Issuu

2021-2022

Annual Report Safety. Support. Hope.

foreword The cover of our 2020 Annual Report showed a group of staff standing six feet apart, masked and face shielded. That reality continued on…and on, and to some degree, does to this day. Eventually, we gratefully were able to drop the goggles and face shields, but we continue our work, like multitudes of others, masked, rapid testing, taking our temperatures and isolating for 10 days when testing positive, or with known exposure to the virus. But this year’s report is not a report of hardship. Instead, it is a report about triumphs. There are no pictures of PPE clad folks on our cover this year. Instead, the cover photo is intended to inspire hope rather than ground us in the harsh realities of a global pandemic. The path through the forest is a path forward—for the women and children we support and for Family Transition Place (FTP) itself. One of my biggest areas of pride in this organization (and there are many) is how its people rise to face challenges and find opportunities amidst hardships. “Resilience” is a word you hear thrown around a lot these days. I personally think that the key to resilience is believing in your purpose. The commitment and belief in the work has never wavered for the staff at FTP. I think, when you read about the many new initiatives that we have undertaken in the past year—some in spite of, and many because of—the pandemic, you will agree. The temptation was always there, amid exhaustion and confusion, to hunker down and just deal with the day-today pressures of delivering services in a pandemic. But, we resisted temptation because of a remarkable leadership team who is able to continue to see the big picture through each new gritty challenge, and a staff team who somehow find it in themselves to always, always, rise to the occasion and adapt, pivot or pirouette as necessary. I think you will see, as you read through this annual report, that this past year was not a year like any other. In a year where every opportunity, in fact every excuse, was there to just do the minimum, FTP evolved, expanded and created more opportunities for its clients and the

community at large. In fact, as one staff commented recently, while the rest of the world is dealing with the “Great Resignation,” FTP’s staff just keeps on growing! During the past year, we onboarded a total of 25 positions—seven of those being newly created positions with new funding. I would like to say a special thanks to all the community supporters who went out of their way to make donations—large and small—throughout this time. That support means the world to us—knowing how much our community cares—and from a very practical perspective, this support has enabled us to make choices that have better served our clients during this difficult time. I would also like to thank our municipal, provincial and federal governments who made emergency funding available so that we could make the necessary changes to keep clients and staff as safe and healthy as possible. We are very appreciative of that support. I remain, as I do every year (but maybe even a teensy bit more this year) profoundly proud of this organization and the remarkable staff, leadership team and board members who make the agency what it is. Nietche says, “(S) He who has a Why to live for, can bear with almost any How.” The pandemic changed our “how,” in many ways, many times. But it was never able to change our “why.” I remain humbled by the women and children, and all the individuals who offer us their trust, when they seek services and support from us. They are our “Why.”

Norah Kennedy Executive Director Family Transition Place

t a b le o f c o n te n t s Welcome Message

Our Board

About Us

Strategic Plan

Changes

Pets in the Shelter

IPAC

Expansion Plans

Client-centred Services

Our Impact

Risks and Challenges

Events and Donations

Major Donors

Volunteers

Collaborations

Community Partners

Financial Report

Connect with Us

23 Watercolour leaves used throughout from Nature Vectors by Vecteezy. Watercolour brush strokes used throughout from Green Vectors by Vecteezy. Page 12 - coffee photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash. Page 12 - “hands together” photo created by rawpixel.com - www.freepik.com. Page 13 - laptop photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash. Page 13 - car photo by Darwin Vegher on Unsplash. Page 23 - simple line vector (envelope) created by orchidart - www.freepik.com.

w e l c o me me s s a g e This past year has been another year of adjusting and adapting to the ever-changing landscape coloured by the restrictions and realities of the pandemic. The senior leadership at Family Transition Place (FTP) was not deterred. They adapted, they embraced and they pursued excellence; determined to not only elevate FTP’s support for clients, but to ensure relevance in our services to best reflect the changing needs of a growing community. Their vision and approach defined a clear path of action for FTP last year. While many organizations reacted as necessary to the prolonged stresses and dynamics of the pandemic, FTP was proactive in hiring staff, expanding services, advancing social settings to accommodate more staff and clients, all in a more open and inclusive way. Continuation along this path will bring many progressive and exciting changes for FTP and our community, with expanded sexual violence, education and counselling services to serve a dynamically changing community of women and those identifying as women, and their children who have experienced gender-based violence and homelessness. Cognizant of the challenges that clients face, we understand the importance of not only providing shelter but also second stage and permanent housing solutions that are affordable and accessible. Safe housing is of primary importance in helping to ensure women are able to work towards independence as they remain connected to counselling, harm reduction and transitional support services. In this upcoming year, FTP is committed to pursuing opportunities in addressing the significant need of transitional housing within our area. The FTP Board can speak confidently to the continued prudent fiscal management of FTP under the exemplary leadership from our Executive Director, Norah Kennedy. Celebrating 15 years with the agency, and in particular reference to these past two turbulent years, Ms. Kennedy

has led by example, embraced challenge and change, grown the footprint of the agency and fostered an exceptional leadership team to better meet the needs of our community. On behalf of the FTP Board, we thank Ms. Kennedy for effectively continuing to manage the ever-evolving needs of both staff and clients, as well as maintaining her strong leadership and support for peers in the community. I want to thank my colleagues on the board of directors for their commitment to the work of FTP. We are very fortunate to have such an incredible group of directors from a wide cross-section of the Dufferin-Caledon area who dedicate their time, insights and energy. The overwhelming financial support shown by our donors this past year was humbling. Without your support the rapidity and depth of the agency’s accomplishments could not have been realized. For this, we are truly grateful. I am hopeful and optimistic for what is to come over the course of the next year, given all that was accomplished this past year, both realized and planned. I look forward to welcoming and gathering together in person with you soon. With gratitude to serve this wonderful organization,

Carissa Burton Board President

our board Sharyn Ayliffe

Laura Cameron Treasurer

Denyse Horner

Trisha Linton

Rapinder Kaur Vice-President

Tony Maxwell

Preeya Rateja

Sheralyn Roman

FTP is governed by a volunteer board of directors comprised of individuals who have a broad range of experience and commitment to ending violence in our community. Their strategic leadership focuses the efforts that support the agency to meet the changing needs of our community, while simultaneously ensuring that FTP’s mission and values are front and centre. Board members, individually and collectively, evaluate their effectiveness and efficiency annually in order to identify areas for growth and development. New board members are recruited by FTP’s Governance Committee; a committee that is also responsible for reviewing the terms, expertise and diversity reflected in current members, and identifying expertise gaps.

Once a board member is recruited, they are included in the slate of directors put forth for election at FTP’s Annual General Meeting held each June. New members are given a comprehensive orientation as dictated by FTP’s Board Policies and Procedures. Board meetings are held monthly throughout the year and require a five-person quorum for decisions that will affect the operation of the agency. Rukiya Sa’d

Kimberly Van Ryn

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WORK The Governance Committee has had another busy year, working behind the scenes to conduct both regular reviews of policy and to foster new and timely initiatives in response to ongoing change, both in the community and at FTP. Our continuing goal remains to support the work of FTP to the best of our abilities, and in alignment with FTP’s Mission, Vision and Values. We have begun work on an exciting new initiative, which will be known as “Boardward Bound.” While still in the draft stages, a working group has been formed and a draft mission statement reflects our goal of: “Mentoring local youth to connect with and volunteer for nonprofit boards, for the purpose of developing leadership skills, deepening ties within the community, and shaping the future to create spaces where everyone can belong.” It is our intent to help foster future leaders and to create an environment where knowledge sharing, and educational and developmental resources will be shared across all of our community partners. As well, driven by a desire to embrace the forward-thinking policies of FTP, and working toward a board of directors that is inclusive, welcoming and flexible, we embarked on creating a new statement of intent designed to enhance

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the board level. The result is our new Belonging, Dignity and Justice (BDJ) Statement. Our approach was to consider equity work as two-pronged; what is the action we intend to take and what will be the resulting impact? The following statements were agreed upon: •

We seek diversity to create dignity

•

We encourage equity work to ensure justice

•

We foster inclusion to ensure belonging

Our final statement is a one-page document board members will be asked to sign each year. It will inform our recruitment, orientation, community outreach and policies—each of which will be created through a BDJ lens. In so doing, we hope to ensure an environment that is equitable, inclusive and diverse. We look forward, as the Governance Committee, to continue serving FTP through another calendar year and we congratulate the entire FTP team for their perseverance and grace in serving clients and the community throughout this past “post-pandemic” year! FTP’s Governance Committee Members: Carissa Burton, Denyse Horner, Priyanka Kumar (community member), Sheralyn Roman, Rukiya Sa’d and Kimberly Van Ryn. 5

about us Since 1985, FTP has served the Dufferin and Caledon communities—dedicated to supporting women and their children who have experienced abuse, unhealthy relationships and homelessness. For over 35 years, FTP has been offering emergency shelter, second-stage housing, transitional support services, counselling (addictions, sexual violence and women abuse) and youth and community education.

our vision

FTP primarily provides services to women and children who have experienced abuse. We know that abuse has wide ranging impact on peoples’ lives in the community and society in general, so we aspire to: •

A community free of abuse where all individuals are treated with compassion, equity and respect, and live their lives in healthy relationships.

our mission

Our Mission is to support the holistic well-being of those affected by gender-based violence and promote healthy relationships and community, through education. Therefore, we commit to: Providing SAFETY: • Providing a safe shelter for those identifying as women and their children. • Providing referrals and options to help ensure the safety of all individuals who reach out to us for help. •

Creating safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces.

Providing SUPPORT: • Providing respectful and compassionate counselling and supports to those who have experienced trauma and/ or abuse so that they are empowered as they move forward on their life journey. Inspiring HOPE: • Educating to promote healthy relationships and end the cycle of abuse. • Advocating for systemic change; always learning and innovating to create positive impacts on the lives of the diverse individuals we serve. • Living and promoting the values of respect, integrity, compassion and inclusivity at all times (within the agency and community). • Providing responsible stewardship of resources and our community’s goodwill through accountable and transparent processes.

our values COMPASSION: The human quality of understanding a person’s strengths and vulnerabilities along with the authentic desire to offer acceptance and support. INTEGRITY: Upholding the fundamental ethical, operational and institutional principles of FTP in a transparent, trustworthy, honest and consistent manner. RESPECT: Recognizing, acknowledging and accepting people as individuals with their own lived experiences. INCLUSIVENESS: Treating all people fairly, respectfully and equitably. CONTINUOUS LEARNING & INNOVATION: The ongoing effort to stay current with trends and needs while recognizing and implementing opportunities to improve oneself, the team and the service to clients. 6

s t r a te g i c p la n

FTP is now in the third and final year of the current strategic plan and already looking ahead to the next three years. The pandemic highlighted the need to ensure the agency is prepared for any potential emergency situation and will ensure that those strategies are included. Our current plan is as follows:

Pillar 1:

love

We embrace and celebrate with a watchful eye and a firm hand on our heritage. We tend to the foundation of LOVE that we have built over the life of the agency and over the last three years. An organization that is marked by (companionate) LOVE is also typically associated with the following attributes: • Trust • Respect for diversity and difference • Careful listening, thoughtful, mindful speech • High levels of emotional intelligence, consciousness, self-/bias-awareness • High levels of job satisfaction and engagement • Innovation, creativity, high productivity • High levels of both commitment to the organization and a mutuality of accountability Pillar 2:

nurturing/growing into our growing edges

We nurture, tweak, alter as needed, those aspects and attributes of our work and our teams that make us who we are—to keep them at optimal levels of function and well-being, while stretching for excellence where our edges need growing. Pillar 3:

collaborative action leading to collective impact

We will forge community partnerships to a new level of ground-breaking consensus-building, planning and collaboration that will enable us all to work together for the common good of those in our community most in need. *This is an abbreviated version of our Strategic Plan for the purposes of this report.

changes When we reflect on the global pandemic, it certainly feels easier to lament and long for things we may have lost, missed or missed out on. While it can’t be ignored that the last two years have been some of the most challenging for many folks in our community, at FTP, we purposefully shifted our focus to our future; the future of our services and programming. When the pandemic started, nothing about our services stopped. Families and individuals continued to rely on us, so we had a duty to shift—and quickly!—to continue to meet the ongoing needs of our community. Because of the unique nature of our shelter—a congregate living setting—there were many restrictions, directives and limitations put in place by both the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services—and our local public health unit—Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health— that needed to be followed in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. The health of the families that we support depended on our swift ability to pivot and respond. The most pressing changes we needed to make were to our shelter. We looked at how our accommodations were being used, where we could limit shared spaces, or where families would previously congregate. We thoughtfully evaluated all shared office spaces, lounges, bathrooms, our kitchen and dining room, deck and waiting areas. We quickly realized, much to our dismay and discomfort at the time, that we needed to reduce the number of families that we could welcome in the shelter. This meant we would need to reduce our total capacity by six families. Considering on any day of the year, we are at capacity, this was six too many spaces to reduce by. So the offsite shelter program was born, ensuring we could to continue to safely house the same number of individuals we had pre-pandemic, while we modified our space. Nevertheless, it needed to be done to ensure the health and safety of the families staying with us, so we did it. Much of the last two years has felt like this; needs arose, we evaluated and we responded. With thanks to the County of Dufferin’s significant support through the Social Services Relief Fund (SSRF), we had the financial foundation to make these necessary changes 8

in two phases. The second phase allowed us to return to our “pre-pandemic” shelter unit numbers, and increase our office and counselling spaces. The SSRF is a capital program that provides financial assistance for community agencies related to the pandemic and transition to recovery. In the first phase of construction, we designed and built three new independent family units complete with kitchenettes, bathrooms and laundry facilities out of previously shared lounge spaces. We also expanded and divided our deck into sections, ensuring more families could enjoy our backyard. Lastly, any previously shared bathrooms were each designated to one family unit. Because communal dining was no longer possible, we also re-imagined our food program, supporting families to choose from a weekly, fresh-prepared menu and to “shop” in our pantry, fridge and freezers for their preferred groceries and supplies. While clients have always made weekly grocery list requests, this new self-serve model, with the new opportunity to prepare meals in their own units, was warmly received by everyone. In the second phase of construction, which we have just completed, we added new staff desks and much-needed storage space to our main shelter office, in addition to a new counselling room and supervisor office space. We also re-configured our shared Support Services office area to accommodate two private offices, added two additional counselling rooms in our garden level and, by converting shared office spaces in the shelter, were able to build three brand new units—eliminating our need to house families through our offsite shelter program. While we originally began construction to ensure our shelter accommodations were safe and comfortable during the pandemic, through our forward-looking perspective, we have been able to do so much more. In addition to adding bright, private shelter units, we have also increased the spaces in which we provide support, and in which our staff can work. As we continue to grow— we have increased our staff numbers by 25% in the last two years—and the demand for our services increases, we believe we have designed the very best foundation and accommodations from which to offer the very best to the families and individuals that need us most.

p e t s i n t h e s h e l te r FTP has been a safe haven in our community for women and children seeking shelter for over 36 years. We are now proud to welcome family pets, too! Research tells us that when women are fleeing domestic violence, having family pets can deter them from leaving an abusive situation fearing that they can’t bring them with them to safety. At FTP, we have always supported families with pets thanks to long-standing partnerships with local veterinary services and foster families through the SafePet Ontario program, administered by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association. When we recently modified our shelter spaces to ensure personal and private accommodation for families staying with us during the pandemic, this meant that we could also welcome all family pets—furry, feathered, scaly, swimming or otherwise. We’ve also built a safe and secure dog run in our backyard to ensure that they have a place to stretch their legs and get some fresh air, too. Clients love that their pets can join them during their stay, and our staff are also enjoying these new additions. 9

ipac Services, Hospice Dufferin, Choices Youth Shelter, Oliver House and others.

While Infection Prevention and Control—or IPAC—may have felt like the buzzword for the last two years, it has been a consistent part of our work since the inception of FTP over 36 years ago. As a congregate living setting, we have a particular and strict set of guidelines (from both our ministry and local public health unit) that we must provide services and support within. These guidelines include reporting and managing the outbreak of infectious and contagious diseases, which our unique settings are at a higher risk of experiencing. Although we were as surprised as the rest of the world, we responded quickly and decisively when the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Since then, our staff and clients have been continuously adapting to enhanced precautions, guidance and mandates from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) and Wellington-DufferinGuelph Public Health. Early on in the pandemic, FTP was grateful to receive increased funding from MCCSS to take on additional IPAC responsibilities for our community and the Violence Against Women (VAW) sector. We were one of two VAW organizations designated as IPAC co-champions. Together with one of our sister agencies—Halton Women’s Place—we acted as a central resource and as advocates, and chaired our sector and regions’ Community of Practices on IPAC response and recovery. Additionally, as co-champions with our local partner— Community Living Dufferin (CLD)—we supported other area agencies including Dufferin Child and Family 10

Together with Halton Women’s Place and CLD, we developed and distributed new policies including our Vaccination, Personal Protective Equipment, Rapid Antigen Testing, N95 Respirator and Outbreak Management policies. We designed and implemented a central rapid antigen testing clinic and created several unique, accessible visual and video resources for staff and clients. We developed a personal protective equipment (PPE) inventory sharing and ordering model, and continue to manage the inventory and ordering of PPE for our respective agencies, oftentimes sharing PPE with agencies in need. Internally at FTP, we prepared for and managed all IPAC and PPE controls and concerns—including public health assessments—and were happy to receive two outstanding inspection reports with little room for improvement identified in either. Throughout our long history, one thing has remained consistent, despite changing governments and directives, and that is our focus on the health and safety of the individuals and families we support. Thanks to our rapid response to convert the shelter to individual units, and to the diligence of our staff around standards for cleanliness, preparedness and adherence to all IPAC protocols, we have weathered the pandemic as well as possible, having only one “suspected” outbreak throughout the entire duration of the pandemic, to-date. Whether we are following daily symptom and contact screening, completing rapid antigen tests every 48 hours, wearing masks for entire shifts, taking the time to screen, test and track each and every individual and visitor coming in to our buildings, or isolating for 10 days with any suspected exposure to the virus—we continue to offer Safety, Support and Hope, in the best way we can, to anyone who needs it. We reflect with gratitude on the lessons learned about responsibility, resilience and resolve we’ve had the opportunity to benefit from, while maintaining our commitment to our deep-rooted agency values.

e x p a n s i o n p la n s It’s no secret that we are in a housing crisis. For the Dufferin and Caledon communities, the current real estate market is defined by skyrocketing rents and unattainable housing prices. Housing stock that is actually affordable is almost non-existent and this situation has only been fueled by the conditions created by the pandemic. More than ever, we at FTP are seeing that many women and children may feel forced to stay in homes and relationships that are unsafe, because of their very real fear of homelessness or poverty. This unfortunate reality for many, including some of the most vulnerable people in our community, inspired us to collaborate with a likeminded not-for-profit agency, Raising the Roof, to develop what we intend to be a thoughtful, affordable, fully accessible and environmentally sustainable housing solution—all on our existing property in Orangeville. We have been working with Raising the Roof and D+H Architects Inc. to design a proposed addition to FTP that will include a mix of single and family units of affordable, transitional housing. FTP has been supporting families through our shelter and Second Stage Housing program for decades and know that it’s time to expand our scope to provide longer term housing opportunities. The vision is an ambitious one and its realization will rely on several interconnected factors including: •

Successful funding applications to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and other granting bodies;

•

Support and endorsement from multiple levels of government;

•

Support and endorsement from our community and neighbours.

Our aspiration is to build housing, but not just any housing: We want to create both single bedroom and family apartments that are affordable, safe, secure, and accessible, close to transit, amenities and public spaces. Housing that is attached to, but not within, the FTP shelter; where women can be independent but fully connect to any of our counselling, harm reduction, and transitional supports. The proposed expansion will be designed to seamlessly mesh with our existing building aesthetic with environmental sustainability and responsibility at the forefront. The location of this proposed expansion—on FTP’s 20 Bredin Parkway property—will ensure that the many supports available through FTP and our community partners, are accessible to the women and children who live here. The construction of this building is but one puzzle piece in the solution to our complex local housing crisis. We are immensely excited by the opportunities and possibilities this project will generate for families who rely on us, for our community, and our partners. Realizing this vision will require the support and involvement of our entire community and we look forward to continuing to engage our supporters and advocates to bring this project to life.

client-centr

Our first priority is the safety of the women and children we serve able to develop and grow our programs and services to me

Staying connected with clien In addition to offering all coun virtually, we also developed meetings for shelter cl interested, such as: Fo

As referenced on page 8, FTP shelter staff worked really hard throughout the pandemic and construction to ensure the safety of our clients.

FTP’s Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, Accessible Committee (IDEA) provided staff with the opportunity to participate in virtual diversity training to continue our important work towards a fair and inclusive environment for staff and everyone we serve.

With the development of the independent shelter units, we now permit alcohol and legal drugs in client units. There are also two harm reduction cabinets on-site, providing clients safe and effective resources for harm reduction (e.g., condoms, Naloxone kits, clean needles, sterile water and harm reduction information).

FTP now has a mobile crisis counsellor. This staff person works together with a group of community agencies as part of the Community Crisis Integrated Team (CCIT). Their goal is to provide an integrated hospital and community crisis response program that will improve an individual’s experience of access, equity and foster reduced stigma.

red services

e and our staff. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we were eet the needs of our clients. Here are just a few examples.

nts was priority. nselling services d regular virtual lients who were ood for Thought.

Hillary 1994-2017

The Dufferin-Caledon Drug Strategy Committee—a community group composed of like-minded agencies—developed an Anti-Stigma campaign, which was launched on August 31st in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day. The campaign honours local community members who lost their lives to substance overdose and aims to break down the stigmas that continute to exist.

Counsellors in our Rural Response Program developed a partnership with White Owl Native Ancestry Association to offer virtual creative workshops based on Indigenous wholistic practices to encourage self-acceptance, selfexpression and understanding.

Reliable and affordable transportation has always been a need for our clients, and work began to develop a strong partnership with The Shelburne Transporter, ensuring safe and dependable transportation solutions for clients.

FTP was awarded significant funding through the provincial government to expand its sexual violence programming. This funding is in addition to our partnership with DCAFS and the Headwaters Health Care Centre to provide comprehensive sexual violence support in this community. 13

our impact In the 2021–2022 fiscal year, FTP’s program delivery continued to be adjusted to provide compassionate services to those in need, while ensuring both clients and FTP staff were safe. The intersection of domestic violence, homelessness and housing insecurity is the basis of our work at FTP. The lack of safe and affordable housing is often a primary barrier that women face when they choose to leave an abusive partner, and the fear of leaving a volatile situation during a pandemic created an even more difficult scenario for many. While our services remained uninterrupted throughout the pandemic, we needed to decrease the number of shelter rooms to accommodate physical distancing requirements, which was accomplished with the development of independent living spaces (see more on page 8). Our counselling services continued through virtual (phone, text and online) appointments and support. Despite the decrease in available shelter space, and a modified delivery of service across all programs, we continued providing the high-level of support that is expected by the communities we serve. We are dedicated to continuing to adapt our programs and services to accommodate the needs of our community and support a life free from abuse.

Emergency Shelter 67 Women and 36 Children Second Stage Housing 8 Women and 15 Children Support Within Housing/Outreach

32 Women

Crisis/Info Line 3,875 Calls Woman Abuse Counselling

270 Women

Sexual Abuse Counselling

116 Women and 24 Men

Child Witness Program

45 Women and 31 Children

Transitional Support Services

275 Women

Integrated Crisis 38 Women and 6 Men Addictions and Outreach

70 Women

Rural Response Program

157 Women

Youth Education Program

1,369 Students

Caring Dads 14 Men Housing Allowance Program 14

28 Women/Families

r i s k s & c h a l le n g e s environmental factors, program level risks, the ED’s experience with the agency, the appropriateness of the risk mitigation strategies, and/or estimates of likelihood and the impact of the risks materializing. GOVERNANCE RISK: LOW LEVEL

Once a year, FTP’s Executive Director (ED) uses a Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services risk assessment tool to help determine the level of risk for the agency. The ED presents a “risk assessment dashboard” quarterly to the board to identify any potential risks to the agency. Risk mitigation strategies are also presented. Current areas for mitigation include having a current succession plan for the ED and senior leadership positions. FTP’s ongoing accreditation plan also allows us to examine policies and procedures with an in-depth focus to ensure that risk management is in place. AGENCY RISK: LOW LEVEL Each year, FTP scores a very low level of risk, determined by an in-depth risk assessment tool. Factors that are considered risks to the agency include, but are not limited to, the overall risk score,

The Governance and Organizational risk structure scored low risk for various reasons, one being the regular ED interaction with the board of directors. The board consists of nine to 12 community members who reflect a variety of diverse skills and experience. They meet monthly and review financial statements and projections regularly, and help guide a strategic planning process every three years. SERVICE DELIVERY RISK: LOW LEVEL Service delivery also scored low in risk management due to the regular review and processes currently in place. Staff sit at numerous community planning and advisory tables to ensure we are meeting the needs of our community and our service users. The low risk score is also due to good service delivery processes that include an internal complaints process and emergency protocols. FINANCE RISK: LOW LEVEL In the finance category, FTP scored very low risk because the agency has no outstanding loans, has clean financial audits, and follows all Ministry, Canada Revenue Agency, and accounting guidelines for financial policies.

CHALLENGES: Throughout the second year of the pandemic, mental health, housing and substance use needs continued to increase for the majority of our clients. Violence in the home also rose, as women and children were deprived of options for respite or escape while “locked down.” Staff was continually challenged to adapt their approaches to meet the needs of clients, through virtual counselling and education programs, outdoor walking sessions, and being creative about sheltering clients both on and off site. Issues around staffing and scheduling to accommodate the 10-day isolation period for anyone considered a high risk contact or who tested positive for the virus continued to challenge program supervisors. FTP managed these issues through ongoing symptom monitoring and strong IPAC adherence and vigilance. To date, the shelter has not experienced an outbreak and all programs have continued to operate. 15

e v e n t s & do n a t i o n s FUNDRAISING EVENTS CAMPAIGNS

AWARENESS EVENTS

Our fundraising revenue is generated through three major annual fundraisers: a celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), the HOPE Project event and Heidi’s Walk. Since the onset of the pandemic, all three of these events have been held virtually to accommodate COVID-19 safety protocols.

International Overdose Awareness Day

The IWD event has historically been held as a luncheon, but it was adapted (2021) to an online fundraising initiative called the Phenomenal Women Campaign. This event invited community members to publically show their appreciation for inspiring women through the purchase of lawn signs and greeting cards that were distributed around Dufferin and Caledon in recognition of IWD (March 8th). This campaign was held again (2022), with the addition of custom Phenomenal Woman keychains and totes. Over 100 lawn signs were purchased and over 500 women received a Phenomenal Woman greeting card or gift item. Heidi’s Walk encouraged the community to get out and walk 5k in honour of Heidi Lee Ferguson (nee Bogner) who tragically lost her life to a domestic dispute with her estranged husband on September 12, 2009. This event was formerly run as a third-party event by Gus and Penny Bogner as the Ferguson Memorial Walk, but the reins were passed along to FTP and the name was subsequently changed. The HOPE Project event has historically been run as a fall luncheon (typically in September), but we moved the 2021 event to November 25th to coincide with the International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The format was a virtual gala, providing guests with the opportunity to watch a video developed in partnership with Theatre Orangeville, which featured a glimpse inside the work of FTP. MONTHLY DONORS Monthly donations provide us with a consistent and reliable source of income. We are continually working on ways to grow our monthly donor program. Over the last year, we were able to count on over $28,000 in monthly donations.

Each year, the Dufferin-Caledon Drug Strategy Committee hosts an event to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31st). As a member of this committee, FTP staff took part in launching an anti-stigma campaign, which includes a video featuring six community members who have been affected by addiction and the stigma attached to drug use; posters and rack cards developed to honour those who have been lost to addiction; and a new webpage on the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative website. This campaign was launched on August 31st through funding from the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative and adapted from the Stop Overdose BC campaign, which features the tagline: People who use drugs are real people. Stop the shame. Stop the blame. Stop the stigma. Wrapped in Courage Campaign In partnership with members of the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH), FTP participated in this year’s Wrapped in Courage event, which is held annually in recognition of Woman Abuse Prevention Month. This year, participating agencies were asked to raise a flag developed in recognition of this initiative in their municipalities. The Town of Orangeville raised the flag at Orangeville Town Hall on November 25th and a proclamation recognizing the International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women was read by the mayor. National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Each year, FTP hosts a ceremony in recognition of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6th). The ceremony has historically been held outside, and unlike the 2020 virtual ceremony, we were able to host it outside once again, with COVID-19 protocols in place. We invited guests to join together in a conversation circle, and welcomed the sharing of perspectives, reflections and experiences.

THIRD-PARTY FUNDRAISING The generosity of our community and their efforts to raise funds on our behalf through third-party events makes up a large portion of our annual revenue. In the last year, third-party events contributed over $21,000 in support of our programs and services. DONATIONS Despite the challenges of the last two years, the kindness of our community never wavered. Folks reached out to us throughout—even during the difficult lockdown periods—to make sure that we had everything we needed for our clients This continued generosity has touched all of our hearts. Here are photos of just a few of the wonderful donations that we received in 2021-2022. We absolutely love our community!

m a j o r do n o r s

Photo of E. Hofmann Plastics cheque presentation in December 2021.

The following donors made significant donations ($5,000+) in the last year, which helped provide us with the means to support our essential programs. Fortunately, with these significant contributions, and through emergency support provided by both levels of government, our services continued to operate, uninterrupted.

THANK YOU TO: A ir lie Foundatio n E. H ofma nn Plasti cs Can ad a In c. Galt Fa mily Foun d ati o n (T h e ) I m pact Economi c Co n s u l tan ts John David & Sig n y E ato n Fo u n d ati o n ( T h e )

K l e i n - Pa n n e to n Fo u n d a t i o n ( T h e ) Mo rre l l , S a ra h a n d Wa d e Mo rn i n g vi e w Fo u n d a t i o n ( T h e ) R e n s h a w Fa m i l y ( T h e ) Wi s h a r t , Ke n a n d S h e l l ey

We respect the wishes of all of our donors and use donated funds responsibly. These significant donations—along with many more through the generosity of our community—have resulted in unexpected year-end surplus. This surplus will be added to our Post Pandemic Recovery Fund, which was set up in 2020-2021, and ensures stability for the coming year. 18

v o l u n te e r s

It had been our hope at the start of this fiscal year to bring our direct-service volunteers back on-site. Due to our congregate living setting, and to reduce risk of COVID-19 affecting our services, we have continued to keep our volunteer program on hold.

FTP leadership was fortunate to continue working with the members of our board of directors and finance committee (virtually) throughout the pandemic. The commitment of these volunteers to the safety of the women and children we serve and the preservation of our essential programs and services throughout this crisis has been remarkable. We are truly grateful for the many men and women who make up these committees, and for the many community members who have done what they could to support us from afar. As a token of our appreciation, we recognized the efforts of our non-direct service volunteers during Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 18-24, 2021). We’d also like to thank all of those who have reached out to us to offer their help during such a strange and challenging time, and we hope that we can expand our work together, very soon.

THANK YOU TO: S har y n Aylif fe

R ap in d er K au r

Tony Ma xwe l l

Ruki ya S a’d

Car i s s a B u r to n

Tr is h Keach ie

L e nora Ne tzke

Ki mbe rl y Va n R y n

L aur a C a m e ro n

Pr iyan k a Ku m a r

Pre eya Ra te j a

Ka re n Webs t er

Ni c o l e H a m b le to n

Bren d a Laird

She ra l yn Roma n

Chri sti na Zurow s k i

De n y s e H o rn e r

Tr is h a Lin to n

Bri a n Rooney

Photo from outdoor vendor market featuring FTP Board Member, Sheralyn Roman (L)—who volunteered to attend on behalf of FTP—and market organizer, Melissa Shea.

c o l la b o r a t i o n s HILLS OF HEADWATERS COLLABORATIVE ONTARIO HEALTH TEAM The Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team (OHT) is a partnership of health and community organizations and providers working together to unify and improve the health and social care of Dufferin-Caledon residents. FTP, as a funded agency of The Ministry of Health, has been one of the partner agencies involved in the creation and implementation of the OHT in Dufferin-Caledon from its inception. Today, more than 20 partners across health and community services form a Collaborative Council that meets twice a month. While we are in the early days of building the team, with the help of residents, patients and partners, we have identified and focused on these initial priority areas: •

Pandemic Response

•

Bringing together our mental health and addictions services

•

Creating a collaborative palliative care team

•

Providing supports for unpaid caregivers

FTP is active at many levels of the OHT. Our Executive Director, Norah Kennedy sits at both the Anchor leadership group and the Collaborative Council, and co-chairs the Mental Health and Community Supports Working Group. Lynette Pole-Langdon, Director of Counselling, Education and Community Mental Health Initiatives, sits on numerous sub-groups of the Mental Health working group—in particular, the Community Covid Response group and the Integrated Crisis Response Network. Jessie Humphries, Manager of Information Systems and Quality Assurance, contributes to the Digital Working Group and Kelly Lee, Manager of Fund Development and Communication Strategies, has contributed to the Communications portfolio. Collaboration is one of our Strategic Pillars. Through the ongoing work of the OHT, we hope to be able to contribute to collaborative vision to enhance the health and wellbeing of our community. OTHER IMPORTANT COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS FTP is proud to participate on many committees and tables with a variety of local agencies and service providers including the Dufferin County Equity Collaboration (DCEC), the Housing and Homelessness and Congregate Settings tables, the Dufferin-Caledon Drug Strategy Team as well as the Dufferin|\Caledon Domestic Assault Review Team (DART). This year, the Dufferin Community Safety and Well-Being Plan was approved. Leveraging existing tables and community groups, leads were established for each of the five priority pillars to develop and implement action plans over the next four years. The five priorities pillars are: mental health, addictions, safety/well-being, housing and equity/racism. FTP participates as either a lead or contributor for each pillar. Together with Dufferin Child and Family Services, FTP spearheaded and co-chaired the Congregate Settings table. Through bi-weekly meetings with other congregate settings in our region, including representatives from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and Peel Public Health agencies, we lead knowledge, information and resource sharing, supporting our collective and collaborative response to challenges born out of the pandemic.

community partner s FTP is committed to collaboration and investment with community partners. The past year two years have highlighted the importance of these partnerships in dealing with the risks and challenges of the pandemic. Community agencies and businesses have worked together to support the mental health of our frontline staff and the vulnerable members of our community who need support. Our partnerships include, but are not limited to, the following agencies and services: Bethell Hospice Caledon \ Dufferin Victim Services Caledon OPP Canadian Mental Health Association Peel-Dufferin Community Living Dufferin Catholic Family Services Peel/Dufferin Choices Youth Shelter Compass Community Church County of Dufferin Dufferin Area Family Health Team Dufferin Child and Family Services Dufferin County Cultural Resource Circle Dufferin OPP Good Friends Fellowship Church Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin Headwaters Health Care Centre Hills of Headwaters Ontario Health Team

Métis Nation of Ontario North Dufferin Wellness Centre Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses Ontario Early Years Centre Orangeville Food Bank Orangeville Public Library Orangeville Police Service Orangeville ReStore Services and Housing In the Province Soup Sisters/Lavender Blue Catering Theatre Orangeville The Salvation Army Town of Caledon Town of Orangeville Victim Witness Assistance Program White Owl Native Ancestry Association

Photo from Sisters in Spirit Memorial walk hosted by the Dufferin County Cultural Resource Circle on October 4, 2021.

financial report Audited financial statements are available upon request. 10%

2021-22 Operational Revenue $4,456,368

64% Provincial/Federal/Municipal Funding 16% COVID-19 Emergency Funding 9% Special Project Grant Funding

16% 64%

10% Donations & Fundraising 1% Other Income 0% Joint Venture

19%

2021-22 Service Delivery Expense $4,293,840

0% 34%

34% Shelter Services 30% Counselling Services 3% Youth & Community Education

6% Agency Unfunded Programs

8% Outreach Services

*Due to an unexpected increase in donations and emergency funding, we were fortunate to end the year with a surplus. This surplus will be added to our Post Pandemic Recovery Fund. The stability of the economy and our ability to fundraise over the next year is uncertain. This surplus ensures that our essential programs and services will continue uninterrupted, regardless of the expected instabilities of the coming year. If you have questions about our Post Pandemic Recovery Fund, please contact our Executive Director, Norah Kennedy: 519-942-4122, ext. 255 norah@familytransitionplace.ca

19% Special Project Grants 30%

0% Joint Venture

FTP’s program and service delivery is made possible by the stable funding and continued support of: •

County of Dufferin

•

Ministry of the Attorney General

•

Department of Women and Gender Equality

•

Ontario Health Central

•

Headwaters Health Care Centre

•

Region of Peel

•

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

•

Service Canada

FTP THANKS OUR FUNDERS, DONORS, AND SUPPORTERS FOR HELPING ENSURE THE ONGOING FINANCIAL VIABILITY THAT IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO DELIVER CRITICAL SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

connect with us DO YOU NEED SUPPORT? Do you need information about woman abuse counselling, shelter, or have general inquiries about how to help someone, including yourself? OUR SUPPORT LINE IS AVAILABLE 24-HOURS A DAY 519-941-4357 | 905-584-4357 1-800-265-9178 Text: 519-278-5410 Email: support@familytransitionplace.ca Text/email accounts monitored Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. SUPPORT OUR WORK Are you interested in volunteering, donating, sponsorship or fundraising events? Contact: Kelly Lee Manager of Fund Development & Communication Strategies kelly@familytransitionplace.ca or ext. 243 AGENCY DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURE Are you interested in major giving or major project partnerships with FTP? Contact: Brennan Solecky Director of Development & Culture brennan@familytransitionplace.ca or ext. 240

Send mail to: 20 Bredin Parkway Orangeville, ON L9W 4Z9

YOU CAN ALSO FIND US ONLINE: @familytransitionplace @ftplace @familytransitionplace

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Do you want to join a progressive team of forward-thinking individuals? Contact: Bonnie Waterfield Executive Assistant bonnie@familytransitionplace.ca or ext. 222 FEEDBACK ON OUR REPORT OR ANYTHING ELSE We would love to hear from you. Contact: Norah Kennedy Executive Director norah@familytransitionplace.ca or ext. 255

WWW.FAMILYTRANSITIONPLACE.CA

our commitment

Family Transition Place will remain steadfast in the work we do to educate and advocate for healthy relationships and violence-free lives to help make our world a better place.