family, they love to travel and find new adventures. She loves to exercise – walk, run, bike – anything that keeps her moving.
Secretary- Beverly Gaudet
Beverly is 54 years old, and has 2 children, 2 stepchildren, one grandchild, and also have 2 dogs, Nicco and Molly who are very spoiled. Ryan, her stepson, is special needs and will hopefully be placed with the SILP program within a couple of years. She is personally and professionally thrilled that MCRI provides a service that allows many who would otherwise not be, assisted living. Allowing them to learn and live life to its fullest potential.
Beverly is a Registered Nurse of 28 yrs. Fresh out of nursing school, she had the opportunity to manage Private Care Inc; a homecare agency that provided various support services for individuals in the community. She has had the privilege of working within the community (Extra Mural, Southeast Regional Corrections and currently Mental Health & Addictions) as well as hospital expertise. She has worked with every age in almost every scenario, having had the privilege of learning various skills and providing her expertise to those in need.
Beverly previously owned a Level 2 Special Care Home. During this period of time, she was President of the local, and VP of the provincial Special Care Home Association over a 4-year period. She worked closely with various community organizations and routinely spoke with government officials, Department of Social Development, and numerous other community resources.
She joined the Board of directors with MCRI in July of 2021. Her goal is to promote and support the awesome services/housing programs that MCRI provides each and every day while working in the constraints of today’s world.
Treasurer- Stephanie Lewis
Stephanie Leblanc is originally from Notre-Dame-de-Kent, just north of Moncton. She went to the Universite de Moncton where she got her Bachelor in Administration, and then obtained a Chartered Accountant designation. She as a varied career with small private accounting firms, a few years in Ernst & Young, many years with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and she finally returned “home” in 2017 as CFO of Wildwood Industries, a large manufacturing company in Moncton.
She is a mom of two young girls, who are always moving! They love exploring and keeping active. While she didn’t have any previous exposure to MCRI, she has been amazed in reading about the work we do and is looking forward to being able to provide any expertise and/or insights she may possibly be able to bring.
Stewards:
Sandy Scott-Thibodeau
As she retired from her position of Social Worker with the Department of Social Development after 20 plus years working within the Child Welfare Sector, Sandy was invited to join MCRI’s Board of Directors; needless to say, she graciously accepted, and this, without any hesitation. For the last 16 years, Sandy was a Children’s Resources Service Social Worker, more specifically, a Foster Home and Group Home Coordinator, assigned to MCRI as the Department’s liaison for Children’s Residences. Come to find out, she shares the same perspective and philosophy as the agency when it comes to working with children and families, based on building positive relationships and meeting their individual needs. Her working relationship with MCRI Management and Staff was always positive; we did a lot of great work and accompanied several youths as they successfully aged out of the Minister’s care. Indeed, there were often challenges and obstacles along the way, we faced them as a team, supported one another, and always remained focused on the children’s best interest.
Given this experience, Sandy brings to the Board of Directors a wealth of knowledge and insight into government Policy and Procedures, Standards and Guidelines that will benefit the agency and clientele. She looks forward to once again being part of the MCRI family in this capacity and see a very bright future ahead for our members.
Sandy has decided that she is not ready to completely retire and will be starting a new journey as a Clinical Therapist with EROS Inc., a private agency that provides therapeutic services to the community, both in person and on-line.
Margie McFee
Margie has been a board member at MCRI for some time. Long enough that she is not quite sure exactly when she joined. When she started Jerry was the Executive Director and John Bout was the President of the Board, so that goes back a few years.
Margie has a daughter who has been a client of MCRI for 20 years this year. She was involved in the AFLA program, from there to Reade Street and eventually to the SILP program where she currently shares an apartment with a roommate. As a family, they will be forever grateful for the ongoing support given to her. She has grown in leaps and bounds over the years and continues to do very well in her apartment living. It seems only fitting that we give back, and one way to so that is giving my time to the Board.
What does Margie bring to the table? Well, a family perspective for one. Her nursing background both in hospital and community nursing with Extra Mural which also included assessing folks for Long Term Care. Volunteerism has always been a part of who she and her family are. Over the years she served on the Board for our Community Kindergarten (back in the day when it was not part of the school program). Beaver leader, Girl Guides, Social chair for hospital staff, VP for our local union, Skate Club, and many years with the Sackville Swim Club, to name a few.
Margie appreciates the new members and welcome the energy it brings to the Board. Change is not always better, but better is a change!
Marianne Mephem Newton
Marianne has her degree in Public Relations from MSVU in Halifax and her CFRE designation (Certified Fundraising Executive). She has been in fundraising for over 28 years, the last twenty-three in health care philanthropy in Moncton and is currently the Director of Annual Giving for The Friends of the Moncton Hospital Foundation. She is primarily responsible for direct marketing (direct mail, telemarketing, monthly giving), lotteries, tribute programs (grateful patient and memorials), mid-level giving, social media, and communications to support equipment needs, renovations and programs supporting and enhancing patient care at The Moncton Hospital.
She is also the liaison staff support for the Bennett and Albert Country Health Care Foundation supporting the Albert County Community Health Centre in Riverside- Albert.
She was involved with many organizations when her children were young including the Riverview Skating Club- many roles including President for many years, Williams Syndrome Association as the Provincial Rep, as well as other areas pertinent to her family and their activities. Most recently she stepped down as an advisory board member for the Salvation Army after several years.
She is married to her husband, David and has two adult children, a son Drew, 28 who is a client in the SILP program for MCRI and a daughter Lexi, 25 who previously worked as a summer student and caregiver for MCRI, currently living in Montreal. In her downtime, Marianne enjoys reading, cooking, entertaining, swimming and travelling when afforded the time and opportunity.
JOHN LUNNEY
John is first and foremost a family man. He is married to his beautiful wife of 27 years, Tammy and he has two children a son Mitchell and a daughter Madelaine, who are both attending post-secondary training. John is also an animal lover and currently has one golden retriever as part of his family.
John has been an employee of the Department of Justice and Public Safety for the past 30 years he has held several positions including being responsible for Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement. He is currently the Deputy Chief of Inspection and Enforcement NB, IENB is the province’s second largest law enforcement organization that employees more than 300 staff. It has responsibility for Conservation Enforcement, Gaming and Regulatory Enforcement, Facial Recognition, Liquor, Lottery, Tobacco and Cannabis Enforcement, Safer Communities programs, Highway Safety Enforcement and many other initiatives. John is a graduate of Loyalist College in Ontario, he holds university certificates from Queens University and the University of New Brunswick, the Canadian institute of Justice, and the Atlantic Police
Academy.
Outside of work John has volunteered as a coach of our youth in hockey, soccer, football and basketball, and he has also chaired several Parent School support committees in his hometown of Riverview and was successful in obtaining a new school for east Riverview. John has served as a chairperson of multiple committees and was an elected board of director member and executive of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance an international non-profit agency representing all provinces and states responsible for policing the commercial trucking industry. John joins the MCRI board as it is important to him to continue to give back to his community.
Brijesh Dhameliya
Brijesh has over eight years of diverse experience in entrepreneurship and as an instructor. Currently he is working as the Vice President of the Gujarati Society of New Brunswick and is an instructor at the New Brunswick Community College.
He is thrilled to share that he is currently pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Immigration (GdiplCL) from Queen’s University.
He came to Moncton as an international student and volunteered at the Newcomer Society. His team served as Rotaract Board Members for six years at the Rotaract Club of Surat East.
He also served as the President of the Crandall university Graduate Student Society.
Brijesh holds a Bachelors in Computer Applications, a Masters in Computer Application and a Masters in Management.
You can find his info on his LinkedIn page through this link:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrbrijeshameliya/
Xavier Couture
Xavier was raised in Dieppe and currently lives and works in Moncton. Following university, he spent some time in Toronto working for an investment bank, came back to the Maritimes spending about five years in Halifax with Ernst & Young’s corporate finance team, and for the last few years, as a co-founder and partner in Accel Property Group.
At Accel, they acquire, develop, and operate multi-family buildings, self-storage and commercial real estate in the Maritimes. Within the company, Xavier leads their finance function, sourcing new land to develop and/or buildings to acquire, and overall project management (especially when they build new properties).
Xavier also does some strategic consulting work for a few companies in Atlantic Canada in the real estate development, health care services, and technology industries. His work there is to help companies develop strategic initiatives, strategic plans, optimize their finances, and in some cases, prepare for a sale of their business.
As a Moncton resident, Xavier has been looking to get involved in a non-profit for some time but hadn’t found quite the right fit yet. When he read the posting for Moncton Community Residences, he felt that he could contribute at a high level through his professional experiences & network. MCRI is a cause that he would be proud to serve. Xavier expects that with the continued population growth our region is seeing, combined with inflation and general increases in cost of living, there will be a continued (and increasing) demand for our services, and he’s happy to help any way he can.
Michael Miller
Michael Miller recently came across the Board Director role listed for the Moncton Community Residences. After reviewing the guiding principles, mission, and vision statements, he believes that his values aligned very well with that of our organization.
Michael is a CPA and currently holds the Finance Manager position at SE Mutal Insurance. He is an active member in the community through both recreational sports and volunteering with many organizations since graduating from Mount Alison University with a Bachelor of Commerce.
For more information, you can find his LinkedIn profile through the following link:
https://linkedin.com/in/michaelmiller1994/
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