ANNUAL REPORT 2011-2012

Audited financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2012 are available by contacting the Volunteer Action Centre.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

THE YEAR IN REVIEW Jill Brush, Co-Chair Nathan Godfrey, Co-Chair Funding from the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Libro Financial, and Manulife Financial (in partnership with Volunteer Canada) has provided increased Lisa Brackenridge th opportunities for youth education and engagement . The 4 annual Change the World - Youth Volunteer Challenge recognized 700 local youth volun- Alison Boyd teers that contributed over 1,950 hours of volunteer involvement at twenty programs in the community during the campaign. Sarah Exel Our Volunteer Readiness Training guide and materials have been picked up by new audiences, including the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Mosaic Laura Hanke Counselling and Family Services, and YMCA Settlement Services. This product can be adapted to many novice volunteer audiences, including youth. Our Make James Rhodes Volunteering Your Business guides continue to be sourced by local business teams looking for innovative volunteer paths; a group of Leadership Waterloo Region Jason Shim volunteers are working on an “Intro to Employer-Supported Volunteering” video based on, and promoting, these guides.

We continue to work with the Waterloo Region Police Service to keep up-to-date on changes to police records check procedures and have, through the Ontario Vol- unteer Centre Network and the Ontario NonProfit Network, approached the provincial government through their Open Doors initiative. VOLUNTEERS Ongoing partnerships with the Volunteer Centres of Cambridge and Guelph Wellington, Capacity Waterloo Region, Ontario Volunteer Centre Network, Volunteer Canada, Canadian Alliance for Community Service Learning and Ontario NonProfit Network keep the Volunteer Action Centre at the forefront in information and Marie-Rose Badede Pauline Nickel knowledge related to sector trends and issues. Vanessa Bogdanowicz Grace Niezen The Waterloo Wellington Learning Alliance was launched in January in partnership with the Volunteer Centre of Guelph/Wellington and United Way of Cambridge Jasmine Choi Daniela Pleian and North Dumfries - Volunteer Cambridge. This partnership delivers professional development, education and training services for community benefit organizations Reva Cooper Lisa Verge in the Region of Waterloo and Wellington County, in areas of board governance, senior leadership, and volunteer management. Kim Cox Kayla Whitesel

Our two professional networks, the Executive Directors Network and the Volunteer Managers Network , continue to meet regularly and provide a forum for the Andrew Dahmer Monika Worner exchange of best practices and ideas in the social profit sector. Marilyn Eby Justina Woszczynska Billie Enes Our outstanding and dedicated volunteers contributed over 1,300 hours to VAC as office volunteers, special event volunteers, or board and committee members. Maria Lourdes Hao Teams from:

The board and staff have participated in a community impact planning process that at times included participants from: our members, funders, local business, Ran Ji KPMG (Day of Caring) Leadership Waterloo secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, and other partner organizations. Watch our website for highlights launched at the Annual General Meeting! Kate Lavender Brian Seng Lo Region Staff provided over 200 in-person and over 250 e-mail-based one-on-one volunteering consultations with potential volunteers. Many consultations were with Sandra MacKinnon University of Waterloo: individuals with a variety of special needs. Our online database & services at www.volunteerkw.ca assisted 39,687 unique visitors in finding volunteer positions. Malathy Mahendran School of Pharmacy

National Volunteer Week 2011 (April 10-16) was coordinated by the National Volunteer Week Committee and celebrated with open houses, special admissions, and volunteer days kindly donated by business partners and member organizations. Over 6,000 admissions passports were issued! NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK th The 6 annual Volunteer Impact Awards in April 2011 recognized outstanding people and their volunteer contributions with awards in five categories: Business COMMITTEE Community Partner, Helping Hands, Outstanding Leadership, Innovative Involvement, and Volunteer Management; the Volunteer Impact Award was presented at Leslie Bamford, Co-Chair the end of the evening, which included an elegant dinner and lively silent auction. Lynn Teixeira, Co-Chair September’s volunteer recruitment fair at Conestoga Mall saw an average of 63 potential volunteers visit each organization’s table. VAC met with over 2,000 Ashley Ablack visitors, welcoming them to the Fair and matching them to current volunteer opportunities. Heather Gallian

With support from the Waterloo Region Record and Manulife Financial, the Applauding Our Volunteers page featuring four volunteer stories became a Record Colleen Lucas monthly feature in March, and will run until February 2013. We are also featuring volunteer and member agency stories in an online and print magazine. Jennifer Murray Brenda Pearce Leah Siminoski Nicole Stuber STAFF Jane Hennig, Executive Director Dianne Boston-Nyp, Community Engagement Coordinator Taryn Graham, Business Communications Coordinator Joanna Michalski, Training & Education, Volunteer Resources, Special Events & Projects Louise Sparrow, Youth Challenge Contractor MEMBER AGENCIES FUNDERS AND GRANT PROVIDERS

AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo & Area Learning Disabilities Association of Kitchener-Waterloo Alliance for Children and Youth of Waterloo Region Literacy Group of Waterloo Region All Our Relations Hospice & Retreat Centre Lutherwood ALS Ontario Marillac Place Alzheimer Society of Kitchener - Waterloo Mennonite Central Committee Ontario Arthritis Society Mennonite Church Eastern Canada Autism Dog Services Inc. Mosaic Counselling and Family Services Bereaved Families of Ontario - Midwestern Region Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Waterloo District Chapter Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area Nutrition For Learning Bracelet of Hope Ontario March of Dimes Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank Our Place Family Resource Centre Canadian Blood Services Parents for Community Living Canadian Cancer Society Waterloo Region Unit Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario Canadian Diabetes Association Parkwood Mennonite Home Inc. Canadian Mental Health Association, Grand River Branch Planned Lifetime Networks Canadian National Institute for the Blind Project Read Literacy Network Canadian Red Cross Society rare Charitable Research Reserve Can Teach International Ray of Hope Inc. Caring Partners Global Reaching Our Outdoor Friends (R.O.O.F.) Central Ontario Developmental Riding Program - Pride Stables REEP (Waterloo Region Green Solutions) Child Witness Centre Regional Municipality of Waterloo CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS Christian Horizons Regional Municipality of Waterloo: We thank all of our sponsors and contributors who have helped the Volunteer Regional Municipality of Waterloo: Placement Services City of Kitchener Action Centre continue to be a vital resource for volunteerism in our community . City of Kitchener Neighbourhood Associations Regional Municipality of Waterloo: Public Health Department City of Waterloo Regional Municipality of Waterloo: Sunnyside Seniors' Services Breslau Art Glass City of Waterloo Neighbourhood Associations Registry Theatre Laurier Centre for Community Service Learning Brick Brewery Libro Financial Community Care Concepts of Woolwich, Wellesley and Wilmot Saint Luke’s Place Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory Lost & Found Theatre Saint Monica House Inc. Community Justice Initiatives Canoeing the Grand Manulife Financial Community Support Connections, Meals on Wheels and More Salvation Army & A.R. Goudie Eventide Home Canadian Tire (Fairway Road) Miller Thomson LLP CU Expo Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region Cassio Pamela Wideman Photography DeafBlind Ontario Services Scouts Canada—North Waterloo Area City of Kitchener rare Charitable Research Reserve Downtown Kitchener BIA Skills Canada-Ontario CKWR RBC Epilepsy Waterloo Wellington Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo/Community Information Communitech The Waterloo Region Record Extend-A-Family Centre of Waterloo Region Cowan Insurance Group Region of Waterloo Family and Children's Services Waterloo Region Special Olympics Ontario Kitchener-Waterloo Dutch Mill Flower Shop Research In Motion Focus for Ethnic Women Spiritual Heritage Education Network Inc. Galaxy Cinema Rockway & Doon Valley Golf Courses Food Bank of Waterloo Region St. John Ambulance Golf North Rogers Radio Group Frontier College St. Mary's General Hospital Great Lakes Helicopter Rogers Television Group Works Sunbeam Residential Development Centre Royal Bank of Canada Gusto Catering Sharp Bus Line Ltd Grand Valley Trails Association Supportive Housing of Waterloo (SHOW) Heffner Motors Ltd. Sole Restaurant & Wine Bar Sustainable Waterloo Region Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region Herrles’ Farm Team Realty Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario SWO Ball Hockey Association Homer Watson House and Gallery THEMUSEUM Homer Watson House and Gallery Telecare Cambridge Investors Group Waterloo Central Railway HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre The Canadian Testicular Cancer Association IRIS - The Visual Group Williams Fresh Café Hospice of Waterloo Region THEMUSEUM Joseph United Way of Kitchener Waterloo and Area House of Friendship of Kitchener Township of Woolwich Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery Urban Body Health Spa Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region Traverse Independence Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Vijay’s Indian Restaurant Interfaith Community Counselling Centre Tri-City Multicultural Centre for Development KPMG LLP Volunteer Canada John Howard Society Trinity Village Care Centre Junior Achievement of Waterloo Region Inc. United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation University of Waterloo: Centre for Career Action INDIVIDUAL DONORS KidsAbility Centre for Child Development Victim Services of Waterloo Region Marilyn Berry Ashwyn Desai Sue Morgan

Kids Alive Centre for Child Development Waterloo Central Railway Lisa Brackenridge Jim Kilgour Vicki Nash-Moore Waterloo Learning Centre kidsLINK Jill Brush Anne Lavender James Rhodes Waterloo Public Library Kitchener Blues Fest Reva Cooper Pam Law Prachi Surti Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre Waterloo Region Small Business Centre Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery Waterloo Regional Block Parent Program NETWORKS Kitchener-Waterloo Children's Drama Workshop Theatre Waterloo Regional Down Syndrome Society Ontario Volunteer Centre Network Canadian Alliance for Community Service Learning Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre Waterloo Regional Homes for Mental Health Inc. Volunteer Canada Waterloo Wellington Learning Alliance K-W & Area Right to Life Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region/Anselma House Alliance for Children and Youth Capacity Waterloo Region K-W Access-Ability Woolwich Community Services Inc. K-W Habilitation Services World Wide Opportunities for Women K-W Seniors Day Program Inc. Y.W.C.A.. Kitchener-Waterloo Latitudes Storytelling Festival YMCAs of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo VOLUNTEER ACTION CENTRE Laurier Student Public Interest Research Group 300-151 Frederick Street Leadership Waterloo Region Kitchener, ON N2H 2M2 P 519 | 742 | 8610 F 519 | 742 | 0559 www.volunteerkw.ca