2014/15 Annual General Meeting Report - SWCRCswcrc.ca/.../2016/05/SWCRC-AGM-Report-2014_15.pdf · Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society Annual Report 2014/15 2 Table

“To enhance the quality of life in our communities by linking people and services together”

2014/15 Annual General Meeting Report

Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society Annual Report 2014/15

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Table of Contents Board, Staff and Partnership Listings Page 3 12th AGM Agenda, September 15 2015 Page 4 Minutes of 11th AGM, September 16, 2014 Pages 5 - 7 Chair’s Report Pages 8 - 9 Treasurer’s Report Pages 10 - 12 Volunteer Specialist’s Report Pages 13 – 15 Executive Director’s Report Pages 16 – 18 The SWCRC, Statistically Speaking Pages 19 – 33


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Board & Staff

2014/15 SWCRC Board of Directors

Wendy Zhu Chair Gary Bobroff Secretary Noreen Samra Treasurer Rosemary Bussi Director Janne Dunnion Director Jane Gillespie Director Chris Grabill Past Chair Jay Gupta Director Brennen Jaques Director James McPhail Director

2014/15 SWCRC Staff

Melody Wharton Executive Director Marylou Breig Community Resource Worker Aynsley Walsh Community Resource Worker Lori Colwell Volunteer Specialist

Partnerships The following list includes partners along a continuum ranging from event planning to program and service delivery to joint funding and administration.

Calgary Region Child and Family Services

Calgary Co-operative Association Limited

Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

Calgary Interfaith Food Bank

Centre for Child Well-Being, Mount Royal University

City of Calgary FCSS

Developmental Disabilities Resource Centre

Further Education Society

Hull Services

South of Fish Creek Network

South InterAgency

Southland Leisure Centre

YWCA – Sheriff King – Domestic Violence Outreach


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AGM Agenda

1. Call to order, welcome and introductions

2. Adoption of Agenda

3. Review and adoption of the Minutes of the 11th AGM, September 16, 2014. After the review and any corrections, it would be in order for a member to move that the Minutes as recorded in the AGM Report be adopted.

4. Chairman of the Board’s Report

5. Treasurer’s Report. It would be in order for a member to move that the Treasurer’s Report for the 2014/15 fiscal year be adopted.

6. Appointment of Calvista LLP as auditor for fiscal year 2015/16

7. Client Testimonial – Introduction of client by Community Resource Workers Marylou Breig and Aynsley Walsh

8. Address by Anam Kazim, MLA for Calgary-Glenmore

9. Volunteer Specialist’s Report (delivered by Yaa (Millie) Frimpong)

10. Executive Director’s Report

11. Open dialogue invitation to members and guests

12. Election of Chair for Board of Directors

13. Invitation to serve

14. Adjournment Everyone is invited for refreshments and to socialize.


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Minutes Calgary South West Communities Resources Centre Society

11th AGM September 16, 2014

Board Members Chris Grabill (Chairman), Gary Bobroff, Jeanne Burdego, Richard Conte (Secretary), Janne Dunnion, Jane Gillespie Jaime McPhail , Wendy Zhu

Regrets: Rosemary Bussi, Jay Gupta, Noreen Samra (Treasurer)

Other Full Members of the Society Alison Lievers, Debbie Moriarty, Brian Pincott, Alex Tang,

Elaine Turner, R.C. Wharton, Don Wharton, Gary Haerle Other participants: Brennen Jaques, Rhonda Chapman, Darlynn Linn, Linda

Johnson, Paula Salter, Bruce Byford Staff: Melody Wharton (Executive Director), Pati Chrusch-Page,

Marylou Breig, Aynsley Walsh The Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society’s 2013/14 Annual Report was circulated

1. Call to Order Chris Grabill called the meeting to order at 7:08 pm. He welcomed all those present and introduced staff and board members who were in attendance.

2. Introductions All participants were asked to introduce themselves.

3. Adoption of the Agenda Motion: Moved by Debbie and seconded by Gary Haerle to accept the agenda as circulated. Motion passed.

4. Minutes of the AGM – September 17, 2013 Motion: Moved by Janet to adopt the minutes of the 2012/13 AGM as circulated; seconded by Robert Wharton. Motion passed unanimously.

5. Chairman’s Report

Chairman Chris Grabill presented both the veteran (Noreen Samra, Jane Gillespie, Jay Gupta, and Wendy Zhu), and new Board Members (Janne Dunnion, James McPhail, Gary Bobroff, and Rosemary Bussi) to those in attendance. He also thanked the Board Members (Kulwant Kalsi, Jeanne Burdego, Richard Conte, and Chris Grabill) who will not be continuing on the Board in the coming year. He also thanked Executive Director, Melody Wharton, Community Resource Workers, Marylou Breig and Aynsley Walsh, and Volunteer Coordinator, Pati Chrusch-Page for their hard work in the past year. Chris described the major accomplishments of the Board in the past year as the completion of the Strategic Plan


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and he acknowledged all those involved in the process including the Board, staff and external consultants, Eileen Kwan and Pat Rice.

6. Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Noreen Samra presented the audited Financial Statements to March 31, 2014. The audit was conducted by Calvista LLP. In the opinion of the auditors the financial statements fairly presented the financial position of the Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society as of March 31, 2014, and the results of its operations to that date were in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles. Particularly noteworthy items in the report were the casino funds in the amount of $69,265, an increase in donations from $3480. in 2013 to $16,654. in 2014, and the development of documented financial policies in accordance with the Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations. Motion: Chris Grabill moved to adopt the Treasurer’s Report, seconded by Richard Conte. Motion Passed. Motion: Chris Grabill moved to re-appoint the auditors, Calvista LLP, formerly Thomson, Penner & Lo, LLP, for the 2014/15 audit. Motion Passed

7. Volunteer Coordinator’s Report During the 2013-2014 fiscal year, 129 volunteers contributed 2807 hours of their time to support the Centre. Participants included the Board of Directors, Tutoring Tuesdays (in which 18 tutors served 80 students in 33 sessions), Mastering the Mouse (a computer instructional program that reached 63 students), the 56 participants in the South Calgary Youth Council who spent a total of 732 hours volunteering with a number of agencies and organizations including the Calgary Food Bank, Acadia Community Association Stampede BBQ, the Salvation Army Christmas Warehouse, and the Southland Leisure Christmas Hamper).40 volunteers will participate in the casino to raise funds for the Centre.

8. Brian Pincott’s Address.

City Councilor Brian Pincott who is a member of the SWCRC gave a brief talk on what the SWCRC means to him. He underscored the importance of community, and that this is a community that welcomes everyone. In his view the passion for community embodied by the Centre is special and rare, and he noted that he was proud to be a member of the SWCRC.

9. Client Story Rhonda described how she received services from the Centre at a critical junction in her life. As she explained to Community Resource Worker, Aynsley Walsh, in 2012 she moved here after living on the reserve for 10 years. She had 2 young boys and had never lived in the city before. She felt alone, frightened and isolated, and she had no computer, and no phone. The staff at the SWCRC helped her make the transition to city life. She said that there was always someone to talk to at the Centre whenever she had a bad day. There was always a sense of belonging that made her always feel welcome. As a result of her increased sense of belonging and confidence, she has been able to go back to school.


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10. Volunteer Special Report – Lori Colwell Lori is very much looking forward to working with the volunteers , staff and board in the coming year. She pointed out that the South Calgary Youth Council will have its first meeting on Oct 1 which will enable her to become familiar with the new people on the council.

11 Executive Director’s Report Executive Director Melody Wharton acknowledged the work ethic of the staff, as well as the critical role played by volunteers and partner organizations. She also acknowledged the new Volunteer Coordinator, Lori Colwell, Bruce Byford of the Rotary Club and Margaret Wheatley whose book was an inspiration. The past few weeks have been very challenging for the Centre because the primary funder will only support families with children between the ages of 0 to 17. It raises the question of what to do for those who do not have children 0-17. An expectation has been created in the community that services will be provided to anyone in need. If services to those without children in the community are no longer provided it will create a service vacuum in the community. The change in funding has resulted in a change in identity to that of an organization that serves only families with young children.

12 Open Dialogue The open dialogue offered members and guests to ask questions to the Board and Staff. Gary Haerle raised the question of how the SWCRC can be more self-sustaining. Crystal described the Centre as a friendly environment where people can hang out; it is a safe place where people can talk. She also noted that youth at risk often don’t have a primary caregiver. Richard pointed out that one role the SWCRC has played was that of a case-manager to insure that people in need don’t get lost in the system.

13 Election of the Board Chair Wendy Tzu was elected as Board Chair. Chris Grabill moved to approve the appointment of Wendy Tzu as Board Chair, Jeanne Burdego seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

It was moved by Chris Grabill and seconded by Richard Conte to approve the slate of directors for the coming year including Gary Bobroff (Director), Janne Dunnion (Director), Jane Gillespie (Director), Jaime McPhail (Director), Rosemary Bussi (Director). Jay Gupta (Director), Noreen Samra (Treasurer)

14 Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:15 pm. Participants retired to enjoy refreshments and conversation


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Chair’s Report It has been a busy year at the SWCRC! At the Annual General Meeting in September 2014, many members may recall that a major accomplishment of that term was the creation and presentation of the SWCRC's Strategic Plan, which provided a guide and roadmap for the future. The next step, and a major focus for the Board of Directors this past year, was to begin execution of the Strategic Plan. As part of that process, the Board and SWCRC have, among other things:

Revived various Board subcommittees, including the Resource Development Committee, Program Committee, and Marketing Committee, which are active and meet regularly on subcommittee matters and projects;

Continued to foster partnerships with other non-profit organizations and institutions in Calgary, including the Rotary Club of Calgary – Heritage Park and Mount Royal University’s Centre for Child Well-Being;

Been working on the development and implementation of a new evidence-based parenting education program, which we are excited to offer in the coming months;

Refined operational and human resources policies for the SWCRC; and

Begun engaging with the community and building a broader base of support through the development of a social media presence and an alumni group.

Further, as the Strategic Plan is a "living document", the Board has reviewed it periodically to ensure that its goals and timelines remain realistic and applicable, or are otherwise adjusted as circumstances and economic realities change. Overall, the Strategic Plan remains a valuable tool for us, and we will continue our work in fulfilling its goals and larger vision for the SWCRC. Of course, execution and operations would not be possible without the dedication of the SWCRC's staff and many volunteers. Thank you to Lori Colwell, our Volunteer Specialist, for all of her hard work this past year in engaging and energizing our volunteers and programs. Lori resigned in June 2015 to pursue personal interests, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours. A big thank you to Jay Gupta and Jane Gillespie as well, both of whom were on the Board for approximately 2 ½ years and always brought energy and good sense to our discussions. Yet, while it is difficult to say farewell to colleagues and friends, we are grateful that so many people remain with the SWCRC. Marylou Breig and Aynsley Walsh, our Community Resource Workers, continue their amazing work with our clients, and we often hear praise for their patience, knowledge, and assistance. Melody Wharton, our Executive Director, continues her admirable work in building a successful and sustainable SWCRC. In particular, Melody's passion, years of experience, and keen insights have been valuable in helping to guide the Board and the SWCRC, and we are fortunate to have such a strong Executive Director committed to our organization. Current Board members – Gary Bobroff (Secretary), Rosemary Bussi, Janne Dunnion, Chris Grabill (Past Chair), Brennen Jaques, Jamie McPhail, and Noreen Samra (Treasurer) – also remain invested in the SWCRC, and each bring skills and experience to the Board that strengthen it as a whole. Finally, we have to thank our dedicated team of volunteers who help keep the SWCRC running smoothly and give it the character that it is known for, from the friendly volunteers who help


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greet clients and answer phones at the front desk, to those who run programs for local community members and families, to those who keep the space clean and enjoyable for all. On behalf of the Board, thank you to everyone who has contributed to the SWCRC in their own way this past year. We are beyond grateful for your efforts and commitment, and we look forward to working together in what will surely be another exciting and engaging year to come! Wendy Zhu Chair, Board of Directors


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Treasurer’s Report It would be an understatement to say that this year has been eventful for the SWCRC; it has been challenging, exciting, and transformative. Like everyone in this province, we have felt the impacts of global commodity prices affect us directly, as these trends affect our communities, clients and funders. The uncertainties surrounding us have caused us to turn inward, ask ourselves difficult questions, and examine our organization closely. I am immensely proud of how the staff and volunteers have come together, and are working to build an even more effective SWCRC. We also have benefited from many friends of the SWCRC, both individuals and organizations, who have stepped forward with guidance and support during our more difficult moments. What is beginning to emerge is a stronger, more integrated SWCRC; with more insight and clarity into the needs and requirements of our clients, so that we can weave more tightly into the fabric of our communities. The basis of our programming is rooted in a robust financial foundation, and we have been successful with respect to funding the diverse programs and functions of the Resource Centre this past year. I am pleased to present the audited financial statements for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2015. The audit was conducted by Calvista LLP, and they provided an audit opinion stating that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society as at March 31, 2015, and the results of its operations and cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations. The Statement of Financial Position and the Statement of Operations and Changes in Net Assets are included in this AGM report. A copy of the complete Audited Financial Statements and Notes to the Financial Statements is available for review at the AGM. Although SWCRC, our clients, and our funders are with the rest of Alberta in still trying to find way through this difficult economic environment, I believe we are resilient, innovative, and ready to face the challenge; indeed we will, and already are, becoming better for our efforts. We enter into this new year fiscal year confident and prepared to build upon our financial foundation for our wonderful current programs, as well as the exciting new programming that is in the works for this fall. I want to give a heartfelt thank you to the SWCRC Board, staff, volunteers, clients, and our many friends and partners. You are all an inspiration and an affirmation of the fantastic character of our community, our city and our province.

Noreen Samra Treasurer, Board of Directors


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2015 2014

Statement of Financial Position as at March 31, 2013 ASSETS Current Cash and cash equivalents $ 100,629 58,400 Restricted cash 17,778 58,587 Short-term investments 10,925 10,798 Accounts receivable 26 - GST receivable 1,133 1,097 Prepaid expenses 1,208 33 $ 131,699 $ 128,915 LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 4,300 $ 4,917 Payroll deduction liabilities 5,736 5,973 10,036 10,890 Deferred contributions - operations 65,199 58,941 $ 75,235 $ 69,831 NET ASSETS Unrestricted 56,464 59,084 $ 131,699 $ 128,915 Statement of Operations and Changes in Net Assets Year ended March 31, 2013 REVENUE Contract funding – Child & Family Services Authority $ 186,567 $ 179,457 Casino 40,825 73,626 Other government funding 34,823 4,248 Donations 8,430 16,654 Other 1,192 1,511 Non-government grants 1,105 - 272,942 275,496


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2015 2014

EXPENSES Salaries and wages $ 218,945 $ 208,519 Facility costs 36,228 33,861 Administration 8,007 8,743 Program delivery 7,214 6,839 Professional fees 4,590 5,676 Repairs and maintenance 578 389 275,562 264,027 Excess (deficiency) of revenue over expenses $ (2,620) $ 11,469 Net Assets, beginning of year $ 59,084 $ 47,615 Net Assets, end of year $ 56,464 $ 59,084

Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society Annual Report 2014/15 13

Volunteer Specialist’s Report During the 2014/15 fiscal year, the SouthWest Communities Resource Centre (SWCRC) Volunteer Engagement Program was active in the following areas: 1. Volunteer Board of Directors 2. Volunteer Front Desk Assistants-Office Support 3. Volunteer Parent Group Assistants-Parent Talk Program 4. Volunteer Computer Skills Volunteers-Mastering the Mouse Program 5. Volunteer Tutors-Tutoring Tuesdays Program 6. South Calgary Youth Council

During this period, 55 volunteers contributed 2052 hours of their time to support the volunteer initiatives of the SWCRC. Board of Directors

Over the past year we have had thirteen directors on the board, with four resigning at the

completion of 6 years of service and 2 resigning after approximately 2 ½ years of

service, bringing our current total of active Board members to seven. Thank you to all the

Board members for their hard work over the year. Board members contributed 321 hours

to Board duties and committee work.

Front Desk Assistants The volunteer position of Front Desk Assistant has continued to thrive. There are

currently 10 volunteers who work at the front desk from Monday to Friday. We also

introduced spares to the program this year in order to be able to cover the desk when

regular volunteers were away. This helps the staff immensely, having someone to take

calls and greet walk-ins and not to have to disrupt their meetings and work flow. This

year a Reception Volunteer Manual was added to give the volunteers the information

that they need to do their job at the front desk and to keep them up to date on all the

changes and activities occurring in the office. This has been a great communication tool.

Special Skills Volunteers

The SWCRC is fortunate to have a variety of special skills volunteers. They provide

Computer, Research, Housekeeping and Maintenance skills to the Centre. Our

housekeeping, recycling and maintenance volunteers help keep the office spic and span.

Our Research Volunteer was a new addition this year. She was a valuable asset in

doing data entry for the Community Resource Workers and helping Melody prepare

reports.

Our Computer Skills Volunteer base increased to two volunteers this year. Both bring

great patience and skill to teaching the Master the Mouse program. There were nine, 3-

week sessions of Basic and Intermediate classes and 12 one day classes of Advanced

computer skills. There was great interest in all the classes that were offered. We have a

more structured program with 3 Wednesdays of the month being Basic classes and 1-2


Wednesdays of Advanced classes. Seniors and new Canadians are the target

population and our two volunteers are wonderful instructors who received great praise

for their teaching skill.

Parenting Group Assistant Volunteers

The SWCRC also increased the number of volunteers participating in the Parent Talk

Program this year. We currently have five volunteers who help out on Thursday

mornings with the program. A Parenting Group Assistant Volunteer Manual was also

added to give the volunteers all the details of their role at their training and to continue

communication throughout the program year. As well we added a small Lending Library

of Parenting Book and Children’s Books for the parent participants of the Parent Talk

program to borrow for a 3 week lending period.

Front Desk/Special Skills/Parenting Group volunteers contributed 1258 hours to the

SWCRC

Tutoring Volunteers

This year we had 16 tutoring volunteers during the 2014-15 school year. Most weeks we

had 10-12 tutors teaching each week with 2-3 children each. The tutors come with a

variety of skills but are all capable of building rapport with the students and building their

confidence so they can better achieve their academic goals. There were 65 students

registered in the 2014-15 school year. All the tutors are dedicated and committed to the

program and this makes it easy to organize and have the program run smoothly. Thanks

so much to the three Front Desk volunteers who do the bulk of the work organizing and

making calls for the Tutoring Program. It certainly lightens the load of the Volunteer

Specialist! Tutors contributed 473 hours to the Tutoring Tuesdays program.

South Calgary Youth Council (SCYC) The SCYC in 2014-15 saw many changes. There was new leadership from the SWCRC and the City of Calgary. The venue for the meeting was changed as the Southland Leisure Centre was unable to provide space so the meetings were moved to the Woodcreek Community Association. This brought issues with transportation as it is not directly on a bus route. Although the student turnout was positive in the first couple of months (15-20 per meeting) it dwindled to very few (3-8) in the last few months. The group did three volunteer events, two at the Calgary Food Bank and one at the Inn from the Cold. Updated Volunteer Handbook

The SWCRC Volunteer Handbook was updated in January 2015. It is given to each

volunteer when they start volunteering with the SWCRC. It contains all the information a

volunteer needs to begin volunteering at the SWCRC.

Summary

The SWCRC is thankful for all its wonderful volunteers. We could not run the programs

or provide the services that we do without the support of all our volunteers.


To recognize our volunteers’ many contributions to the community residents who use our

services, the SWCRC hosted an evening of Celebration of Volunteers during National

Volunteer Week in April 2015. The volunteers were presented with Hours Certificates

and SWCRC “Celebrating our Volunteers” coffee mugs. As well, in special recognition of

long serving volunteers, a plaque with the names of 11 volunteers with 5 years of service

and more was unveiled and is hanging in the reception area. Each year names of

volunteers who have served 5, 10, 15 or 20 years with the SWCRC will continue to be

added to the plaque during National Volunteer Week.

Recognition of the hard work of our volunteers in a variety of ways is crucial to

maintaining a committed volunteer base. Each of our volunteers brings time and talent to

the organization, making it stronger and better able to serve our community.

Respectfully Submitted

Lori Colwell

Volunteer Specialist


Executive Director’s Report

Margaret Wheatley in her book Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time (2005) defined organizations as “people in process” and I must say that pretty accurately describes the SWCRC these days. We have entered into a period of transition prompted by the new priorities of our funders, who are, come to think of it, very much “in process” themselves. As “people in process,” we are all in varying stages of responding to a revolutionary new understanding of the physical, cognitive and emotional development of a child’s brain and the key role that caregivers play in nurturing or undermining that development, especially in the earliest months and years of the child’s life. This information, a product of advances in brain research, is of the kind that makes such a difference in how people think that it provokes a strong commitment to a change in practice. Translating theory into practice is always a challenging endeavor for any organization, whether a funder or the contracted agency of a funder. The Alberta government ‘s Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families (with which we became familiar in 2013) provides direction regarding the kinds of evidenced-based prevention and early intervention services that could be counted on to ultimately reduce child abuse and neglect and produce strong children, youth, families and communities. As a social service agency providing early intervention services with a prevention component, we find the Framework to be an invaluable tool for getting us oriented in the right direction. The heavy lifting, though, occurs in the act – or many acts – of transitioning. Change of this order means shaking up your organizational identity and familiar ways of going about your business, embarking on steep learning curves, being betwixt and between with your staff and your skill sets and your space and your partnerships and your programs and your budget. You need time to make wise decisions about what of the old you have to let go of and what of the old you believe will be value-added in the new order of things. Then you have to just start somewhere, get stuck in, and commit fully to being people in the process of responding to change. To qualify for funding from our current primary funder Calgary Region Child and Family Services, current information indicates that the transition will involve some or all of the following:

changing our client population from any vulnerable individual or family living in the communities comprising our 28-community service area to only parents and caregivers of children 0 – 17 in perhaps a larger service area;


changing our core services to prioritize parenting education over the current activities of assessment, supportive counselling, information and referral, action planning, advocacy and system navigation

changing from being a Community Resource Centre to being a Family Resource Centre, including possibly a name change

changing from receiving funding through an application process to receiving funding through a process of competitive tendering

To qualify for funding from the City of Calgary FCSS, the transition will involve:

exchanging our current Volunteer Program for a Family Support Program

meeting the qualifications for being funded directly by FCSS rather than through the fiscal agency of Hull Services

To prepare for these changes, the SWCRC has in 2014/15 and up to the date of this AGM accomplished some key transitioning tasks with the much-appreciated support of a variety of funders and partners. We have:

sent our two Community Resource Workers, both social workers, for 3-day training as facilitators in each of two evidence-based parenting education programs. One of these CRWs is funded by Calgary Region Child and Family Services and the other is funded by a combination of funding from Casino proceeds and a CIP grant secured with the support of MLA Dave Rodney and former MLA Linda Johnson

compared and evaluated the two programs and chosen one to implement initially

secured the short-term services of a practicum student with Mount Royal’s Centre for Child Well-Being to consult on the physical layout and equipping of a children’s play area suited to the developmental learning needs of young children

secured funding from the Rotary Club of Calgary – Heritage Park to purchase audio-visual equipment, curriculum materials, educational toys, children’s furnishings and snacks for children and parents to support the delivery of 3 sessions of the chosen parenting education program

made preparations for a fall delivery of the chosen program


secured one-time funding from FCSS for a consultant to help with the design of an overall SWCRC Family Support Program including the delivery of parenting education group programs; single-topic, 1-time group sessions, opportunities for parents and children to gather informally; individual family support through our core services of assessment, supportive counselling, information and referral,

action planning, advocacy and system navigation At the same time that we have been engaged in transition activities, we have continued to provide our same high-quality core services. Our comprehensive approach to practice embodies a commitment to identifying and addressing the complex issues and needs that so often underlie an initial client request for assistance. Honouring this commitment means that vulnerable people living in our service area will have someone professional to talk to for an extended period of time about their concerns, which are often many and complex; that they will experience an empathetic and non-judgmental listener; that their strengths and coping skills in difficult circumstances will be recognized; that they will be invited to articulate a desirable resolution to their concerns; that they will learn about, and be connected to appropriate resources, programs and services to help them reach their desired outcomes; that they will continue to have our support over the long haul should they need it. Judging from the feedback we receive from our clients, the SWCRC’s core services provide a unique social service experience that our clients regard as surprisingly helpful. A case in point is the woman who came to us a couple of weeks ago, referred to us by the Calgary Food Bank for her 4th food bank hamper. She was upset that she had to go through our intake and assessment process. Why couldn’t we just give her a quick referral and be done with it? Three hours later, she and her Community Resource Worker finally got around to that Food Bank referral, but not before identifying and beginning to address numerous other concerns. She was in tears when she left, but “don’t worry,” she said, “these are tears of joy. You helped me out. I feel a lot better now. I have somebody to talk to, somebody to help me.” One of our former clients reached out to me by email the other day, writing: “You know how highly I think of the SouthWest Communities Resource Centre. In the past year I have talked to several people who are in dire straits like myself and they also had received much needed help from your office. We all agreed that the SWCRC is by far the best in Calgary, compared to others we have accessed, and wished ALL of them had the exceptional staff such as you have at your office. No matter where the transition takes us, we cannot leave our core services behind. if we are to continue to operate at the level of early intervention, our services will necessarily include helping families to address complex needs and concerns which stress the family unit and put the well-being of children at increased risk. Parents want the best for their children, but it is difficult to attend to the finer points of parenting until the basics are attended to and the family’s circumstances stabilized. By next year, we will have some experience in combining parenting education and family support in a way that will let us excel at both. Respectfully submitted, Melody Wharton, Executive Director


The SWCRC and its Client Population, Statistically Speaking This section of the AGM Report provides an example of the kind of descriptive statistical information that we can extract from the SWCRC’s Outcome Tracker database. Initial funding for the SWCRC’s database came from The Calgary Foundation. On-going funding for the database subscription has been provided by the Rotary Club of Calgary – Heritage Park. The SWCRC’s capacity to collect, record, analyse and learn from the information that clients consent to share with us continues to grow year after year. We are very appreciative of Rotary’s investment in generating meaningful community-based data.

Service Statistics The SWCRC’s two Community Resource Workers (CRWs), Marylou Breig and Aynsley Walsh, must surely be two of the hardest-working social workers in Calgary. In 2014/15, while preparing themselves to acquire the skills of parenting educators, they also responded fully to the needs of our client population and collected and recorded the statistics which attest to the sheer volume of their work and which generate the knowledge we have about our client population and community needs. Our two CRWs provide services to community residents prior to coming in for a first Assessment, during their first Assessment, and subsequent to their first Assessment. Here is a summary of the service statistics for the latter two categories in 2014/15:

146 unduplicated clients received a first Assessment. A first Assessment typically lasts 1.5 to 2 hours.

As part of ongoing case management, 188 unduplicated clients received services subsequent to having had an initial Assessment in 2014/15 or in previous years.

We define 31 different kinds of services our CRWs provide to clients in their presence (direct services) and on behalf of clients (not in their presence). Marylou and Aynsley invested 615 hours providing 2,937 services to, and on behalf of, clients during and subsequent to their first Assessment.


Source of data: Contact Screening Log

Some of our data is recorded by our Community Resource Workers using a Contact Screening Log, which collects some limited information each time a service is provided. Clients are not identified in the Log, so we don’t know how many unduplicated clients were served (for example, 1 person could have been served 10 times, or 10 people served 1 time). Each time someone receives a service, we record it as a Service Contact and we collect some limited descriptive information. The Log lets us keep track of the total volume of services provided.

Service Contacts by Community of Residence

Community of Residence data was collected for 720 service contacts in 2014/15 and distributed as follows among the 28 communities in our service area. Six communities are not listed in the chart below because no contacts were recorded from those communities.


Family Status at Contact Screening

As we are being asked by our primary funder, Calgary Region Child and Family Services, to focus their funding dollars on service to families with children 0 – 17 years of age in their care, it is important to understand the number of people in this population category we are already serving (are families using the SWCRC and in what numbers?).

Of the 813 service contacts for which we recorded family status in 2014/15, 62% were families with children of any age in their care while 38% were either individuals or couples with no children in their care. 486 of the service contacts were from families with children 17 years and under in their care.


Source of data: Initial Assessment

Our second source of data is the initial assessment we carry out with individual clients. In 2014/15, we recorded information, with consent, from 146 unduplicated presenting clients.

The core service of the SWCRC is a package of direct client services comprising the following:

brief assessment, supportive counselling, limited information and referral to bridge the time until the community resident can come in for a full assessment or to assist people for whom an assessment is not appropriate

a full Assessment at intake that includes a comprehensive review of the client’s situation, supportive counselling; identification of strengths and resources already at hand; action planning including identification and articulation of client-desired outcomes; recommendations as to appropriate programs, services and resources to help the client meet those outcomes; supported referrals; advocacy, support/training for self-advocacy; system navigation

on-going support/case management for clients who choose to continue to use the services of the SWCRC

We know about the social service and resource needs of our client population through the information that they consent to share with us. Their experiences inform us. We use our Outcome Tracker database to transform individual client data into summarized or aggregate data which we can then analyze. We can use this data to help us identify changes that we should make to our programs and services at the SWCRC and in the community at large. We can also use this data to inform social policy by sharing it with social planners and municipal and provincial politicians. Given our primary funder’s interest in having the SWCRC focus primarily on caregivers of children 17 years and under, we analyzed much of our data in 2014/15 by family status.

A sample of population demographics follows.


Family Status 65% of the SWCRC’s client population receiving an Assessment at intake was caring for wholly or partially dependent children of any age in their household while 35% of the SWCRC’s client population was not caring for children in their household. 91 families presenting at intake were caring for a total of 185 children ages 17 years and under.


Population Group The SWCRC has served a growing number of immigrants to Canada over the years. 51% of the client population participating in an initial Assessment were immigrants (up from 50% in 2013/14 and 39% in 2012/13). People of First Nations or Metis background made up 9% of the client population and other-Canadian-born persons made up the balance of 40% of the client population. The immigrant/refugee category in the charts below includes all immigrants without reference to the number of years they have lived in Canada.


Breaking down population group by family status, again this year we were surprised by the large proportion of immigrant couples with children using the services of the SWCRC compared with couples with children from other population groups. Of a total of 53 couples with children, 37 or 70% of them were immigrant families. Of 36 lone mothers, 8% were First Nations, 3% Metis, 47% other Canadian-born and 42% immigrant. The proportion of immigrant lone mothers among the SWCRC’s family client population increased from 35% in 2013/14 to 42% in 2014/15.


Issues of Concern to the Client Population The SWCRC gathers data on the issues presented by clients at intake (“presenting issues”) and those that are identified as a result of the Assessment carried out with clients at intake (“additional issues”). In 2014/15, clients at intake identified 272 presenting issues and 440 additional issues for a total of 712 issues of various kinds. Issues by Family Status at First Assessment Families with dependent children in their care identified a total of 469 issues of various kinds at intake in 2014/15. The SWCRC database is able to record many different issues, but for the sake of being able to present a graph that would fit on a single page, we have chosen to show below the most prevalent family issues at first Assessment. A prevalent issue was determined to be an issue of concern to 10 or more unduplicated families.


Poverty/low incomes

Of the 33 sources of income that the SWCRC can track for the presenting client, six of those sources have consistently been the primary source of income for over 80% of all presenting clients (see table below). Additional sources of income for presenting clients, taken from the same list of 33 sources, have consistently and overwhelmingly been” no income” and “Canada Child Tax Benefit.” The reader is cautioned to keep in mind that this is the primary source of income for the presenting client, approximately 2/3 to 3/4 of whom are female. In only some cases does it also represent the primary source of income for the household, for example in the case of a lone parent.

The six most common primary sources of income for SWCRC presenting clients over a three-year period

2014/15 2013/14 2012/13 No income 16% 14% 21% AISH 3% 4% 4% Canada Child Tax Benefit 16% 13% 18% Employment/Self-employment 28% 25% 18% Employment Insurance (EI) 7% 8% 5% Income Support 12% 18% 19% Total 82% 82% 85%


The following column chart plots Last Month’s Total Household Income before tax by Family Status for 93 client families at first Assessment. The family client population was clearly grouped toward the lower end of the income range.


Percentage of Monthly Income Spent on Housing Another indicator of why families may be experiencing poverty is the percentage of monthly household income spent on rent/mortgage and basic utilities. Ideally, a household would want to spend 30% or less per month on rent/mortgage or basic utilities in order to have sufficient income for other necessities as well as discretionary expenses and savings. As the following chart indicates, 66% of the SWCRC’s client population is instead paying more than 50% of their household income on shelter, leaving them very vulnerable financially.


High Parental Stress In 2014/15, 52% of the 135 SWCRC presenting clients at intake who responded to a question about their stress level identified their stress level as high; 33% characterized their stress level as medium and 15% as low. The results of cross-tabulating stress level by family status are presented in the graph below. High stress was identified more frequently than other stress levels by all presenting clients. This was especially true for lone mothers. 64% of lone mothers, as compared to 47% of couples with children, experienced high stress levels.


Worrying about one’s situation contributes to stress. What are familes worried about? Among other things, they are worried about keeping their housing and having enough to eat. Worry about Housing Loss In 2014/15, 82% of the SWCRC’s presenting clients at intake lived in rental housing (71% unsubsidized and 11% subsidized). Of those renting, 31% were not the primary tenant, but were subletting from a primary tenant. Those who sublet are much more vulnerable to housing loss than are primary tenants. Worry about housing loss was expressed most frequently by couples with children (41%), then by unattached individuals (38%), followed by lone mothers (32%).


Number of Moves Number of moves is an indicator of family instability and a source of stress for a family. Lone mothers among SWCRC clients were subjected to more moves in the past year than other family status groups. Unattached individuals, couples with children and lone mothers appear to have experienced frequent moves over the past five years.


Worry about Not Having Enough to Eat Occurrence of worry about not having enough to eat seems to be most frequently felt by lone mothers and unattached individuals. 62% of lone mothers reported worrying at least once a week (41%) or at least once a month (21%) that the family would not have enough to eat. Only 35% of lone mothers reported never worrying about this. 47% of couples with children also worried about not having enough to eat either at least once a week (26%) or at least once a month (21%). Only 45% of couples with children never worried about not having enough to eat.

Documents

2014/15 Annual General Meeting Report - SWCRCswcrc.ca/.../2016/05/SWCRC-AGM-Report-2014_15.pdf · Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society Annual Report 2014/15 2 Table