Many adults with disabilities face challenges finding continued learning opportunities after they turn 21. Nina Dehghani and her husband established the Global Community Development Network (GCDN) in Pickering to address this need. GCDN offers day programs featuring a range of activities like cooking classes, financial literacy, fitness, and arts to support adult learners with disabilities.
Christina Ducette, who lives with a disability, joined GCDN to help develop their programs and emphasizes the scarcity of such inclusive spaces in Pickering.
However, GCDN is currently struggling due to financial constraints. Despite numerous offers of support, they are unable to receive donations without a registered charity number. Their application for charity status, submitted to the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) in March, faces delays, jeopardizing the organization’s future.
While CRA acknowledges the backlog in processing charity applications, GCDN remains hopeful for approval, as charity status would enable them to expand their services and reach more individuals in need.