Karin Steiner to step down from NeLL, says the organization is in good hands

Jeff Green | Nov 25, 2020

New Leaf Link (NeLL) has always brought a Do-it-Yourself spirit to everything it does, and for 12 years that spirit has been epitomised by its founder, Dr. Karin Steiner.

Dismayed over the lack of services and supports that were available in South Frontenac for her son Nicolas, when he graduated from the School to Community class at Sydenham High School, she started working with other parents of young adults with developmental disabilities, who she knew through the school, to put together some appropriate social and practical programming for them so they could continue learning and growing.

NeLL had no money, and no staff, but it had a committed group and a space from St. Paul's Anglican Church, which was conveniently located next to the High School.  The parents pooled their resources and paid fees for each session, and community supporters with expertise, started coming in to teach classes for nominal payments.

Through it all, Karin Steiner, with a lot of support from her husband Howard Smith and the other parents, kept working away, finding funding from traditional sources like the United Way, the Community Foundation of Kingston and Area, the Sydenham Lions and others, to develop programming two, and then three days a week. Local groups such as the Loughborough Christmas Relief Committee and businesses like Reid's Foodland and others, have helped out consistently as well.

Now based in the larger Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church, NeLL has developed a strong board and varied programming in two different streams, a practical stream, and arts stream. Joy and laughter are constant companions to a NeLL programming day, and some of the instructors, board members and participants have become a kind of extended family.

2020 has been  a difficult year, as NeLL programming is difficult to replicate virtually, and the NeLL has worked hard to keep connected, but it has and will be ready when the pandemic recedes and it can meet again.

When that happens, Karin Steiner will no longer be directly involved. A recent diagnosis of atypical Parkinson's Disease has given her the signal that it is time to take care of herself. She has been living alone since her husband Howard died in 2015, but in March, Nicolas moved back home. He had been living in a group home in Kingston that is run by Community Living-Kingston but moved back in with Karin, as a precaution, when the pandemic hit.

It has been hard on him to be isolated from his community, but as Karin's health has slipped he has stepped forward.

“He has become a big help to me. He brings the wood in and piles it, he does chores around the house, helps in the kitchen. After all these years, he is helping me get through the day.”

As for New Leaf Link, Carol Martin, who has been a director since the organisation was founded, and took on the role of President when Howard Smith died in 2015, has stepped up to take on a leadership role, and others within the organisation are doing their part as well.

“The organisation is in really good shape. Very capable board. I'm proud of the way people have  stepped up,” said Steiner.

Sometime in 2021 (hopefully), the noise will start ringing out during the weekdays at Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church, when New Leaf Link resumes in-person programming.

The organisation that started as one person's vision, will carry on, thanks to the efforts of a committed group that has come together over the years.