Annual Report 2013-2014

Annual Report 2013-2014 Nellie’s Shelter for Women & Kids Shelter Education Advocacy Nellie’s Mission Our Mission is to operate programs and services for women and children who have and are experiencing oppressions such as violence, poverty and homelessness. Nellie’s is a community based feminist organization which operates within an anti-racist, anti-oppression framework. We are committed to social change through education and advocacy, to achieve social justice for all women and children. Table of Contents Staff and Board list 3 Agency Report 4 - 5 Personal to Political 6 A Day in the life of Nellie’s 7 - 9 Picture Puzzle 10 - 11 Financial Report 12 Donor Recognition 13 - 17 Community Partners 18 Service Appreciation 19 We need you to do our work! 2013 - 2014 Board & Staff List Board of Directors Board Members at Large Executive: Michelle Bain Zahra Mohamed, President Lori Loewen Fran Odette, Vice-President Helen Nowak Kathy Rampersad, Treasurer Kendra-Ann Pitt Sienna Leung, Secretary Sahar Zaidi Staff Administration: Halima Abdela, Finance Administrator Janna Cheng-Brown, Admin Coordinator Monica Meireles, Shelter House Coordinator Margarita Mendez, Executive Director Tamara Nickie, Shelter Admin Worker Jenna Pettinato, Development Worker Rebecca Rogers, Program Manager Wendy Sung-Aad, Development Manager Counsellors & Housing Workers: Relief Workers: Relief Workers: Hawa Bogor Khadija Abdi Tasleem Rasool Maureen Caines-Comrie Victoria Bay Alisha Riley Bernadette Dondo Priscilla Boateng Jacqueline Smith Angeles Fernandez Lourdes Dijanich Sara de Souza Diana Galeano Dita Dixon Faye Stanbury Sandy Greer-Wootten Valeska Gomez-Castillo Julia Steinecke Meghan Hogg Patricia Hurst Katrina Sumadchat Sarah Hull Hamdi Hussein Melisse Watson Madeleine Mariano Thi-Phuong Huynh Kathleen Williams Anna Morgan Joanne Janczak Cecelia Paul Lillian Manger Adriana Pelayo Bonz Merlin Abida Sherazee Patience McCabe Joanna Shawana Emily McDonald Angela Stephens Aelly Momend Kira Steiner Maria Moutsatsos Karen Sterling Julia Nieri Pg 3 Agency Report 2013 - 2014 In our constant efforts to fulfill our Mission Statement to serve marginalized women through direct services and by promoting social change through education and advocacy, we continue providing services to women experiencing multiple barriers to access services. In the area of education and advocacy, last year we launched our position paper on Accessibility for Women with DisAbilities and Deaf Women. As well, our Accessibility Advisory Committee was formed to provide support and guidance in Nellie’s overall work toward ensuring a barrier-free Ontario for all women. As one of the tasks for the coming year, the Accessibility Advisory Committee will facilitate a full day training for staff to reflect on our Accessibility Position Paper and Policies, and will organize an audit of our space and practices regarding accessibility. Although the Provincial and Municipal governments are talking about improved accessibility to services by all Ontarians living with disAbilities, we are far from reaching the goal by the year 2025, since resources for implementation are very limited. At Nellie’s we are committed to continue raising awareness of accessibility issues and advocating for resources and other supports for women with disabilities and Deaf women who experience significant rates of violence with access to few services. In the same spirit of decreasing barriers for women’s full participation, staff and participants were engaged in a revision of services to ensure AR/AO policies are implemented at all of our programs and services. After repeated sexual assaults on homeless women on the streets of Toronto, and while the City shelter system for women in particular is in crisis and operating beyond capacity, Women from the community fought to end the violence and for access to safe spaces. As a direct result, on June 10th, Toronto City Council voted to support the recommendation for two, 24 hour/after-hours drop-ins for women. Funding requirements for the implementation of the new service needed to be presented to the budget committee on August 6th. At the time this report was being prepared, it appeared that the issue of 24 hour’ drop-in for women would not be on the agenda, which would mean that the development of this service, due to year end municipal elections, will be delayed until sometime in 2015. This delay outrageously compromises women’s safety and will also endanger women’s health during the winter season. We will continue to support this initiative to create more safe spaces for homeless women.We have to celebrate the decision of the Provincial government to remove the barriers to access health services for claimant refugees. We need to continue our advocacy work at the federal level to ensure Federal laws, like extended length of sponsorship in order to qualify for resident immigration status, and access to health care are not a threat to women’s safety. Pg 4 Continued Agency Report 2013 - 2014 continued We will also continue to participate in umbrella groups that are advocating for increased funding towards the development of new affordable housing units. The Social Justice Committee has been working on research that is focused on identifying best practices in social justice work. The report is now completed, pending approval from the Board. During the year, a Harm Reduction training was provided for staff and for shelter residents. At the Board level, last year at their annual retreat, the board examined policies and practices to ensure its alignment with the organization’s key values and principles. The Board also developed their yearly work plan, in order to enhance the board functions. To accomplish this goal, the Board underwent the exercise of revising board Governance Policies; reviewing the role and work of the committees, updating all Committees’ Terms of Reference, with the intention of clearly stating the relationship between the Board and Committees and the information flow to Board from Committee. Nellie’s staff and Board are now preparing to engage in our tasks for the upcoming year. In the fall we will initiate the implementation process for our next Strategic Plan. The upcoming Board yearly retreat is intended for the Board members to reflect upon the key areas that are identified as part of Nellie’s AR/AO framework, along with the Board’s role in the ongoing promotion of a culture of inclusion for the organization. As well, the Social Justice Committee, with input from different stakeholders, has identified an important area of education and advocacy work to focus the Committee work this year: Criminalization of Women. At Nellie’s we continue to benefit from the countless hours committed Board members dedicate to ensure Nellie’s Vision, Mission and Values are reflected upon, practiced and maintained. Our dedicated and hardworking staff ensures that the Board’s vision and direction for the year is implemented at all services and programs. For more information, please check our service data report highlighting the hard work and commitment of Nellie’s staff. The commitment and support from funders, a wide range of individuals, groups and foundations allow Nellie’s to maintain existing services and develop new ones to respond to emerging community needs. Without this support, we would not be able to maintain services after so many years of funding freeze and increased community needs. A new, fully accessible shelter is still our Vision. As part of the upcoming review of our strategic plan, we will develop a revised implementation plan. Once it is completed, we will appeal for your support in order to make it a reality. Pg 5 Personal to Political Pg 6 A Day in the Life of Nellie’s It’s just before 7:00 A.M. and the first shift of the day arrives at Nellie’s to begin a busy day. An overnight counsellor captures the essence of the night in a quick ½ hour shift change as the responsibility of the day is passed on. Whether the work is in the Community Support Office (CSO) or the Shelter, a series of interactions will weave through the day to support residents and their families to move through their journey. Morning is busy without another staff on site until 9;00 A.M. or 10:00 A.M.. There is a normal bustle and pace of a busy house with 36 residents waking up to start their day. Shift change has ended and the counsellor reads through files and case notes in order to prepare for the day ahead. The intake office is a blur of activity as the residents come to the office to seek support of staff for duties that range from getting their medications, requesting support to book appointments, connecting with outside agencies, or seeking out a friendly smile and encouragement as they move towards reaching their self-identified goals. Among the supports required to ensure the day runs smoothly are: information, bookings or referrals to: childcare, cultural interpreters, medical or legal appointments. Transportation ranging from TTC, wheel trans or taxi is arranged. If the need for an accompaniment for a resident is identified, all necessary arrangements are organized. Staying close to the intake office is important at this time as the counsellor moves through their duties to ensure she is able to unlock the door to allow entrance to the house. As the phone calls begin to come in, requests for beds are answered to, based upon the availability in the house. The need for beds always exceeds the availability, so when no space is available the caller is referred to The Referral Center run by the City of Toronto . 479 referrals were made by Nellie’s this year to other agencies because we were at capacity or another agency was more appropriate. Once the Community Support and Outreach office opens at 9:00A.M the Housing Support Workers, who support both women in the shelter or in the community, are available to work with them, either in exploring their housing options or helping to maintain their housing, via eviction prevention or advocacy.

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