A community built with heart

The Sarnia Journal has partnered with local photographer Art Connolly to feature his captivating “Humans of Sarnia” series as he delves into the lives and experiences of everyday people in Sarnia.

Some organizations begin with a business plan. Others begin with a simple question: What if there was a better way?

For Tina Leonard, that question became Vibe Community Connections.

Today, Vibe has become a place where teens and adults with developmental disabilities and autism can build friendships, gain confidence, develop independence, and simply enjoy being part of a community that celebrates who they are. Through social and recreational programs, one-to-one respite services, and countless opportunities for connection, Vibe has become much more than a service provider. It has become a second home for many of the families it serves.

Tina's story, however, began long before Vibe opened its doors.

A lifelong Sarnian, she grew up with her brother in the very house she now calls home. Her father worked as a process operator in the local plants while her mother worked at Sears. She attended St. Patrick's High School—"Not the St. Pat's that it is today," she laughs, "not the old, old St. Pat's, but the old St. Pat's." After graduating, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guelph before continuing her education at Loyalist College in Belleville, where she completed the Developmental Service Worker program.

Like many students, Tina worked while attending school. Her first jobs included Wharf's Fish and Chips in Sarnia and Angel's Diner in Guelph, where she worked as a server. Those early jobs taught her about people, but her career soon led her toward something much deeper.

She spent eleven years with Thames Valley Children's Centre, including several years at its Sarnia satellite office, supporting children with autism. Eventually she specialized in Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), working one-on-one with children and helping them develop skills that would support them throughout their lives.

When an opportunity arose to become a Behaviour Consultant with Regional Support Associates, Tina almost didn't pursue it.

The position focused on supporting adults with developmental disabilities, an area where she had little experience. She cancelled the interview, convinced she wasn't the right candidate.

Then the phone rang.

The organization encouraged her to reconsider, explaining that her background in Applied Behaviour Analysis warranted a conversation. Tina agreed to attend.

"So my defense mechanism when I'm nervous is to just make people laugh," she recalls. "They'd ask me questions, I'd answer to the best of my ability, and when I couldn't, I'd make a joke."

She got the job.

Looking back, Tina still describes those two years as her dream job.

Her work wasn't about changing people. It was about understanding them.

She spent time with individuals and their families, observed their daily routines, met with caregivers and support workers, and brought together professionals that included nurses, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and psychiatrists whenever needed. Together they developed individualized support plans that reflected each person's strengths, needs, and goals.

It was collaborative work built on listening, compassion, and consistency. By helping everyone understand the individual rather than simply reacting to behaviours, Tina helped create environments where people could flourish.

Yet she continued to notice a gap.

Families often struggled to find qualified respite workers. Parents needed time to recharge, but opportunities for safe, engaging respite care were limited.

Rather than simply recognizing the problem, Tina imagined a solution.

Tina and Sarah Singleton had only crossed paths a handful of times through team meetings and knew very little about each other beyond those brief interactions. Still, Tina saw something in Sarah that made her believe they could share a common vision. She reached out to her colleague and shared an idea that would eventually become the foundation of something much bigger.

"What if we started our own program?"

Sarah didn't hesitate.

The two women opened Vibe Community Connections in a modest location on London Line. Within six months, demand had outgrown the space.

Today, Vibe operates from a 4,000-square-foot facility at 140 Front Street South in downtown Sarnia, serving fifty-six participants who along wiith their caregivers are affectionately known as the Vibe tribe. Some attend twice each week, others more frequently, and many also receive one-to-one respite support in the community. Remarkably, many of the original participants who joined four and a half years ago are still part of the Vibe family today—a reflection of the relationships that have been built there.

The organization also works closely with families navigating Ontario's Passport Funding program, helping adults with developmental disabilities access meaningful community participation, life-skills programming, and respite services.

Each year Tina also assists Disability Support for Children and Young Adults Lambton Kent in setting up a Teen Transition Fair at Pathways, which helps students and families learn about the different supports available as they transition into adulthood.

For Tina, building community extends well beyond Vibe.

She is married to Darren McLeay, a musician with the band Classic Seger. Together they created Kindred Kids Music, an intergenerational concert experience celebrating the timeless music of artists such as Raffi and Fred Penner. Their performances bring together children, parents, grandparents, and members of the community in joyful, inclusive celebrations of music.

On September 12, 2026, Kindred Kids Music will perform at the Imperial Theatre in Sarnia, partnering with Special Olympics, with a portion of ticket proceeds supporting local athletes. Tina and Sarah will be helping the athletes perform a routine joined by volunteers eager to share the stage in a celebration of music, inclusion, and community.

Spend even a few minutes with Tina Leonard and one thing quickly becomes clear: she measures success differently than most people.

Success isn't counted in the size of a building or the number of programs offered. It is measured in friendships formed, confidence discovered, anxious parents finding reassurance, and individuals discovering a place where they truly belong.

Sarnia is fortunate to have people like Tina Leonard.

Her compassion, vision, and unwavering belief in the potential of others have quietly transformed the lives of dozens of individuals and families throughout our community. Through Vibe Community Connections—and through the example she sets every day—she reminds us that the strongest communities are built not simply by providing services, but by creating places where every person feels valued, welcomed, and included.

You can learn more about Vibe Community Connections by visiting their website. 

  
Humans of Sarnia founder Art Connolly is a man fuelled by curiosity and a passion for connecting with people in Sarnia. Inspired by the renowned “Humans of New York” series, with a camera in hand, he captures the very essence of the individuals he encounters, preserving their stories through his lens. Follow his series at the Humans of Sarnia website and on Facebook.