2012/13 annual general meeting report -...

“To enhance the quality of life in our communities by linking people and services together”

2012/13 Annual General Meeting Report

Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society Annual Report 2012/13 2

Table of Contents Board, Staff and Partnership Listings Page 3 10th AGM Agenda Page 4 Minutes of 9th AGM, September 18 2012 Pages 5 - 7 Chair’s Report Pages 8 - 9 Treasurer’s Report Pages 10 - 12 Volunteer Specialist’s Report Pages 13 – 15 Executive Director’s Report

Acknowledgements Pages 16 Accomplishments Pages 17 - 18 Data from the new database Pages 19 - 25

SWCRC Client Satisfaction Survey Results Pages 26 – 30 SWCRC Role in Social Service Delivery System Pages 31 - 35


Board & Staff

2012/13

SWCRC Board of Directors Chris Grabill Chair Richard Conte Secretary Paul Meunier Treasurer (April 2012 – January 2013) Noreen Samra Treasurer (from January 2013) Kulwant Kalsi Director Jeanne Burdego Director Jane Gillespie Director Jay Gupta Director Wendy Zhu Director

2012/13 SWCRC Staff

Melody Wharton Executive Director Tanya Silverthorn Community Resource Worker (April/12 – Jan/13) Marylou Breig Community Resource Worker Aynsley Walsh Community Resource Worker Pati Chrusch-Page Volunteer Specialist

Partnerships The following list includes partners along a continuum ranging from event planning to program and service delivery to joint funding and administration.

Calgary and Area Child and Family Services

Calgary Co-operative Association Limited

Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

Calgary Interfaith Food Bank

Calgary Public Library – Southwood Branch

Calgary Public Library – Shawnessy Branch

City of Calgary Community and Neighborhood Services

City of Calgary FCSS

Developmental Disabilities Resource Centre

Hull Child and Family Services

South of Fish Creek Network

Southland Leisure Centre

YWCA – Sheriff King – Domestic Violence Outreach


AGM Agenda

1. Call to order, welcome and introductions

2. Adoption of Agenda.

3. Review and adoption of the Minutes of the 9th AGM, September 18, 2012. After the review and any corrections, it would be in order for a member to move that the Minutes as recorded in the AGM Report be adopted.

4. Chairman of the Board’s Report

5. Treasurer’s Report. It would be in order for a member to move that the Treasurer’s Report for the 2012/13 fiscal year be adopted.

6. Appointment of Thompson Penner & Lo LLP as auditor for fiscal year 2013/14.

7. Volunteer Specialist’s Report

8. Client’s Story

9. Executive Director’s Report and launch SWCRC website www.swcrc.ca

10. Open dialogue invitation to members and guests

11. Election of Chair for Board of Directors and invitation to serve

12. Adjournment Everyone is invited for refreshments and an opportunity to socialize.

http://www.swcrc.ca/


Minutes Calgary South West Communities Resources Centre Society

9th AGM September 18, 2012

Board Members: Kulwant Kalsi (Acting Chair), Jeanne Burdego (Director), Richard Conte (Secretary), Paul Meunier (Treasurer).

Regrets: Chris Grabill (Chairman) Other Full Members of the Society: Deb Collins, Gary Haerle, Brian Lambier, Arvinder Kalsi, Dave

Tranter, Elaine Turner, Brian Pincott, Thomas Story, Ben Lee, Linda McFarlane, Sara Lapp,

Staff: Melody Wharton (Executive Director), Pati Chrusch-Page, Tanya

Silverthorn, Marylou Breig Guests: Donna Bedry, Calgary Public Library; Simone Brown; Chantale

Bourque; Elena Doebele, Calgary Public Library; Michele Nolan, Calgary Public Library; Lora Johnson, Momentum; Linda Johnson, MLA Calgary-Glenmore; C.B. Steed, CA for Minister Jonathan Denis, MLA Calgary-Acadia; Wendy Zhu;

The Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society’s 2011/12 Annual Report was circulated.

1. Call to Order Kulwant Kalsi called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm. She welcomed all those present and introduced staff and board members who were in attendance.

2. Minutes of the AGM – September 18, 2012

Moved by Kulwant Kalsi and seconded by Richard Conte to adopt the minutes of the 2011/12 AGM as circulated. Motion passed.

3. Adoption of Agenda

Moved by Paul Meunier and seconded by Brian Lambier to accept the agenda as circulated. Motion passed.

4. Chairman’s Report

Acting Chair Kulwant Kalsi thanked Anna Cordner (who had been Treasurer and who left the board in the past year), and the staff, Executive Director, Melody Wharton, Community Resource Workers Tanya Silverthorn and Marylou Breig and Volunteer Coordinator, Pati Chrusch-Page for their hard work in the past year. Kulwant described the major accomplishments of the board in the past year including the development of the CRC Data Network Initiative, the revamp of the strategic vision of the Centre, a new domain name (swcrc.ca), a new display kit for use at Resource Fairs.

5. Treasurer’s Report Treasurer Paul Meunier presented the audited Financial Statements to March 31, 2012. The audit was conducted by the Certified General Accounts, Thompson, Penner & Lo, LLP. In the opinion of the auditors the financial statements fairly presented the financial position


of the Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society as of March 31, 2012, and the results of its operations to that date were in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

6. Appointment of Auditor for 2012/13 Moved by Deb Collins and seconded by Wendy Zhu that Thompson, Penner & Lo be re-

appointed as official auditors for 2012-13.

7. Volunteer Specialist’s Report During the 2011-2012 fiscal year, 95 volunteers contributed 1,902 hours of their time to support the Centre. Participants included the Board of Directors, Tutoring Tuesdays (in which 16 tutors served 84 students in 35 sessions), Mastering the Mouse (a computer instructional program that reached 67 students), The South Calgary Youth Council which runs a leadership program for youth, a Halloween party and organizes toys for the Salvation Army Christmas Warehouse). Lastly, 39 volunteers participated in the casino which raises much needed funds toward the operation of the Centre.

8. Executive Director’s Report

Executive Director Melody Wharton expressed her thanks to the staff, volunteers and partner agencies (CIWA family counselor fanny Oliphant; YWCA Youth Leader Chantale Bourque; Momentum and the Further Education Society) and funders (Child and Family Services and FCSS). She also described some of the highlights of the year such as the development of the CRC Data Network which will enable all the participating resource centres to offer a more accountable service in the future. A major part of the development of the CRC Data Network was the development of an assessment process the results of which will be stored on the data network. Melody also presented a range of evaluation statistics describing the characteristics of the clients of the Resource Centre. She also presented some of the major trends affecting future strategic directions such as: knowledge mobilization, community demographics, poverty reduction, more affordable data base software, client outcomes, the new assessment, the greater acceptance of qualitative data, as well as preventative as opposed to reactive approaches.

9. Member Comments During the interactive session in which the two community social workers, Tanya Silverthorn and Marylou Brieg, presented brief descriptions of the situations of some of the clients they had worked with over the past year, members of the Society who were present expressed their appreciation for the approach taken with clients. One member described what was presented as balancing a business with making a difference in people’s lives. Another was impressed to see the “heart” in the work of the Centre.

10. Election of Board Members

The slate of returning members included Kulwant Kalsi, Richard Conte, Chris Grabill and Jeanne Berdego. In addition, there were two new board members, Wendy Zhu and Simone Brown standing for election. It was moved by Gary Haerle and seconded by Dave Trantor to approve the slate and the new board members. Motion passed unanimously. Lastly, it was moved by Richard Conte that Chris Grabill remain as board chair. Seconded by Dave Trantor. Motion passed unanimously.


11. Adjournment and Invitation for Refreshments Dave Trantor moved to adjourn the meeting seconded by Deb Collins. Motion passed. The

meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm. The next AGM will be held in September, 2013.

Respectfully submittedRichard Conte, Secretary


Chair’s Report It has been another exciting year for the SouthWest Communities Resource Center (SWCRC). The Board has continued to expand and diversify its members. I am happy to report we have had a solid base of veteran directors such as Richard Conte, Kulwant Kalsi, Jeanne Burdego and Paul Meunier continue their dedicated work. In addition, we have added some much needed individuals to the Board from a great mix of backgrounds. Jane Gillespie comes to us with a social work background, Wendy Zhu from a law background, Jay Gupta from a business background and Noreen Samra with an accounting and financial management background. This great group has come in and made some major contributions to the Board and help set us up for a promising future in the governance of the Society. Paul Meunier, who has served the SWCRC as Volunteer Specialist, then as a volunteer with the Marketing Committee, and finally as Board member and Treasurer, will not be continuing on the Board in order to return to the U of C, pursuing further education. We wish him all the best and thank him for his years of service on the Board and as a volunteer and employee of the SWCRC. The committee initiatives continue to come along. We have 3 committees pursuing objectives to help in the planning and management of the SWCRC. One accomplishment of note is that we are proud to unveil our website today. There was tireless work put in to make this a success and give us a website of which to be proud. The strategic vision process continues and an incredible amount of discussion and research has been done. The results of our strategic planning meetings and workshops, along with the Strategic Directions that formed part of last year’s AGM Report, will come together this fall into a documented Strategic and Business Plan. A number of fundraising initiatives have begun and continue to develop to help the financial sustainability of the SWCRC. The CRC Data Network initiative, an ongoing project, headed by Melody Wharton is now running and we look forward to seeing the data and results of this massive undertaking. The SWCRC is only as good as its frontline people. The Board is always proud of these dedicated individuals and thankful we have got such professional and committed people to carry out the work at the SWCRC. The Board is very excited to continue work with Melody Wharton, our Executive Director who has spent so much energy and time on a number of projects and committees. The Board is grateful for our ED as we can always be confident the administration and management of this facility is being well looked after by Melody as she carries everything out with an amazing attention to detail and a high level of expertise. Pati Chrusch-Page, our Volunteer Specialist, has continued to develop and manage programs and the people with a smile and energy that invigorate our volunteers and the people who work with them. Her involvement with the Resource Development Committee has been great as well. Our Community Resource Workers are the heart of the SWCRC. Marylou Breig continues to carry out her work with energy and enthusiasm, which is always welcoming and effective for our clients. Aynsley Walsh has been a welcome addition and has performed admirably, coming on board in February 2013. We also would like to thank Tanya Silverthorn for her work over the past years. She recently moved with her family to Edmonton and had to resign her position. A big thanks to all of you. In conclusion, I have always been proud to be part of this organization. The service and support they provide our vulnerable individuals and families is incredible and it is done in a cost effective and direct manner. Our communities need Resource Centre’s for the simple reason that people in distress need access and answers as soon as possible. The SWCRC provides that for our communities. It is a welcoming, safe and effective environment that can prevent problems from arising or getting worse. That mandate is something everyone wants to see in their lives,


communities and city. The SWCRC accomplishes this and we thank you for your continued support. Thank you again and all the best. Chris Grabill Chair, SWCRC Board of Directors


Treasurer’s Report I started in the Treasurer role in January 2013, and have found working with the SWCRC in this short period to be a wonderful experience. I look forward to continuing work with the great SWCRC Board, staff and volunteers. Thank you all for being so welcoming. I am pleased to present the audited financial statements for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2013. The audit was conducted by Thompson Penner and Lo LLP, and they provided an audit opinion stating that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society as at March 31, 2013, March 31, 2012 and April 1, 2011 in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations. We have had a successful financial year with respect to funding the diverse programs and functions of the Resource Centre. The statement of financial position and the statement of operations and changes in net assets are included in this AGM report. A copy of the complete audited financial statements is available for review at the AGM. Please let the Chair know if you would like to receive a copy of the statements and we would be happy to ensure a copy is mailed to you. Items of note include:

Casino revenue and expenses for 2012/13 were considerably higher than in the prior year ($67,832 in 2012/13 as compared to $13,375 in 2011/12) due to spending on a Resource Worker’s salary and expenses related to the completion and ongoing monitoring of the database. The SWCRC uses the deferral method of accounting for restricted contributions/funds, which includes the Casino revenue. The deferral method requires that the expended amounts of a restricted fund are recognized as revenue at the time they are expended; thus, the amount of Casino revenue reported exactly matches the amount of expenses paid by Casino funds included in the statement of operations and changes in net assets.

Donations in 2012/13 ($3,480) were slightly up from 2011/12 ($2,163), contributing to the increase in excess revenue after expenditures of ($3,070) as compared to last year ($2,433). Looking forward into the next fiscal year, we are aiming to continue this trend and increase this donations figure through active fundraising efforts from various sources.

In addition to the focus on fundraising, the SWCRC is having its Casino in September 2013, and we are optimistic about the funds that will be generated. The Casino revenue has historically been very positive and will definitely contribute to SWCRC maintaining a healthy cash positive position.

Overall, the SWCRC is in a secure financial position to continue to provide quality programs and services, and I am confident that we will be able meet the operational objectives for the SWCRC in the foreseeable future.

Submitted by Noreen Samra, Treasurer


2013 2012

Statement of Financial Position as at March 31, 2013 ASSETS Current Cash $ 107,951 $ 171,865 Short-term investments 10,667 10,561 Accounts receivable 1,225 450 GST receivable 1,116 1,142 Prepaid expenses 29 485 $ 120,988 $ 184,503 LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 10,070 $ 8,823 Deferred contributions - operations 63,303 131,135 $ 73,373 $ 139,958 NET ASSETS Unrestricted 47,615 44,545 $ 120,988 $ 184,503 Statement of Operations and Changes in Net Assets Year ended March 31, 2013 REVENUE Contract funding – Child & Family Services Authority $ 175,685 $ 173,894 Grants - 35,420 Casino revenue 67,832 13,375 Funding for partnership program 8,498 7,648 Other 1,326 2,230 Donations 3,480 2,163

256,821 234,730


2013 2012

EXPENSES Salaries and wages $ 201,702 180,265 Facility costs 32,845 32,345 Administration 8,883 10,863 Program delivery 6,604 5,851 Professional fees 3,671 2,973 Repairs and maintenance 46 - 253,751 232,297 Excess of revenue over expenses $ 3,070 $ 2,433 Net Assets, beginning of year $ 44,545 $ 42,112 Net Assets, end of year $ 47,615 $ 44,54

Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society Annual Report 2007/2008

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Volunteer Specialist’s Report

The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others. -- DeAnn Hollis

Over the past year, the SouthWest Communities Resource Centre (SWCRC) Volunteer Engagement Program was committed to the following areas: 1. Board of Directors 2. Front Desk and Agency Support 3. Mastering the Mouse 4. South Calgary Youth Council 5. Tutoring Tuesdays

During the 2012-2013 fiscal year, 87 volunteers contributed 2,261 hours of their time to support the volunteer initiatives of the SWCRC. Board of Directors

An ongoing goal has been to increase board membership. Over the past year, we have been able

to achieve this. There are currently nine active board members. All three Board committees -

Marketing, Programming and Resource Development - are active and moving forward to align with

our identified strategic initiatives. The Board of Directors contributed 272 hours to board duties and

committee work.

Front Desk Assistants Another identified need was to increase the volunteer positions for Front Desk volunteers. We now

have six consistent volunteers and are actively recruiting more. The value of these volunteers

enhances the quality and efficacy of the SWCRC service to the community. Front desk and

designated volunteers contributed 630 hours.

Mastering the Mouse Throughout this period the Mastering the Mouse Program taught 62 students (a majority being seniors and new Canadians) how to use the computer or increase their skills, for a total of 334 instructional hours. The evaluations from the students are extremely positive, with a resounding number confirming that because of the classes, they will increase their contact with families, friends and others. Our volunteer tutor is also recognized for his extreme patience and knowledge. This program is consistently full and we will be offering advanced courses, on specific topics, over the next year.

Tutoring Tuesdays The Tutoring Tuesdays Program served 94 students over 34 weekly sessions throughout the

school year. There were 895 individual sessions for a total of 1342 hours of direct service. The

students came from 20 communities. Throughout the year there were 15 active tutors.


The program runs at capacity throughout the school year with an average of 26.3 attending each

week. It is without a doubt that it is the ongoing commitment and dedication of the tutors that makes

The Tutoring Tuesdays Program a success.

South Calgary Youth Council (SCYC)

The SCYC is a partnership between SWCRC, and the City of Calgary Community and Neighbourhood Services and Recreation Departments. The SCYC is a leadership group of youth ages 12-17 who meet regularly. Emphasis and focus is placed on community action, volunteering and project development. This past year the LEAD Program was also initiated. The LEAD Program is a leadership program for youth, designed and implemented by the City of Calgary. The youth held their major project, Fiesta Del Agua at the Southland Leisure Centre. The project showcased activities and information promoting the need for accessibility to clean water in Calgary, Canada and around the world. The focus was to educate other youth about the importance of having clean water. Money raised from this project was donated to building a well in Central America.

In addition the council members were involved in nine volunteer opportunities throughout the year:

Stepping Out of Poverty - Woodcreek

Food Bank

Calgary Children’s Festival

MS Walk and Run

Acadia Community Association Stampede BBQ

Paper Doll Project - The Child Wellbeing Initiative

Salvation Army Christmas Warehouse - sorting and organizing toys for vulnerable children and families at the Salvation Army Christmas Warehouse

Southland Leisure Centre – Christmas hamper gift wrapping

Acadia Community Association Winter Carnival In the 2012-2013 year there were 49 youth involved in the SCYC. Planning and direct volunteer time was 605 hours. Upcoming Casino

The SWCRC casino opportunity is scheduled for September 24th and 25th, 2013. The money

received from this important fundraising opportunity pays for the salary of one of the Community

Resource Worker’s positions. We will be aggressively recruiting for volunteers throughout the

spring and summer months leading up to the event.

Summary

The Volunteer Engagement Program is the backbone of the SouthWest Communities Resource

Centre. There are no words that can emphasize how much our volunteers are valued and

appreciated and how privileged we are to have the incredible volunteers that we do. The volunteers

are the heart and soul of the SWCRC and the past year (2012-2013) has been one of growth and

stability.


In stating the above, we are saddened when a volunteer has to leave the SWCRC for whatever

reason, but we recognize that a volunteer’s commitment is cyclical in nature and “turnover” of

volunteers happens as an individual’s situation changes. A myriad of events and personal

circumstances influence a person’s ability to volunteer; whether it is new employment, added

responsibilities at work, a residential move, a birth, educational advancement, etc. For all the

volunteers who support, or have supported, the SWCRC, we are grateful. Whether you are here for

a year, or for ten years, we thank you for the time you have given us. We promise to work hard to

remain vigilant and true to our acknowledgment and recognition of your value and worth, both now

and in the future.

Respectfully submitted, Pati Chrusch-Page, Volunteer Specialist


Executive Director’s Report

This AGM marks the SWCRC’s 10th anniversary of operations and provides us with an occasion to celebrate! It is difficult to believe that it has been 10 years since we opened our doors here in the Oakridge Co-op Mall, and 14 years since a group of community residents and service providers sat down together to talk about getting a Community Resource Centre for this area of Calgary. It took a lot of work to get us up and running and here we still are, a going concern, supporting vulnerable individuals and families in 28 communities. One of our members has for years thought of the SWCRC as “the little engine that could.” That feels as apt a description as any to describe us. Volunteers got us started, govern us, help with administrative tasks, and directly assist clients in programs using their special skill sets. Without our volunteers, who sit on our Board of Directors and make up the majority of our members, we could not legally exist as a registered non-profit Society or as a Registered Charitable organization. We couldn’t even have this AGM without the presence of the member volunteers in this room. Our staff contingent is comprised of four social workers with a serious work ethic. Our Community Resource Workers, Marylou Breig and Aynsley Walsh, are the heart of the operation. They are the ones who work directly with our client population, who in turn are our reason for being. Our clients are truly fortunate to have the support of these two wonderful people, who are caring and compassionate listeners and determined advocates for their client’s needs. Judging from the results of our annual Client Satisfaction Surveys, their efforts are effective and appreciated. You have already heard from Pati Chrusch-Page who, as our Volunteer Specialist, recruits our volunteers and keeps them coming back happy year after year. As Executive Director, I wear many hats, since a small non-profit organization has all of the same administrative requirements as a larger one. I see my role as two-fold: to keep the roof over everyone’s heads and to challenge the organization to excel in all aspects of its endeavours. There would be no roof and no endeavours in which to excel without the support of our funders, of course. Calgary and Area Child and Family Services Authority (CFSA) provided the SWCRC’s initial funding and has been our primary funder ever since. Without the City of Calgary’s Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), we would not have a Volunteer Program. At various times in the past, the Alberta Government has made funding available through Community Improvement Program (CIP) grants and through Casino funding. The Calgary Foundation has also provided program support and funded the initial phase of our CRC Data Network project. Our partnerships with other organizations allow us to expand the number of programs and services offered in our service area. For example, we have had a long-standing partnership with Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA). Fanny Oliphant has become a close colleague, offering family counselling at the SWCRC every Wednesday. A new partner as of last year is the Further Education Society, which has shown amazing patience and flexibility in helping us establish an on-going parenting program. The Society’s Brenda Van Tighem is the facilitator of our newly-named “Parent Talk.” Happy 10th Anniversary to us all!


Achievements in our 10th Anniversary Year The Launch of our Website

To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we thought we would launch our new website – www.swcrc.ca – tonight!! Congratulations to our Board’s Marketing Committee members for their many months of persistent effort in shepherding this project: Paul Meunier, Jeanne Burdego, Wendy Zhu, Jay Gupta, Noreen Samra and volunteer-at-large Irene Seto - take a bow. Data Emerges from our SWCRC Database Three and a half years ago, we started on a journey to generate social knowledge based on the lived experience of our client population. Who better to inform service providers, program developers and policy makers about “what’s going on out there?” To do this, we changed our approach to direct client service delivery. We created a comprehensive assessment tool, deliberately slowed down our procedures so we could become more proactive than reactive, and captured our clients’ qualitative experiences with quantifiable questions. We created a database tied to the Assessment, and to another tool called a Contact Screening Log. We took the Assessment and the database on a shakedown cruise for about year, working out the inevitable glitches in the database itself and in our data collection and data entry procedures. Finally, we began to enter some reliable data. The next step was to configure the database so that it could pull the entered data into tables and graphs that could then be presented as reports. This procedure is now underway, and tonight you see on our wall of pie charts some of the first reportable results. Understanding our Role in Social Service Delivery This was the year of “Frameworks,” the release of government documents that addressed the very social issues that occupied the attention and effort of Community Resource Centres on a daily basis. These were the Alberta Social Policy Framework; the Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families (authored by Alberta Human Services); and the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative’s report “Enough for All.” The Alberta Social Policy Framework and the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative invited input and consultation from stakeholders as part of the development of these frameworks. SWCRC Board members and staff participated on several occasions. Once the Frameworks were released, it seemed important to articulate our “fit” within them. What is our contribution toward the outcomes expressed/desired by the authors of these frameworks? This is not an idle intellectual pursuit. On one very practical level, the framers

http://www.swcrc.ca/


are also our funders and potential funders. On a strategic level, these frameworks necessitate almost constant adjustment to our efforts to articulate a strategic plan. Subsequent events occurred after the end of our fiscal year, but prior to the preparation of this report for a September AGM and are worthy of note. Since May, the SWCRC Executive Director has been leading other CRC EDs and managers in articulating CRC outcomes that align with the outcomes put forward in the Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families. This is the framework that Calgary and Area Child and Family Services, the primary funder of Community Resource Centres, will use to evaluate the efforts of its funded agencies working at the prevention and early intervention end of the social service delivery spectrum. The focus of the framework outcomes is the reduction of child abuse and neglect. In August, the SWCRC Executive Director was invited to sit on the Policy and Systems Implementation Team of the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative. Please Read On The rest of this report is pretty graphic – and now that I have your attention, please take a look at the graphs reporting some of the data newly emerging from our SWCRC database, and some graphic depictions of our growing understanding of the place of the SWCRC in service delivery.


Data from the Database New Versus Previous Client Contacts Of the 1,019 contacts where we recorded providing a service to clients, 43% were with clients new to the SWCRC while 57% were with clients who had used the services of the SWCRC previously. A contact is not a discrete person but an instance of service delivery. Service could have been delivered to the same person on 10 different occasions or to one individual one time. Each time a service is provided it is counted as one contact.

New contact

43%

Previous Contact

57%

New or Previous ContactSWCRC Contact Screening April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 1,019


Family Status of Client Contacts We began to gather data on Family Status on a regular basis in January 2012. We used an expanded version of Statistics Canada family status categories. Children are defined as being under 18 years of age and living at home (i.e. in the care of the client). Grandparents with children are looking after them in their home and the parents of those children are not living in the home. Unattached individuals are not married nor living common law and do not have children under 18 living in the home.

Unattached individual

30%

Couple with no children at home

8%

Couple with children at home

27%

Lone mother with children at home

30%

Lone father with children at home

2%

Other family composition

3%

Family StatusSWCRC Contact Screening April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 955

None11%

One27%

Two34%

Three18%

Four8%

Five2%

Six0%

Seven0%

Contacts with Children age 17 and Younger in Their Care

SWCRC Contact Screening April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 638


Presenting Issues of Client Contacts Presenting issues as captured by the Contact Screening Log should be read as the number of times any particular issue was presented upon contact with the SWCRC. We are able to differentiate among nearly 50 different issues, which is too many to represent graphically. For this reason, the issues have been grouped into larger categories. Basic needs includes food, six different issues related to housing, utilities, clothing, furniture, personal hygiene, transportation, baby needs.

Basic needs44%

Financial & Employment

15%

Children3%

Health8%

Relationships5%

Knowledge/Skills12%

Immigration1%

Legal 0%

Social services3%

Other issues9%

Contacts by Presenting IssueSWCRC Contact Screening April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 1276

Unduplicated Client Count by Community of Residence We manually counted the number of files of clients who were last provided service sometime between April 1 2012 and March 31 2013 while pulling a 100% sample for Client Satisfaction Survey phone calls. These numbered 386 unique clients. The chart below presents the percentage distribution of these 386 clients according to their community of residence. Communities in which none of our clients with files resided are not included on the chart. These were Bayview, Bel-Aire, Eagle Ridge, Mayfair, Pumphill, and Shawnee Slopes. Very few of our clients over the years have resided in these communities.


Acadia6% Braeside

8%

Bridlewood3%

Canyon Meadows3%

Cedarbrae12%

Evergreen4%

Fairview4%

Haysboro4%

Kelvin Grove1%

Kingsland6%

Meadowlark Park1%

Millrise2%

Oakridge10%

Palliser2%

Shawnessy2%

Silverado1%

Somerset4%

Southwood11%

Windsor Park3%

Woodbine6%

Woodlands2%

Out-of-area4%

No address/homeless

0%

Client doesn't know

0%Unknown

3%

Unduplicated Clients by Community of Residence

April 1, 2012 - March 31, 2013 n = 386


The following charts report results from the information that was entered into the database from the Assessment. Only one is strictly demographic data. We have never been able to report on gender before, so wanted to do that. The other charts were selected because they are indicative of client experience, which is different from strictly demographic-type data. Assessment data is unduplicated client data, unlike contact screening data.

Female72%

Male28%

Presenting Client: GenderSWCRC Assessment April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 96

A lot of concern

68%

Some concern19%

No concern13%

Concern about Current Financial SituationSWCRC Assessment April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 96

Calgary South West Communities Resource Centre Society Annual Report 2007/2008

32

30% or less13% 31% - 49%

24%

50% or more47%

Not applicable10%

Don't know3%

Declined to answer

3%

Cost of Rent/Mortgage and Utilities as a Percentage of Monthly Income

SWCRC Assessment April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 76

Own home17%

Renting -unsubsidized

52%

Renting -subsidized

16%Transitional

housing1%

Staying with family/friends

8%Outside1%

Other5%

Accommodation TypeSWCRC Assessment April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 98


High45% Medium

33%

Low22%

Presenting Client: Stress RatingSWCRC Assessment April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 78

At least once a week14%

At least once a month

24%

Once to a few times during the

year11%

Never51%

Food Security: Occurrence of Worry about Not having Enough to Eat

SWCRC Assessment April 1 2012 - March 31 2013 n = 76


Client Satisfaction with SWCRC Programs and Services Two volunteers and a practicum student conducted the Survey by telephone from February through July 2013. The number of clients who responded to our SWCRC 2012/13 Client Satisfaction Survey was 131. These were all clients who had received service from the SWCRC between April 1 2012 and March 31 2013.

The pie charts below show the percentage distribution of the client’s responses to the first four survey questions. Client comments follow the charts. Ninety-three percent (93%) of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement: “I am more aware of services and programs available in the community as a result of my contact with the SWCRC.”


Ninety-four percent (94%) of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement: “The information and/or support that I received from the SWCRC helped me to address my concerns.”

Ninety-eight percent (98%) of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement: “The staff and volunteers working at the SWCRC were friendly, welcoming and respectful towards me and my family.”


Eighty-two percent (82%) of respondents felt that things had changed for the better as a result of their contact with the SWCRC; 16% felt that nothing had changed; 2% felt that things had changed for the worse.

Respondents’ Comments (Selected): Things Changed for the Better Food bank referral helped my life to be better.

Provided me a lot of information about community resources.

Very good. I went to the Food Bank. I didn’t need to fight with them. You have all of my information already, so I just needed to go and pick it up. It’s good.

Last year when I went to the Centre I was in crisis. Now my life is much better than last time.

I felt supported. I felt better after being supported by food and counselling from my workers.

Programs for my child. Lots of information and resources

CRW help me apply for AISH. Thank God that Marylou helped. Without her, things will not happen.

They helped me to work on my self-motivation and mental health issue. I am more positive towards my future.

Both Tanya and Aynsley were tremendously helpful and were very, very kind and therapeutic.

I became more active in mind and body.

I was new to this country and you helped me find a place to go to help with papers and my children.

Everything changed for the better! I’m much calmer and there’s no fighting in the house any longer with my five-year old.


Felt much better after speaking with Tanya about deaths in the family and financial problems, got many numbers to call and use more help.

I had no idea what I was getting into. The Centre guided me through a difficult time. They helped me a lot

Things they are good.

If I go there to get help, I get it. If my kids are with me, they help my kids. I have food for my kids and Tanya would give me diapers. It’s all very good.

I’m involved with Aspen now.

I get stuff that I need. I came as a new immigrant and they helped me get what my family needed. They gave me much information to help me.

I moved out.

I have a job now.

My poor health and mental health are improving. Tanya and Aynsley are great. They’re wonderful to talk to and very supportive. They helped me get food, clothes and are passionate about their jobs.

We are doing better with our baby.

Where to begin? Your staff have helped me with so much. They have provided me with food bank referrals and information about other community programs (i.e. CUPS, the mattress program. I have used your services many times over the years and have always been extremely happy. I have always thought there was a disconnect among all of the social agencies in Calgary, probably due to funding or privacy policies. I am so happy with you connection to pull them all together in one spot. Every time I have contact with the SWCRC I feel like I am confiding in a friend. But they provide more than a listening ear, they provide suggestions and encouragement. I have dealt with Sandy and Tanya in the past and can’t sing their praises highly enough. I an now trying to pay it forward by helping new people in my community.

When I had no food and no money I ended up with both.

ESL class and parenting helped me a lot with my kids – how to treat them, teach them, and it improved my English.

With SWCRC’s help we were able to get help with a damage deposit and now have a place to live.

We got information to help our family stay together and have someone to talk with when we need help.

Things changed for the better but not because of the financial assistance we requested but were denied, but because of the positive support and suggestions we received.

I have a more positive outlook now I know I can get help if I need it.

You were there for me when I really needed help. I appreciate the community support.

My English is improving and my children are better.

I now know where I can go in the community and the city to find help if I need it.

My daughter is in tutoring Tuesdays and doing much better in school, which is helping our family relationships.

Marylou was fantastic with income tax information help and forms for disability.

Access to the food Bank and sympathetic discussion was crucial at that time.

Tutoring has been great, son going to group and now even volunteering himself. Wonderful progress.

You helped me get a job and that made getting by much easier.


I got a lot of information about services available and was able to get a referral for the Food Bank. Marylou did a good job encouraging me to get involved in my community for my son and me.

Marylou was able to get beds for us and my family is in a better place now.

At the time I was feeling an overwhelming sense of relief because of the support I received. I appreciated that my thoughts and feelings were validated and I now know I wasn’t going crazy.

You were kind enough to get me and my family adopted for Christmas and that made a huge difference.

In a couple of days I go to get EI going. Got a voucher for food – invaluable service.

Returned back to school! Really helped out. As a result I didn’t need as much community support.

We got our lives back together. Supported us in a way we were able to get on track. So very thankful.

Still working on it. Being more aware of the services takes you to more places.

I suffer from depression and get angry easy. Your worker helped me to understand what is happening and it made it better. My family is so happy they can’t believe the change.

I have more confidence and it helps to know the SWCRC is there to help.

We were able to get what we needed to put us on the right track. The help from the Food Bank was appreciated.

I became aware of organizations in Calgary that have been great for resources, i.e. Food Bank, WINS

Respondents’ Comments: Nothing Changed My case was very special.

Still waiting on services

I had to do it all myself. I was very disappointed. I was in a mess and no one helped me. I left message after message and when I finally heard from someone at SWCRC, all they did was tell me about agencies I already knew about. I was able to scrape some money together and move myself out of a bad situation. I did it without their help.

Nothing changed significantly, but life is more manageable.

Except I have gone on waiting lists [for services from recommended agencies]

Nothing changed but I can see they will soon.

Nothing changed because I haven’t accessed the contact numbers I was given.

I was looking for a job.

Respondents Comments: Things Changed for the Worse

My daughter was promised services/course to do with bullying. However, the worker never followed through with any of her promises.

I ran into some unfortunate circumstances and have recently moved back to Vancouver

I want to return to Patch Bannister.


SWCRC Role within Calgary’s Social Service Delivery System

2012/13 annual general meeting report -...

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