ANNUAL REPORT2012-2013

Intro

Looking back on the last year, it is clear that Wyndham House has been very busy at all of our programs. We have been working with at risk youth in this community since 1973 and we continue to respond to identified areas of need, provide best practices in programming approaches and most importantly, we engage the young people who use our services to have a say in what we do and how we do it. As an agency we continue to grow and find innovative approaches that meet the changing and increasingly complex needs of the youth we serve. We are proud of our long history as an agency and we look forward to many more years, new ways to deliver our services and most importantly, improved outcomes for the young people using the programs.

Over the course of this year we heard a young person explain why they were staying at Wyndham House and participating in our various services; her answer; “ to have a chance at a better life”. That single sentence is very powerful.... and leads us to ask ourselves some questions. The most obvious is how do we ensure we help her achieve that goal?

From the Board of Directors President & the Executive Director

The Wyndham House Word Perfect team at the Grate Groan Up Spelling Bee supporting the Rotary Club of Guelph South

Wyndham House’s 40 for 40 event At The Homewood Health Centre

Last year our funders and supporters helped us to;

• Continue to provide a continuum of supports and services that include prevention, housing supports, health & educational programming, inclusive recreational opportunities as well as transitional & outreach supports. • Give immediate, emergency shelter supports to 142 youth who were in need.• Offer long term housing & educational opportunities to 64 youth.• Provide aftercare and outreach supports to over 85% all youth moving out of our programs.• Assist 90 youth each month at our Youth Resource Centre in job & housing searches• Provide over 500 youth with inclusive, no cost recreational activities they would not have otherwise had.• Prevent youth from entering into the shelter system in the first place by working closely with local high schools to support those youth at risk of losing their housing• Teach critical life skills to help youth build capacity and move forward in their lives• Create opportunities where youth can build capacity, set goals, have fun, develop healthy relationships, and work towards a brighter future

Last year, youth participating in our programs benefitted from;

• Immediate relief to a housing crisis, food security and health care• A renewed sense of hope that they can “have a chance at a good life” (client quote)• increased knowledge from workshops on job searches, fiscal literacy , health information and resume building• supported re-entry back into an educational program that suits their specific needs• outreach supports to assist them in transitioning to returning home with family or living independently • Inclusion in sports & recreational programs• connections to numerous community resources that they require

Additional support from corporations, foundations, community groups and individuals funded programs like STEPS, financial literacy workshops, life skills development, transportation services and so much more. Volunteers continue to play an important role at Wyndham House, raising funds through third party events, giving of their time and expertise in many areas and providing services or in-kind donations to help us stretch every dollar.

We invite you to celebrate the highlights and successes we share with you in this report. Your support is crucial to providing a safe and accepting environment for youth to discover their future possibilities. We could not do this without you.

Thank you for your support.

Chris Perkins & Debbie Bentley-Lauzon

Intro

Our Clientele

For the last 40 years Wyndham House has been synonymous with serving homeless youth. And while the foundation of our services remains the provision of housing resources, our reach extends far beyond those youth experiencing a housing crisis.

Wyndham House provides supports and services to all youth in the community, looking beyond housing and economic status as primary indicators of risk and working to break down other barriers that may stand in the way of a young person’s success. Our Youth Resource Centre, located in Guelph’s downtown core, acts as a primary service hub, seeing an average of 300 or more visits per month from youth who are not currently homeless, but nevertheless in-need of support such as help accessing the food bank, replacing identification, an advocate for landlord negotiations, or assistance accessing a medical practitioner.

All Wyndham House’s programs and services are developed to address the social, physical, and developmental needs of each individual youth. This service model offers flexible, adaptable care to meet the varying needs of youth and acts as a non-traditional link to social services for those unable to access them through conventional channels.

What you might not know:

• Last year Wyndham House provided transportation to and from the food bank for 120 youth living independently

• More than 25 youth contribute artwork, poetry, short stories and articles to each edition of the Wyndham House run New Mentality magazine. All contributors receive a paid honorarium for their submission.

• The STEPS Program (Support Through Engagement in Programming and Sport) offers a variety of free sport and recreational programs in 4 underserved neighbourhoods. Programming is offered 5 days a week on a consistent schedule identified by youth. In addition, STEPS also has a team in our community based sports league “Perpetual Motion” – fostering positive youth engagement in the community.

Who we provide services to

Five Days for the Homeless and Wyndham House supporters come out to perform on campus on the last day of the campaign.

For the most part, youth are driven to the streets for reasons beyond their control. In other words, they are forced into situations that are unstable and unsafe because they have no other options, no other choice. Research shows that the primary factors behind youth homelessness are family conflict and breakdown, circumstances of emotional, physical and verbal abuse, and/or a lack of basic needs provision – needs such as clothing, shelter, and food.

While the pathways into homeless might be convoluted and complex, a way off of the streets remains quite clear. Since 1973, Wyndham House has been providing youth with stable housing alternatives when home is not an option. The housing programs at Wyndham House – including long-term residential programs and an emergency shelter for youth in the midst of a housing crisis – offer a comprehensive support system designed to help youth rebuild family connections and return to their family home (if safe and healthy to do so) or build the skills necessary to live independently in the community.

Housing Program Timeline

1973Wyndham House Incorporated and operated on the

ground of the Homewood Health Centre

1982Wyndham House for Young Women opened

on Suffolk St.

2000Wyndham House for Young Men opened

on Bellevue St.

2008Wyndham House opened a temporary Youth

Emergency Shelter on Delhi

2009Wyndham House opened the Youth Emergency

Shelter on Norwich St.

Housing

Wyndham House’s youth outreach and prevention efforts are founded on a positive youth development model, which builds on youth’s assets and abilities in order to empower them to be successful. Youth Outreach Coordinators provide confidential, front-line crisis intervention, individual support, and linkages to multiple youth serving agencies throughout the community in order to stabilize situations, enhance networks of support, and increase outcomes for youth.

Our Youth Outreach Coordinators support youth through issues of conflict, such as problems at school or home, relationship challenges, substance use, bullying and violence. Accessing a Youth Outreach Coordinator is easy: they can be found in local high schools, in the downtown area, or youth can connect with them using social media and text messaging. Coordinators are then able to meet with youth in the community in a safe location that meets their needs, schedule, and level of comfort.

In addition, Wyndham House provides a number of outreach and prevention based programs available to any and all youth. These programs focus on skill building and inclusion, helping youth to positively engage with themselves, their peers and their community. Whether it be through running, rock climbing, pottery, photo voice, yoga or advocacy work, youth will benefit by building social skills, gaining confidence, and feeling excited about new opportunities.

Outreach & Prevention

Supports and Programming Include:

• STEPS – Support Through Engagement in Programming and Sport• Aftercare and Transitional Care Programming • Laundry Services • Shower facilities • Youth Health Clinic at 18 Norwich • Trusteeship for youth needing support with financial assisistance• The New Mentality magazine• Safe Store Program - gives youth the opportunity to store goods and clothing for a transition period

Youth organized fundraiser for Amnesty International YOGA DAY at City Hall

Collaboration

Collaboration, in short, is the act of working with one another to achieve a common goal through sharing resources and decision making. For Wyndham House, the idea of collaboration, of sharing resources and decision making to better support youth, is an essential component of our service model and our success. We work with other agencies and services from both the public and private sectors, in order to create more direct linkages to community resources, reduce delays in program access, and ultimately increase and enhance outcomes for our clients.

Wyndham House is a proud member of many committees, planning tables, and workings groups in our community, all with the aim of developing and improving the framework that guides services for youth in our community.

Our collaborative approach, however, is not limited to the work we do with outside agencies. At Wyndham House, we are committed to seeking out and including the youth voice in all our programming operations. Youth feedback is vital for program development, ensuring that all our services are meeting the ever-changing needs of youth.

Cheque presentation from The Home Depot Canada Foundation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held a drive to support the Wyndham House After Care program.

Audit Summary

Audit Summary covering the period of April 1 2012 to March 31 2013

Revenue United Way Dufferin Guelph Wellington 200,666Per Diems 400,367City of Guelph 321,343Fundraising Events & Donations 38,904Grants 148,599Other 3,674Total Revenue $1,113,553

Expenses

Staff Wages, Benefits, Development 895,028Shelter ~ Mortgages & Rent 62,651Shelter Maintenance, Insurance, Utilities 37,988Programming 30,363Groceries 57,461Administration 39,790*Payroll Losses 18,259Total Expenses $1,141,540

(Deficit) Revenue over Expenses (27,987)

*In October 2012, the company providing payroll services to Wyndham House went into receivership resulting in an unavoidable loss.

Thank You

We would like to extend our thanks for the many individuals, corporations, foundations, associations, schools, community, and faith groups that provided financial and in-kind support to Wyndham House this past year.

$50,000 and OverCity of GuelphWellington County Social ServicesUnited Way Dufferin Guelph Wellington

$10,000 and $49,999Consolidated Homelessness Prevention ProgramHomelessness Partnering StrategyGuelph Wellington Family & Children’s ServicesHome Depot Canada FoundationMinistry of Tourism, Culture and Sport Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration

$1,000 to $9,999Janet Brenchley-KrugC.I.B.C.Canada Government - Student Career PlacementKathleen CorriganDaliaDan Burnham, Burnham Insurance & Financial ServicesGuelph Community FoundationSandra HackettHeart & Stroke Association Navacrek Community ServiceOntario Government - Summer Experience ProgramRobert PavlisRotary Club of Guelph-SouthRotary Club of Guelph-Wellington Nancy RowatRoyal Canadian LegionUniversity of Guelph - Five Days For The HomelessWellington Dufferin Guelph Public HealthChrysta Mayhew

$999 - $500Thomas Beckett BluEarth RenewablesJohn & Barbara Buttars Toby HayJohn & Edith HighamDrew HughesAlan JarvisParticipactionPerpetual MotionRon Williams Janet Wood

Staff Team

Executive Director: Debbie Bentley-LauzonProgram Director: Leisha Burley

Management & Program Coordinators: Adam MetcalfKathy Muratis

Michelle O’ReillyTiffany McMillan

Susan Richardson

Youth Support Team: Joe Berry, Tamar Brannigan, Sarah Buckie, Kristen Cairney,

Zachary Charbonneau, Daniel Clairmont, Joy DiCarlo, Ally Florence, Jeanine Foley, Ian Foster, Jeremiah Giuliano, Cheryl Halsey, Jessica Harris, Stephanie Haw, Anna Hong,

Brooke Hyatt, Daniel Jakima, Dan Ksenych, Ashley Lowenthal, Jessica Maltby, Mike McPhee, Meghan Muldoon, Josh Pallas,

Michelle Pilgrim, Ashley Rammage, Erica Rudd, Jessica St. Peter.

Board of Directors

Our 2012 – 2013 Board of Directors

President - Chris Perkins Vice President – Gia Lucchetta

Treasurer – Steve Wynen Secretary – Bryan Dean

Directors: Goldie Barth

Drew HughesTerri Millar

Mark RodfordMorris Twist

Danny WilliamsonDavid Woolcott

Wyndham House would like to thank the following people for volunteering their

time and skills:

Robert Pavlis ~ Finance Committee Rodger Crane & Joanne Hasson ~ Resource

Development & Fundraising Committee

Thanks to: Omar Abdool and Justin Byblyk

Blair Hillier, Rachel Major, Taylor Gosnell and Vivian Webb

Cathy MacMillan, The Letter M

A group shot of the Home Depot employees, Wyndham House staff and board, community partners and other volunteers who helped out that day.

Graphic Design services provided by Cathy MacMillan, The Letter M Marketing. 2013.