Our Origins
True Friend Supported Independent Living is a grassroots group of families and friends of a group of adults with developmental disabilities along with talented supporters who believe in our cause. True Friend was incorporated as a non-profit in May 2024 and then approved as a registered charity as of January 2025. This group initially came together around their involvement with New Leaf Link, a day program for adults with IDD based in Harrowsmith, Ontario. The name True Friend came from the song “True True Friend” written and performed by Kingston artist, Gary Rasberry. Gary is a long-time artist-instructor and Board member of New Leaf Link.
The Problem
Once persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not longer able to live with their families or caregivers, many want to continue to live in their community where they have friends and family. Currently there are no residential facilities for persons with IDD in South Frontenac. This situation is mirrored in most other rural municipalities. Instead, these adults must either apply to years or decades long wait lists for funded group homes in cities or their families must pay for for-profit private homes that are not affordable for most. Often, residents are not successful with funded group home wait lists until their family support situation becomes dire (e.g. their parents die or become incapacitated). Hence the transition to a group home may well be under traumatic circumstances as well as force them to move away from their home community. True Friend Supported Independent Living is developing a solution to this problem, starting with a small group home in South Frontenac and then expanding that success into other communities.
Board of Directors
Julia Atherley, President, Chair
Steve Howard, Director
Julie Hunt, Director
Brandy Sheahan, Director
Brigid Dooley-Tremblay, Director
Christine Bell, Treasurer
MacKenzie Lee, Secretary