Support Focused on Belonging First: Alberta AdaptAbilities Association

We sit down with Michelle Hordal, Founder and CEO of the Alberta AdaptAbilities Association, to unpack what respite really means for families raising children with disabilities and why “belonging” is the goal, not a bonus. We also dig into funding gaps, long waitlists, and how community connection, employment, and life skills support can change what adulthood looks like for the people AdaptAbilities serves.

• how goal-directed respite supports both caregivers and kids
• how AdaptAbilities grew from matching families to a province-wide vision
• why out-of-school time creates the biggest childcare gaps in disability support
• stories that show the emotional load families carry and what relief can look like
• expansion plans across Alberta and what it takes to “do it right”
• bridge funding, bursaries, and why families can’t wait years for programs
• supporting teens and adults through community connection, jobs, and independence
• sibling roles, guardianship, and long-term future planning
• building sustainability through an endowment fund, the Adapt Store, and operating an inclusive cafe in partnership with Lil E Coffee Cafe
• why the “low overhead” expectation can limit nonprofit impact and talent 

About Our Guest
Michelle Hordal is the dynamic force behind AdaptAbilities, a non-profit committed to empowering families and individuals with diverse abilities to grow, succeed, and belong. Through innovative programs and services, AdaptAbilities has touched the lives of over 2,500 children, youth, and adults, fostering inclusion one person at a time. Michelle’s impact on Edmonton’s community is profound, evident in her accolades such as the 2012 Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Service, a Celebration of Achievement Nomination with AWE, and a Globel Women Award Nomination in 2020. She was also honoured with a 2020 Capital Region Rotary Award by the Whyte Avenue Rotarian Club. In 2024, Michelle was nominated for the Alberta Chambers of Commerce Female Entrepreneur Award of Distinction and was named one of Edmonton’s top 20 Business Leaders by Business in Edmonton’s 11th Annual Leaders Award. Known for her visionary thinking, she approaches challenges as opportunities for growth, embodying a mindset that sees solutions where others see problems. A dedicated problem-solver, Michelle advocates for creative approaches, emphasizing working smarter, not harder. Michelle’s next endeavor involves empowering fellow entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders to purse their passions and talents, fostering positive change on a global scale.

What is Give Amplify Connect?

There’s a story behind every action. Give Amplify Connect is a podcast from the Wolfe Pack Warriors Foundation that gives a voice to the Alberta-based charitable organizations creating community impact, changing lives, and making a difference. Driven by honest conversations with host Kristy Wolfe, it’s a chance for passionate changemakers to share their story. 

Learn more at wolfepackwarriors.com

Podcast music used with artist permission
"Okay" by Ellen Braun 

Transcript

Teaser And Show Welcome

Michelle Hordal 0:00

Kind of changed the focus from respite to just connecting to their community. And we're setting two people up to work at a golf course, and that's amazing. We've got employers who are stepping up that are like, hey, I would like to hire people that you support.

Announcer 0:17

Welcome to Give Amplify Connect, the Wolfe Pack Warriors Foundation podcast that dives deeper into the stories of the charitable organizations in Alberta that are making a difference. Host and producer Kristy Wolfe sits down with the leaders of the nonprofit world to learn more about their purpose, hopes, and dreams. Settle in for an honest conversation with Kristy about the impact people are making in their communities and how they keep moving forward.

Kristy Wolfe 0:49

With me today is Michelle Hordall, founder and CEO of Alberta AdaptAbilities Association. I have known Michelle for quite a few years. We met when I was a teacher in Edmonton, and I was really, I was quite ecstatic, Michelle, when the Wolfe Pack Warriors Foundation board was like, we'd like to work with Adaptabilities as one of our quarterly initiatives. Will you please introduce us to Adaptabilities?

Michelle Hordal 1:12

Yes. Well, and thank you, Kristy. It's my absolute pleasure to be here speaking with you today. And Adaptabilities is a registered charity right here in Edmonton with plans to go across Alberta, like our name says. And we empower families who have children with disabilities to grow, succeed, and belong in community. And the underlying premise of all of our programs is respite. And respite is simply the temporary relief from the challenges that families often face while caring for their children who often have complex needs. And it's time for families to take care of themselves, whether that means coffee with a friend, dinner out with a spouse, time with other children in the family, all of those things are about taking care of oneself. And on the other side, as a teacher like yourself, Christy, I was so interested in what we could do and supporting the children while they were in our care. And so we really are looking at how we can provide that goal-directed uh respite services.

Kristy Wolfe 2:16

Well, we're going to talk a lot more about adaptabilities, obviously, but will you also talk about your involvement? How did you get involved with adaptabilities?

From Respite Worker To Founder

Six Centers And The Out-Of-School Gap

Michelle Hordal 2:26

Okay. Well, it's been quite the journey. Um, I had the privilege of my part-time job while I was going through university was providing respite to families. Back in the day, you got the job by taking a phone number off a bulletin board at the university. And I was, it was like the best job. I was getting paid to hang out with a child with a disability. And we would go to West Him and Ton Mall, whether it was the water park or we were riding the roller coasters on a Saturday. I supported three different families, and the types of activities that I got to do were absolutely amazing. And the bonus is I got paid to do this respite work, but also created really meaningful relationships with those families. And I went on to become a teacher. And you don't just let those relationships go. And I was teaching also while maintaining the respite uh services that I was providing privately with these families. And they had families that wanted respite services. And so they were asking me, and I mean, I was tapped out and uh now being a teacher. So I did find people that I knew to provide services to their friends. And that's really how it got started. Families were tasked with not only being parents, but also having to go out and recruit their own care providers and pay them and do all of those things. And uh what I did was just match families. Students have interests and skill sets and matching them with the the needs of the child in the family. And so, yeah, in uh the year 2000, when I was teaching, I decided that I was managing about seven families and I just couldn't do it. Um, mind you, as well, still providing respite. So I hired my first team member. At this point, Adaptabilities was a for-profit organization, and the margins were very small. $2.85 an hour is what the, and I say margins, that's not profit. That's that's everything. And but it wasn't about the money, and it was, I was a teacher. So it was like, how can I help other families? But there, the need, I never understood that the need was that great. And uh, we grew very quickly after that. And uh, of course, the the story is in 2004, it was really hard to sustain a for-profit organization with with such small margins. And so in 2004, we went uh nonprofit, or what I like to call for impact organization, and we have just not stopped. And I think we have uh, you know, just soared beyond anything that I ever imagined that uh adaptabilities would become.

Kristy Wolfe 5:04

There's been a lot going on, even just this year. So 20 plus years in. Tell us where adaptabilities is right now.

Small Acts That Change Families

Michelle Hordal 5:12

Wow. Okay, we have six locations right now. It's about 30,000 square feet of space. And our centers have really been incredible. Um, they offer such an amazing space where families can have peace of mind dropping their children off. We've got a full kitchen. There is a games room. You know, we've got air hockey, basketball in the Millbourne Mall location. It's one of our biggest uh centers. But over in the Orange Hub, we have a beautiful sensory gym. As an adaptive phys ed teacher, I knew that that students were able to access some of these types of resources when you're in school. But when they're not in school, there's very limited resources for families. So I wanted to have something when kids were not in school. And so uh we have we have big plans on um growing, uh, of course, across Alberta. But um, what's really important to mention is that I think the niche that we have is when children are not in school. So I didn't resign from teaching until 2012 and I went full time. I was one day a week teaching because it was really hard to let go of that, but it just needed my full attention. What's really critical as a teacher is that I got to hear the stories and the struggles of families while they were, you know, when I was having conversations with families, and it's when kids were not in school. And so that really is our niche. And there's a lot of days we have Christmas holidays, spring break, teachers' conventions, summer holidays. There's a large amount of time when kids are not in school. Never mind professional development days and now some days in loose. So families who have kids with disabilities, it's not like other typical children where they can go and hang out at the, you know, the neighbor's house potentially. Um, there's all of these gaps that exist for families with disabilities, including, you know, you're over the age of 13 and you no longer fit into a daycare setting, but you still need that safety and supervision. So really that is our niche. Um, creating programs based on families' needs. And the majority of our parents are work related. And then lo and behold, these kiddos finish high school. They get, you know, a couple extra years. So they're now 20. And then what? It's around um, what can we do for those families? So we created a community connect program where we are connecting them to community. We're really a bridge to belonging. And how do we support individuals with disabilities to belong to their community and have an enhanced quality of life while contributing to their community as well?

Kristy Wolfe 7:54

Are there any, I know you're telling me all the details about the programs, but are there any stories that are coming to mind right now that really stand out for you when you think about those connections that families have been able to make?

Expansion Plans Across Alberta

Michelle Hordal 8:05

There is so many incredible stories. So um one story I'll remember, and it was a mom and she was coming in to sign up her daughter for summer camp, and she was getting access to a bursary. And uh, we're in the kitchen of my home because it does start usually a nonprofit in somebody's basement. Well, this pretty much took over the whole house. So there I am doing an intake at the kitchen table, and we've got coffee on for our guests, of course. And anybody who knows me knows I do not like coffee black. I gotta have something in it. And it's usually a caramel toffee creamer. And so I was like, she was gonna go help herself get some coffee. And I was like, no, no, no, I'll get it. And I turn around to the fridge and I said, and I've got this amazing caramel toffee creamer. And I turn around and she's in full tears. And I was like, oh my gosh, what did I say? Like, how did I not see and what I said that has upset her? And I said, I'm, you know, I really addressed it with her. And she said, no, I'm just completely overwhelmed. She is a waitress. She went on to tell me, I am a waitress. I wait on people every day. And nobody ever gets me a coffee. And it was just, she's sitting there, and we are gifting her a bursary so her child can come to camp and a single mom with so many demands and and stress. And it was just, I think, more of a relief. And I still get chills today when I, you know, when I share that story. But um, if you have time for one more story, I can tell you another one. Yes. Okay. Um, Hearts in Action Summer Camps. And we are renting space out in a school, and I'm in the thick of things. Somebody is coming to me, one of my team members. Michelle, you got to go talk to there's some parents here and they want to talk to you. Now, day one, I'm busy, like trying to make sure everything, you know, everybody's doing what they need to do and everything's in order. And I finally make my way over there. This mom proceeds to tell me how grateful she is. And she says, I just want to say thank you. This is the first time my husband and I have gone out for breakfast. And then I was like, Oh, that's awesome. And then she's like, No, no, no, you don't understand. And it was almost like she took her hands out and was like about to shake me. No, you really don't understand. This is the first time ever my husband and I have gone out for breakfast ever. Our our son is 16 years old. And she says, and you know, a few tears in her eyes in how much that meant to her. And then I was like, All right, Michelle, stop and just listen. And she said, and the story's not finished there. We came in to their school in the winter time for like a resource fair, and they learned about our social night. The son went to the social night, and basically what she said is that he came home one day and he said, Mom, I met a friend and he's asked me to come to summer camp with him. Now, in their history, he stays at home all summer. Like it's one thing to go out into school, but in summer, it's a bit, you know, the world's a bit cruel, and it's just safer to be at home playing video games. So she says, like, this is doubly important to us because he met a friend and that friend asked him to go to camp. And so you put those things two together. And, you know, that's what I get to do every day is create a program. I get to wake up with purpose, and you know, we have an incredible team because there's just uh so many people all working hard together to support these programs for our families.

Kristy Wolfe 11:42

And I know from personal experience, so many families that respite isn't always as accessible as it is in Edmonton. When I hear you talk about expanding across Alberta, I get really excited about that because you have done incredible things in Edmonton. And I can't wait to see what's next.

Breakfast Fundraiser And Bridge Funding

Michelle Hordal 12:00

So tell us a little bit about what's next. All right. Well, this is scary because when you put it out there, you know, it's gonna happen, right? Um, I've been saying this for a number of years and it's just kind of coming to fruition. But uh we're hoping to do a bridge to Calgary. So we like to start with Red Deer and open up one of our centers here and then be able to expand to Calgary. So that once we are very solid in, you know, those two big major centers, the idea is then we could go north to Fort McMurray and Grand Prairie, for example, or down south to Medicine Hatton Lethbridge. And there I've just said it. So uh it's out there and it's uh, you know, we don't have to go fast. We've got to do it right and make sure that we are, you know, setting up different locations for success. So that really is what the plan is at this point.

Kristy Wolfe 12:53

Oh, that's amazing.

Supporting Teens Into Adulthood

Michelle Hordal 12:54

Okay, you have a big event coming up. Absolutely, yes. Uh, it's our annual breakfast. And I gotta tell you, after COVID, um, it this was remarkable. It's a breakfast, you're in and you're out, you come hungry, you leave inspired. We started off with about 300, our very first breakfast after COVID. And then we went up to like 500, 720. Last year at 939. So we're hoping to kind of like sell out at 1,000 and really incredible stories that are being shared. This year for me is uh beyond humble. Two families are speaking that have been here since the beginning. And to hear their impact is really um just humbling, knowing that uh, you know, I played a part in changing the lives of their children uh, you know, in such impactful ways. So I'm really looking forward to this. We've got incredible stories to share. And yes, we want to continue building, and we're very grateful for the government funding that we have. Uh, there is support from Family Support for Children with Disabilities as well as PDD, but there are 12,000 families that we know of right now across Alberta that are waiting for approval to have funding, just even in FSCD. So that's a lot of children. Sometimes they're waiting two to three years. What we have is bridge funding. Last summer alone, we we gave out $80,000 worth of bursaries so children could attend camp while they're waiting for funding. And that is just incredible and makes a huge difference. Same thing with PDD. There are lots of people who meet the criteria, but if it's not critical and urgent, and quite frankly, there are adults who are at home in their basements, not a part of their community. They're lonely, they're isolated, and parents are at a loss. So we are really looking forward to raising money so that we can get kids into programs faster. Will you just speak a little bit too?

Kristy Wolfe 14:58

Because I think often people think of respite as children and youth. But what ages are you guys going up to? Even if you approach this from the idea of a sneak peek of one of the families that's speaking, how old were they when they got involved? How old are their kids now?

Siblings And Long-Term Planning

Michelle Hordal 15:12

One of our participants, who has been here since the very beginning, came to us when he was 16 and his parents were looking for an out-of-school care program. It never existed. And the government at that point, the funding was suggesting that the younger sister care for him after school. Now she's going into junior high, she's got activities, all of those things. And it was like they really wanted her to experience that junior high, you know, extracurricular, not having the burden of caring for an older brother, who she'd been already doing that for a number of years. So he started uh one of four people in our out-of-school care program in 2004 when we really started shifting from in-home to a group respite environment. And he is still with us today. He's 37 years old. We are really following him along that journey. This individual is incredible. He has a job that he works part-time at Tim Hortons and has for a number of years. Uh, every Saturday, he shows up, he doesn't miss a shift, there's no drama. He is an absolute uh treasure to the the owners of this uh uh this Tim Hortons. He is also uh Special Olympian where he has traveled internationally and he's just he is actually our paid ambassador. So when when I go out to a golf tournament or whatnot, it's really nice for people to just speak with him. His name is Victor. They get a really good idea that, you know, children, when they're younger, for sure, families like you don't have to have a child with a disability, and families need a break. They need a place to drop off their kids, know that they're safe. Uh, you know, they have babysitters and whatnot. What we do is that reliable every week type of uh care that is ongoing to prevent caregiver breakdown. But as they age, it's it to me becomes more about the individual. And, you know, when they're 14 and 15 and 16, it's not cool to hang out with your parents anymore. They want to be able to go out with young team members. So we have relief care specialists, we've changed that name to community specialists, guided facilitators out in community to support them to belong. And then, you know, they reach into this young adulthood and there's a whole other world. I kind of changed the focus from respite to just connecting to their community. And, you know, we've we're setting two people up to work at a golf course. It's not, it's actually a driving range, and that's amazing. We've got employers who are stepping up that are like, hey, I would like to hire people that you support. Because once they're 20, I look at it. What was I doing when I was 20? I was very much uh, you know, had an enriched life. And what could, you know, what could we do for the people we support? So that's volunteerism, employment. Look, we're looking at their overall health. How can we support them financially? There's a ton of life skills in the kitchen. What can they do to become more independent at home and throughout life?

Kristy Wolfe 18:18

That was one of the questions that I was going to say. Can you elaborate a little bit on what a community connection looks like? But you did it beautifully. And now I also want to just touch on the piece that you talked about around siblings. We often think of caregivers as parents, but that sibling piece is something that I've had a lot of conversations about recently. How much support is there for siblings, or do you work mostly with parent caregivers?

Michelle Hordal 18:42

Yeah, we mostly work with parent caregivers. We recognize that if we can support parents to have time on their own, then they can choose to have that time with siblings because we, you know, with the other children in the family, because often there's so much in terms of appointments and advocacy and all the extra things that are required in the care of a child with disability that the other children often get left out. And uh, you know, sometimes it comes down to time, certainly not about love or anything like that. But when they have time to spend with other kids, uh with their other children in the family, it just makes a real difference. So we don't have any program specific to supporting the siblings.

Kristy Wolfe 19:26

Well, and I'm also wondering like as your population ages, are you finding that siblings are becoming the caregivers? Yeah, siblings play a large role for sure.

Sustainability With Retail And A Cafe

Michelle Hordal 19:36

I would say one of the biggest worries that families have and fears is when they are gone. And adaptabilities is really supporting and committed to what are they doing during their days? And we are building relationships with other agencies that do that 24-7 care. And we are, you know, would love to maintain just that day support, but siblings for sure then become the, you know, the guardian. And often it's parents as well as a sibling or two that become the guardians. And they're already at 18 getting that guardianship order in place so that there is some long-term future planning that goes into place.

Kristy Wolfe 20:19

I really appreciate you talking about that because I know we've focused on a few of the programs that you offer, but there's so many other pieces that go into just planning and life for families. And I'm assuming that you're often a touch point for many of those different things. Thank you, Michelle, for the work that you and Adaptabilities is doing. It's incredible.

Michelle Hordal 20:38

Was there any other programs that you wanted to touch on? One of the things is sustainability. As a founder, I am very much interested in, you know, how can this organization thrive? What's the succession plan? And, you know, we've got an endowment fund that has started. Um, that's something that I want to build over time. We have also created an adapt store. So for years, for 21 years, we've been buying sensory toys and resources at retail for all of these years. And so the, you know, the idea is how do we, and I've I've been thinking about this for a long time, how do we create revenue doing, you know, selling something that we already offer? So the Adapt Store will purchase these items. We also want families to be able to have access to the same resources that we have in our centers, and then then, you know, they can take them home. And I think the other really exciting news that's coming, and you don't even know about this, but uh Little E in Calgary was started by the founder is Paul Constance, and he has a daughter, uh young daughter with Down syndrome. And he Little E is run by people who have disabilities. Every function of getting your coffee is being done by somebody with a disability. And it is it's called Little E. So if you haven't seen it in Calgary, it's in the belt. Tower. It's coming here to Edmonton and Adaptabilities is going to operate it. It's going to be powered by adaptability. So same brand, but it's having people in communities see that people with disabilities are very capable. And I think the more we can show people that they have so much to offer and so much to contribute, we really need to celebrate that. And then, you know, that awareness will then have other employers saying, hey, I'd like to hire somebody. And this, it's just a fabulous program. It's really a training program, too. It's 18 months. It's not like a forever job. My first job was selling coffee at the co-op store in my hometown for 35 cents, you know, and that was a great customer service, learning about money. So the same idea here: starting in this uh really supported environment where they can learn without feeling fear, celebrating that they can be an employee and really contribute to that. So I'm really excited about that. So I wanted to get both the Adapt Store and Lily out there. Oh, I love it.

The Overhead Myth And Impact Leadership

Kristy Wolfe 23:08

And I'll put links to both of those things in the podcast show notes. You've given us some examples of how people can give to adaptabilities, ways to connect and how to amplify. So thank you for that. And my final question is always tell us about an organization or a person that inspires you. And you may have just done that.

Michelle Hordal 23:26

Yeah, well, I think what I'd like to, as a founder of an organization, I felt very alone. I was not running a for-profit organization and I often didn't fit in. I was lucky enough to be a part of Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, which I can say was just instrumental in me being able to get myself out of the business and really working on what is it that I need to do to build structure. And from there, and I mean, because that's for women who own businesses. And you don't own a nonprofit or a charity. I'm the founder. And so that for me was really critical. I don't have an MBA. I was raising two small children doing this, felt overwhelmed for many, many years. It took me, I think, an organization like AWE to like uh really elevate my confidence, but I took it to the next level by joining something called Women's Presidents Organization. And it's like a forum, women entrepreneurs. There were two women in this group who were teacher-turned entrepreneurs, just like me. I'm a teacher-turned social entrepreneur. And I tell you, I came in 2018 to that organization. I was at my limits. I hit the ceiling. I couldn't have stopped the growth if I wanted to. It just kept growing and growing and growing. And uh Marie Soprovich and Glenise Harvey, two powerful women who I look up to. It's peer mentoring, and it was, it has absolutely made a difference. And I still do that today. And I I feel for other leaders in a for impact organization, and I've said that. I I prefer to say for impact versus not for profit, because it really does show you what we're here for. And, you know, and I say Dan Pilata, right? And I'm gonna bring this quote up, okay? Because um, we are 6.8 million before I thought we could afford a controller. That's crazy. 6.8 million. Okay, millions and millions of dollars. And um, but I didn't think I could afford. And and because we're nonprofit, I got to do everything, I gotta do more for less. And that is gone. That paradigm shift has been long gone. And if you want great talent in your organization and you want to create more impact, just like more profit, you need really good, talented people.

Kristy Wolfe 25:49

Regardless of if it's for profit, not profit, for impact, social entrepreneurship. I am so on board with you, Michelle.

Michelle Hordal 25:56

Okay, and so this is a quote, and it really is a sobering thought. Ever wonder why charities aren't changing the world the way we had hoped? It's because that's not what we asked them to do. We asked them to keep their overhead and salaries low. So guess what they did? And what I'm super excited about is I am now supporting other entrepreneurs who are leading for impact organizations. And I've created uh an impact circle, much like what I get out of women's presence organization, but for people who don't have a place to get that peer mentoring uh from. And it's uh it's a great circle. And and I hope that I can help share the things that I learned and give them a little bit of my learnings and help them excel and create more impact, really. That's uh what I'm hoping to do out of that. So it's I'm just super excited about the work that I'm doing.

Final Thanks And How To Connect

Kristy Wolfe 26:54

Oh, this is incredible. Michelle, it has been so wonderful getting to talk to you and learn more about adaptabilities, but also the work that you're doing to support other four impact leaders. I really appreciate that. But I will put the links in the show notes so people can find out more about each of these different organizations. And again, thank you for coming on Give Amplify Connect. Fabulous. Thanks, Christy. Thank you for joining us today. The purpose of the Wolfpack Warriors Foundation is to give, amplify, and connect. Visit our website, wolfpackwarriors.com to learn more about this initiative or connect with us about a registered charity that is important to you. Don't miss the next episode. Follow Give Amplify Connect on your favorite podcast platform to hear from other Alberta-based nonprofits about the work they are doing. On a final note, remember to take care of yourself and your pack.

Ellen Braun 27:44

Okay, you're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay. Hush, my darling, gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay.