Annual Report 2007-2008

Social Planning Council of Winnipeg est. 1919 R Raising Community Awareness 2007/08 Annual Report for 89 Years! 412 McDermot Avenue Winnipeg MB, R3A 0A9 www.spcw.mb.ca Just Responsive Caring Action Oriented Leadership RaISING COMMUNITY AWARENESS Resources Grass roots Developing Table of Contents President’s Report 1 CSI Site Synopsis 2 Executive Director’s Report 3 Urban Inuit Project 4 Campaign 2000 Continues Report 5 Falling Fortunes 6 Poverty Advisory Committee Report 7 Homeless Individuals and Families Information System 8 Committee for the Elimination of Racism and Discrimination Report 9 2007 Manitoba Child and Family Poverty Report Card 10 Environment Committee Report 11 Raise the Rates 12 Auditor’s Report 13 Financial Report 14 Raise: to give rise to; to bring about Student’s Report 15 Meeting Strategic Priorities 16 Staff, Board, Committee Chairs 17 Staff, Board, Committee Chairs 18 Page i Presidents Report It was an honor to be asked to serve as President of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (SPC) this past year. Even before arriving in Winnipeg, I had a sense of appreciation for the important work being done at the SPC. The agency has an accomplished history that I am happy to have been a part of. The work at SPC would not be possible without a group of passionate people to contribute to each project and event. I extend much thanks to Wayne Helgason, the staff, and the Board members who served throughout the year. I would like to express great appreciation to the Committee Chairs for their ideas and enthusiasm towards SPC’s various projects, efforts, and endeavours. Indeed, 2007 would not have been such a great success without everyone’s hard work. This past year saw tremendous effort put into the Raise the Rates campaign which underscored the need for an immediate increase in Employment and Income Assistance rates, as well as a comprehensive poverty reduction plan to take our province into a future of social inclusion for all citizens. The Social Planning Council has been instrumental in forging ahead with many projects that fulfill our commitment to our new strategic plan. Raise the Rates addresses Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion; the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System addresses Community Capacity Building; Falling Fortunes addressed Developing Awareness and Engagement; while the Charities File addressed Supporting the Voluntary Sector. I would like to thank the United Way for their strong support. Our current three year funding arrangement provides a stable base on which to continue working towards our strategic priorities. The strategic priorities direct our efforts and align us well with the United Way’s priority of poverty reduction. A person’s economic status, more so than most other factors, determines the way one lives and whether one has choices and opportunities for engagement in society. Poverty excludes, and experiencing homelessness places a person at the very margin of society. It is encouraging that both Raise: to set in motion; to activate poverty and homelessness may be receiving more attention today by media and policy makers. It is Page 1 an important time for our research, education, and advocacy efforts in order to influence policy and see meaningful changes to policies that can create a more inclusive community here in Winnipeg and across the province. I look forward to an exciting new year of action and progress in 2008. Brian Bechtel, Board of Directors, Chair CSI Site Synopsis were always interested in new activities that for another summer. We came away with were planned. We all love to have fun, and a sense of fulfilled purpose. Students and Having worked in the CSI program in 2006, these students are no exception. Making instructors left the program knowing they had returning in 2007 was doubly exciting; I learning fun is not necessarily a challenging learned something valuable to their future was already anticipating the same sort of task when working within a team comprised successes; students progressed in areas of experience I had encountered the year before. mainly of future educators. We created reading and math, and instructors practiced Each school provides different opportunities activities that addressed both literacy and their skills and learned something about the – I was pleased to discover I would be working numeracy and incorporated the idea of “play”. finer intricacies—the “art”—of teaching. With in one of the newest additions to CSI, Sister These activities were also multidisciplinary, the CSI program, everybody wins. MacNamara. This school has a high rate of wherein a lesson successfully integrated math enrollment of new Canadians, many from and athletics, or English and art. Devin King African and Middle-Eastern countries such CSI Program Assistant as Afghanistan. Despite some minor language Perhaps the greatest testament to the success and cultural barriers that we work together to at Sister MacNamara was that attendance surmount, all the students come to have fun, as remained high—often 90% or higher— well as to learn. throughout the course of the program. Students knew this was a safe fun place where Some may find it odd that students would they would be able to meet new friends and come with energy for learning, but this was in learn together. Those last days were sad, fact the case. As the program went on, students because we knew that the program was ending Page 2 Executive Director’s Report This year marks another year of significant activity for the Social Planning Council (SPC). With the help of the membership and staff, 2007 has seen us successfully address many of the priorities set out in our Strategic Plan. One of those strategic priorities—Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion—generated the hugely successful Raise the Rates campaign. Through Raise the Rates, we have pursued an aggressive educational campaign that not only outlined many of the issues and consequences of high levels of poverty but has used an army of volunteers and collateral organizations to draw attention to poverty in Manitoba. The SPC continues to show leadership in calling for change and provides realistic solutions to the issues at hand. The fact that over 10,000 individuals and over 40 organizations endorsed the Raise the Rates campaign is strong evidence that we are successfully engaging the community and helping to raise awareness and build community capacity. We continue to enjoy a constructive relationship with our main funder—the United Way of Winnipeg—who has become an even stronger partner in the battle against poverty by being the Raise: to stir up; to rouse catalyst for the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council (WPRC), in which significant community, business, and government leadership has been assembled. The active participation of the members of the WPRC and its carefully considered approach is not only a testament to the community’s level of concern about poverty but is also reason for optimism. The Federal and Provincial Governments are also strong supporters of our various activities. With their support we have participated in community capacity building efforts that have resulted in various reports and projects which we have produced hand-in-hand with various grass roots communities. An excellent example of this is their support of the CSI: Summer Learning Enrichment Program. In 2007, 240 children from 4 inner-city schools benefited from the 5 week program. In 2008 enrollment is expected to increase to 360 children at 6 sites. The amazing results of CSI are now becoming more and more evident. Page 3 Our involvement with national movements continues to be a stable feature of SPC’s active portfolio. As a local partner with Campaign 2000, the external working group of the Homeless Partnering Initiative, and the Canadian Council of Social Development’s community social data strategy we ensure Winnipeg’s unique circumstances are given full consideration on the national scene. We are also beginning to examine the unique features of a quickly growing Inuit community in Winnipeg and how we may ensure their special circumstances are considered. As 2008 will close our 89th year of operation, we are reminded that next year’s Annual General Meeting will be a celebration of 90 years of service to Winnipeg. The Board of Directors have anticipated this and set aside resources to make this a very special event and we welcome your ideas and participation. In closing, I would like to recognize the tremendous commitment demonstrated by this year’s Board of Directors, whose efforts go beyond the normal responsibility of policy governance. They have logged countless hours on committees and given active leadership which, when combined with staff support, make it possible for the Social Planning Council to take on the many challenges our communities are faced with. Wayne Helgason, Executive Director Contributing Artist: Logan Puhach, Age 6 Urban Inuit Project Tapiriit Kanatami, the formation of working The report also suggests exploring the groups, and the production of a community feasibility of hosting a National Inuit The Urban Inuit Project began as a discussion survey. conference in Winnipeg in 2008 and between the Social Planning Council and the continuing to support and fund the Federal Office of the Interlocutor to initiate a Based on the survey results, an interim report development of Inuit community leadership in 12 week study to examine the adjustment of the was prepared delivering recommendations Winnipeg. Inuit to the urban environment of Winnipeg. intended to set the stage for future community and economic development. Among the The study revealed that the Inuit have their As a result of these discussions a collaborative many recommendations put forth by the own unique culture and traditions that are method of engagement to explore local report was the suggestion that, meetings dissimilar from First Nations but noted that concerns and suggestions through between the 3 levels of government be held to there are benefits to improved connections consultations with urban Inuit was constructed.

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