The Vision
Who is Pulford? What does Pulford do? Many people have asked me that question over the last 22+ years I have worked here. My answer has been fairly consistent over the years and it sounds a little something like this....
Pulford Community Living Services Inc. is a not-for-profit, charitable organization that provides support services to adults with developmental disabilities. Pulford began as a grass roots organization to support three people who were at risk of moving back in to an institutional setting. They had already spent many years of their life in that situation, and they did not want to go back.
Fast forward to today; I am now happy to say that we have some new answers to those most basic questions.
First, let me tell you about our vision. What is vision (other than those who claim they can see into the future); a vision statement is like a snapshot of what we want the world to look like. This is what we have determined is our snapshot of how we want to see the world:
"An equal, and inclusive world."
I believe these words need no explanation.
We revised our Mission Statement, which is something that communicates what the organization's purpose is and it also identifies the scope of its operations. Our statement reflects our fundamental philosophy. Our new Mission Statement is:
"Bringing community together to promote and empower people to live a full life."
We wanted to eliminate labels because they just do not belong in our vocabulary. Of course, our primary reason for existence is still the same; our services have expanded to include so much more than those described in our previous mission statement.
Lastly, we tackled our Values. what are the most important and enduring beliefs we hold as the "Pulford Community?" Value guides our behaviour and attitude. We strategized over many different values, and we were successful in narrowing down four of the most important ones to us.
DIGNITY
Everyone has value and worth.
We treat people with dignity, regardless of what role they play in our organization. That means the people we support, employees and volunteers. This is also inclusive of the other contributors to our organization; our families, friends, government representatives, corporate partners, service providers and all of our neighbors.
SAFETY
A culture of security, protection and comfort.
Safety is crucial for everyone to shine. People we provide support services to should feel safe in their homes, in their communities and with staff. Our employees should be encouraged to appropriately express themselves. Our families must feel that we always strive to create safe environments for their family members.
RESPECT
Honouring diversity.
Respect the human dignity and uniqueness of the people we support. We recognize each person as valuable, and help others to understand their value. We seek to understand people in the context of their personal history, their social and family networks, and their hopes and dreams for the future. We honour choices and preferences while protecting privacy.
INTEGRITY
Knowing and doing the right thing.
We support the mission and vitality of our profession to assist people to lead self-directed lives and to foster a spirit of partnership with the people we support, other professionals and our communities. Being aware of our own values and how they may influence our professional decisions. Assuming responsibility and accountability for our decisions and actions. We recognize the importance of modeling value based behaviours to colleagues, persons receiving support, and the community at large.
In closing, I want to thank all of the Friends of Pulford for your continued support. Going forward, we are looking for ways to build on the successes we have had up until now. We welcome you to come along on our journey towards an equal and inclusive world.
-Rod Retelback
Executive Director
