Alink fundraiser supports housing for neurodivergent adults

What began in 2016 as a small grassroots group of parents whose neurodiverse children had aged out of the educational system, Alink Foundation has bloomed into a formal charitable organization to support neurodiverse adults and their families. Its mission focuses on filling a longstanding gap in the neurodiverse community: developing housing and housing readiness programs. 

“Our Montreal community has really rallied over the past years to build many exciting social and vocational opportunities for our adult children,” said Harriet Sugar Miller, president. “Alink has been figuring out a different piece – how to create more supportive housing and how to prepare for the transition.” 

To that end, the organization recently launched its first-ever fundraising campaign, “Building Futures for Neurodivergent Adults - Build skills, Create Homes, Forge Alliances,” in April. “Taking care of our children is a lifelong endeavour,” Sugar Miller said, the proud mother of a neurodivergent daughter. “We are building a sustainable organization that will help provide the lifelong and individualized support our children need as they, and we, age.” 

Alink’s housing model focuses on clusters or pods, where four people with intellectual difficulties and/ or autism spectrum disorders live in apartments in the same building and share a support team that Alink supervises. The residents will be trained in the skills they need to live as independently as possible, such as cleaning, preparing food, shopping for necessities.  Alink is planning to launch its first pod this spring. It is also developing a housing readiness program in partnership with professional organizations in the community and plans to operate the program out of a simulated duplex. 

Currently, Alink runs social and recreational programs, and a life skills training program Sundays at the Sylvan Adams Y with funding from the Azrieli Foundation, Federation CJA and the provincial Health and Social Services ministry. The social programs focus on building relationships and social skills and include a chat group, art, fitness and music, while the life skills training currently focuses on preparing simple meals. Alink’s goal is to develop small groups of compatible adults who socialize, train and live together in supportive housing, “It’s a goal, and there are many bumps in the road,” said Sugar Miller, “We’re trying to create solutions.  The current landscape with your adults still living at home in their 30’s and 40’s is not sustainable.” 

According to the website, Alink’s vision is that “neurodiverse individuals live meaningful and dignified lives within the community -not isolated from it.” The Alink name reflects the organization’s approach – to create alliances for inclusion – and also honours the late Aron Lieberman, a Montreal philanthropist who cared passionately about people with special needs.  Lieberman’s daughter, Helene Leiberman Donath, co-founded the charity. 

For more information:  https://alinkfoundation.ca.