The name, Communitas, is a name we have chosen because of the great depth of its meaning. It is a Latin noun referring to an intense experience of community. It is a reference to something that goes deep. With this organization having substantial roots in the Mennonite experience and history of community, it is the hope and prayer of Communitas' leadership that we can take the best of that tradition to the work to which we have been called. Our humanity daily reminds us that each of us is vulnerable and needs community.

South African Bishop Desmond Tutu tells us that we need other human beings in order to be human. The "self-made" man or woman is an illusion. He says, "in Africa when you ask someone 'How are you?' the reply you get is in the plural even when you are speaking to one person. A man would say, 'We are well' or 'We are not well.' He himself may be quite well, but his grandmother is not well and so he is not well either."

We understand that our existence is dependent on others around us. You have gifts that I do not have and vice versa. That is part of our humanity. People living with disabilities often have gifts to share such as vulnerability, generosity and compassion. They remind us of the importance and the need that we all have for community.

Steve Thiessen, CEO

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