Annual Report 2015-2016
SOUTHWEST COMMUNITIES RESOURCE CENTRE Charitable Organization # 85772 1484 RR0001 2
Another AGM, another year of exciting developments and changes at the SWCRC! As many of you may be aware, the SWCRC started the year off with its first fundraiser in January 2016. With the help of numerous volunteers and staff, donations from generous individuals and businesses, and strong support from the community, the SWCRC's Burger and Beer Social was a success and raised more than $7,400.00 for community programs and initiatives, such as helping youth stay in school through our tutoring program. This year was also one of significant change as Melody Wharton, the SWCRC's Executive Director for more than 11 years, announced her retirement. Melody was a founding member of the SWCRC and was a tireless champion of the Centre, dedicating much of her time, energy, and passion to the organization and the communities that it serves. Although the Board was saddened to receive Melody's retirement news, we are excited about the energy and ideas that our new Executive Director, Debra Armstrong, brings to the organization. Not only does Debra bring years of social work and non-profit experience with her, but more importantly, she has taken on the challenge of the executive role with enthusiasm and skill. In terms of the SWCRC's programming over the past year, we have put a stronger focus on providing prevention and early intervention programs and services to families and new immigrants. For instance, through the hard work of the staff, particularly Mary Lou Breig and Aynsley Walsh, this year we launched the Positive Discipline Program, an educational program for parents to provide them with skills, a strong social network, and tools to assist with parenting. The program was quite successful for its first year and we are in the process of expanding our services for the community through additional partnerships with other non-profit organizations. Overall, it has been another strong and rewarding year at the SWCRC thank you to our staff, funders, numerous volunteers, and the countless community members who have continued to support our organization and the valuable work that it does. Sincerely, Wendy Zhu Chair, Board of Directors 3
The SWCRC provides programs and services to strengthen capacity and inspire positive change and enrich the lives of south west Calgarians The SouthWest Communities Resource Centre (SWCRC) provides two core services: We support individuals and families access information and referrals for basic needs, providing system navigation and advocacy when required. We have a comprehensive intake that allows us to work closely with individuals and families and help them identify root causes of their concerns and develop goals and strategies. Our second core services is focused on providing programs for families, children and youth. We partner with local community agencies to provide a wide range of programs that include parenting programs, youth tutoring and mentorship programs, speakers series on presenting local issues such as employment and life skills, financial literacy, and stress management. The SWCRC Board of Directors for 2015/2016: Wendy Zhu: Board Chair Noreen Samra: Treasurer Gary Bobroff: Secretary James Mc Phail Janne Dunnion Brennen Jaques Rosemary Bussi Maureen Floate 4
2015-2016 The SouthWest Communities Resource Centre is a community driven organization that provides information, coordinates accessible and affordable services to meet the needs of local residents. The SWCRC is a "one stop shop" for a variety of programs and services. Community Partners The SWCRC is proud to partner with other agencies to offer an array of services for local residents. It is with much gratitude that we acknowledge the following partners and look forward to working with them in 2016-2017. Programs that were offered in 2015-2016: Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting. Youth Tutoring Program Parent Talk Chat and Play Public Access Computers for Job Search, Resumes, and general internet services. Monthly speakers series. Calgary Immigrant Women s Association (CIWA) Further Education Society of Alberta (FESA) Aspen Family Services Immigration Services Calgary (ISC) South West Community Associations and faith-based groups. Calgary Food Bank Calgary Children s Cottage Columbia College City of Calgary Neighbourhood Services Catholic Family Services 5
Number of Families Strengthening Families and Creating New Futures Together Who are we seeing in South West Calgary? 2015-16 was a very busy year for programs and services at SWCRC. The agency has experienced significant growth in the number of individuals and families accessing support. The people we see come from all walks of life and it may be your neighbour who is struggling to make ends meet during the economic downturn and has reached out for some support. Last Month's Total Household Income before Tax by Family Status 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Unattached individual Couple without children Couple with children Lone mother Lone father Lone grandmother Lone grandfather Other family composition 2016 Monthly Household Income (Before Tax) 6
we saw more families from diverse backgrounds, cultures and e x p e r i e n c e s. F o o d insecurity, community information & referrals and requests for City subsidies were the top areas of concern. In 2015-2016 Most Prevalent Family Issues SWCRC Intake & Assessment - April 1 2015 - March 31 2016 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Baby needs Clothing Education - child English language skills - ESL Food Furniture Housing Information about resources Low income/poverty Money management Parenting skills Physical health Recreation System navigation Transportation Underemployment Unemployment Couple with Children Lone parent Testimonials: I feel more confident in handling problems with my children. I know how to manage simple and difficult problems. I feel happy and the boys are more respectful towards me. Positive Discipline Parent They [SWCRC social workers] take the time to sit down and talk with me and come up with a plan. Before I didn t have much of a relationship with them, now I can tell them everything about me and they are there to help. As a volunteer I have met many wonderful people who all have an interesting story to tell their life story. Volunteering has helped me remain active and feel a part of the community. It is a very rewarding experience. 7
Our Mission To enhance the quality of life in our communities by linking people and services together. 8
Thank you to all our wonderful sponsors, donors and partners. We are so grateful for the contributions of all our corporate, philanthropic, government and individual donors! With their support our programs are free to participants ensuring no one is turned away due to financial barriers. SouthWest Communities Resource Centre #42, 2580 Southland Drive SW Calgary, Alberta T2V 4J8 Phone: 403 238-9222 email: info@swcrc.ca Website: www.swcrc.ca www.facebook.com/calgaryswcrc twitter: @SWCRC_YYC