2012-2013 - Sudbury Action Centre for Youth

Sudbury Action Center for Youth
105 Elm Street, Unit A
Sudbury ON, P3C 1T3
Phone: (705) 673-4396
Fax: (705) 673-0798
Web: www.sacy.ca
Annual Report 2012
SACY - Who we are
Our Mission
To offer a safe, non judgmental place to access
support and services for those in need.
RESPECT
SUPPORT
EMPOWER
Table of Contents
Report from the President of the Board ....................................................... 2
Report from the Executive Director ............................................................... 4
The 2012/2013 Board of Directors and Staff ........................................................ 8
Report From the Youth Program ........................................................................ 9
Evening Program ...................................................................... 10
Housing Support Program ...................................................................... 11
Peer Mentor Program ...................................................................... 12
After School Program ...................................................................... 13
School @ SACY ...................................................................... 13
Volunteer Programs .......................................................................14
Employment Program ...................................................................................... 16
The Point .............................................................................................................. 18
HIV/ IDU Outreach Program ............................................................................. 20
Donors and Support .......................................................................................... 22
Recognition ........................................................................................................ 23
Special Events ..................................................................................................... 24
1
Report from the President of the Board
by Judge André Guay
President
Sudbury Action Center for Youth
Board of Directors
S
2
urvival
In deciding what to say in my annual
message this year, it did not take me long to realize
that the main event in the life of our Agency this
year was that of survival.
Late last year, the Agency received word
that Employment Ontario would no longer fund
our employment program. That program, in my
opinion, comes as close to providing us with core
funding as any program we offer. It was as a result
of this program that, in large measure, we were able
to fund other services we provide to the community
which were not funded or poorly funded, by
piggybacking those services onto the administration
funds provided by the employment.
Aside from what the employment program
provided to our operations from a funding
perspective, the termination of funding for that
program struck at the very root of who we are as
an Agency. You will all recall that SACY started
off as an Agency designed to help those recently
released from jail and those who for various reasons
had failed to tie into the local economy. Both groups
found themselves at a loss and without any support
or assistance in the community. The Sudbury Action
Center was created to fill that need.
While we were fearful of the consequences
of the termination of provincial funding for this
program, we realized that it was the end of an era
as well as the probable end of a service which suited
both those employed in it and those using the service
it provided. All of our inquiries and meetings with
respect to alternate funding did, however, garner
increased support from the United Way/Centraide
of Sudbury and Nippissing District. While, however,
the United Way stepped up to the plate as best
it could, it was not able to provide us with all of
the funding required to continue our employment
program in the way and to the extent it had been
traditionally operating for decades.
To add to this crisis, which we did our
best to manage, was the crisis brought about by the
illness of our Executive Director Ken Wallenius. At
the outset, we anticipated losing Ken’s able direction
for most of the current year (2013). While plans
were made to get by with the support of staff from
another agency, the loss of Ken would certainly have
had a demoralizing effect on our Agency.
What evolved from this “double whammy”, if I may call it that, was that we, in naval
terms, battened down the hatches. This practice has
historically been used to keep a ship watertight in
the face of a storm. And a storm it was, although this
one was an organizational one. The Agency looked at
its options and decided that the best course available
to it was to scale down its operations and stay put.
To that end, we abandoned the idea of moving to
another location and quickly signed a new threeyear lease at the present location. The employment
program was reconfigured. In the process, we lost
a long- time member of the SACY family, Gerry
Pauze, who moved on to other opportunities, as
they say. The loss of Gerry was a blow to the people
who worked with him and to those employed by the
employment program. Tonight, we will be honouring
Gerry for his many years of services to us.
All of us who deal with our Executive
Director, Ken Wallenius, on a regular basis were
pleasantly surprised to find that Ken chose not
to resign himself to his illness and to become
demoralized. Instead, he took the bull by the horns
and decided to continue in his role as Executive
Director, allowing some absences for necessary
medical treatments. While Ken has received such
treatments over the last several months, he has been
Continued from page 2
so little absent from our premises and those many
places to which his duties take him that his absences
have basically gone unnoticed.
An executive director must have the
confidence and respect of those with whom he
works, including the Board of Directors. I can tell
you that our Executive Director certainly does have
the respect and confidence of us all. Much of our
ability to survive as an Agency and see our way
through the loss of major funding is as a result of his
leadership and his dogged determination to stay the
course in order for the Agency to survive.
I guess when you work with those who are
down and out, or under the gun (call it what you
will) you pick up some of their courage and tenacity,
some of their staying power. We in SACY have
always had known that those whom we serve have
a lot of courage and tenacity. They are survivors. The
relationship we have with those we serve is a twoway relationship, with each giving the other strength
at different times and in different situations.
I am pleased to tell you that we are surviving
and that we will survive. We asked and received
much-needed support from the United Way,
including the funding required to purchase a muchneeded van and special three-year funding to support
our reconfigured and trimmed-down employment
program. We have linked up with a United Way
committee in promoting the establishment of a
common operational center and will work with
the United Way to secure better facilities in which
to carry out and operate our programs. We have
acquired the services of a person whose basic task
will be to secure additional and more permanent
funding. We will continue to offer our youth and
harm reduction programs as well as a modified
employment program.
In the eye of a storm, survival is victory. We will
continue to struggle because we must do so for the
people we serve. They need us more than ever in an
economic climate where funding for social purposes
has diminished. The needs of our service users (I
speak not only of financial need but also of the need
for emotional support, training and treatment),
however, remain as great as they ever were.
I don’t think that things can get worse than
they have in the past year. In saying so, I bite my
tongue because I realize that anything is possible.
What I do know, however, is that we are strong in
our beliefs and in our commitment and that those
who staff and guide the Agency are not about to
pack it in. We are relieved to have survived the
storm which came upon us this past year. If you do
survive the tribulations visited upon you, you come
to realize that they make you stronger. To do so,
however, you must seek out and obtain the help of
others. Notwithstanding the blows that we received
during the past year, we have been made stronger for
passing through our problems.
We must resolve to continue our important
work and to be supportive of each other in the
realization that what really counts in this world is
not money. In the end, what really counts is the joy
and the strength that comes from being together and
acting together for a common cause and a worthy
purpose. Like a well-seasoned crew of a ship, we
look forward to calmer seas ahead.
Andre L. Guay, Board Member and
Committee Chair
3
Report from the Executive Director
by Ken Wallenius
Executive Director
Sudbury Action Center for Youth
T
hank you, thank you, and thank you.
Thank you to all our funders and donors, past
and present. Thank you to all the staff at the Sudbury
Action Centre for Youth. Thank you to the Board
of Directors of SACY. Thank you to all the service
users at SACY. Thank you to all the volunteers and
supporters of SACY. Thank you to all the community
partners who work with SACY. Thank you to all the
committees that allow us to share our voice and the
voice of our service users when discussing issues and
policies that affect so many people. Thank you to
everyone.
Usually the thank you comes at the end of this report,
but this year, more than any I think is appropriate to
put the thank you up front. As you have read in the
report given by our Board Chair, Judge Andre Guay
it has been a challenging year for SACY. So often
in life, it is easy to look at what is not there, what
is leaving, what you are missing, then it is to look
at what continues, what is coming in and what you
have.
The Sudbury Action Centre for Youth runs the
following programs.
4
• A Casual Labour Pool
• The POINT Needle Exchange
• The IDU Outreach Program
• A Youth Drop-in Centre
• Youth Housing Support Program
• Peer Mentor Program
• After School Program
• A School @ SACY
• The C.A.R.E. Program
• SACY Youth Council
• Music Program
• Evening Recreation Program
• LGBTQ2 Youth Support Group
• The Community Kitchen
• The Community Garden
All of this at no charge to our service users thanks to
our funders, donors, and partners.
• The United Way of Sudbury and Nipissing Districts
• Employment Ontario
• The AIDS Bureau of Ontario
• The Sudbury and District Health Unit
• The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
• The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
• The City of Greater Sudbury Homelessness
Network
• The City of Greater Sudbury Leisure Services
• Beech Street Community Kitchen
• St. Albert’s Adult Learning Centre
• Northern Ontario School of Medicine
• Art Gallery of Sudbury
• The Sudbury Rowing Club
• YMCA Sudbury
• Rainbow District School Board
• Northern Ontario Motion Picture Culture
Industry Development Corporation
Again, thank you.
Through all those programs and funders and
sponsors there is another special list too, the people
who volunteer to assist with our programming. This
past year has seen some truly innovative and creative
programs arise from volunteers who have dedicated
time and resources and networks to give our service
users wonderful outlets to share their talents.
In this report you will read about the C.A.R.E.
program and the Music Program, both of which
Continued from page 3
are run by volunteers with the support of staff from
SACY. Both programs have given a voice to the
youth who attend the centre and have complimented
all the other programming we do.
CARE stand for Caring and Respect Everywhere.
What a wonderful philosophy and acronym. This
program is part of the Afterschool Program, but has
taken on a life of its own and has grown leaps and
bounds thanks to the two volunteers who run the
program Jan Buley, from the School of Education at
Laurentian University and Gayle Adams-Carpino
from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. To
share from the Youth Program Report:
“Each Friday CARE youth gather with professionals
from the community to explore creative means
of expression for young people. These include
provocative learning opportunities with art,
drumming, conversation and monologue creations.”
There have been some truly inspirational stories and
art created in this program and as we move forward
we are seeking funding to further enhance this
already wonderful program.
The other program run strictly by volunteers is the
Music Program and by volunteers I mean one man,
Steve Caruso. Steve was introduced to our programs
by stopping by a SYC BBQ one day and became
interested in helping out. Each Thursday Steve
would bring in his own equipment and assisted
youth in writing and ultimately recording their
songs. The album is available on-line and another
album is underway.
Thank you to both for seeing the potential in the
youth we serve and for sharing of your time and
expertise. These are just three of the many volunteers
and placement students that come through our doors
and we thank them all.
Thank you to the Youth Program for all they do. It
truly is a wonderful place for youth with so much
support, options, and opportunities. From the
volunteer programs just mentioned to all the other
programs and groups, the youth program continues
to be a leader in working with youth who need and
want support. Read through the report, see all that we
offer, see the staff who undertake multiple programs
and projects and put the needs of the youth first, it
truly is something I am thankful for.
Thank you to the Harm Reduction Program. As you
will read there has been an increase in the demand
for Harm Reduction supplies for the past five years
in a row. This past year saw an increase we did not
think was possible. Through this time the staff has
stayed dedicated and true to the beliefs of Harm
Reduction and the non-judgmental nature of the
work. It is truly a dangerous time in our city as
more and more users are experimenting with very
hazardous substances that can have serious, even
fatal effects. The staff is staying on top of these
issues and educating users on the dangers. They
are there and they want to make sure people are
using as safely as possible. The number of supplies
has increased so dramatically over the past 5 years
that we have to thank the Sudbury and District
Health Unit in securing extra funding to make sure
we can meet this increased demand. The increase in
demand is a bit of an unknown, but one thing is for
sure, there still remains a serious drug problem in
this community and we look forward to the local
Drug Strategy gathering some momentum again in
the near future to address this issue.
5
Report from the Executive Director
Working alongside the POINT is the Outreach
Program and thank you for all they do. We talked
earlier about sometimes looking at what you have,
not what you lost. This past year Emilly Fleming who
was doing a fantastic job as Outreach Coordinator
and had been a staff at SACY since her volunteer
placement decided it was time for a new adventure.
We were all sad to see her go. Emilly was at one
point accessing the centre as a youth and had grown
into a confident worker and leader. Thankfully, we
had someone waiting to step in and we are thankful
she has. Cassie Pearson is the new Outreach Lead
worker and along with Mystelle Gagnon are doing
a wonderful job working alongside other outreach
partners in delivering this vital service to users in
our community on the streets. Both are showing
what the future of the Outreach Program can be
as they continue the tradition of caring Outreach
workers that has been a hallmark of our program.
Thank you, thank you and thank you.
6
Thank you to Employment Ontario. Yes, we lost
your funding to continue running the casual labour
pool as it was, but I know that at the local office you
fought long and hard to continue to fund us. Thank
you for being in our corner all these years. When a
Ministry changes its mandate and what they want to
fund, the local office has little say in the matter, so we
thank them for fighting for the program. But I want
to thank them on another level. It would have been
easy for SACY to just shut the program down and
continue on. I am thankful because while trying to
lobby for continued funding the amount of support
from agencies and the community for the work
being done by the program cemented in our minds
the need to continue the program. Thank you to the
United Way of Sudbury and Nipissing Districts for
allowing us to continue to offer this service. Thank
you for acknowledging the good work the program
does for our community and for the service users
who access the program to earn extra money and
gain and use their skills.
Thank you to the Board of Directors for seeing the
importance of the program and for planning and
strategizing a way to keep it going. The Board has
been so supportive of me and the agency they cannot
be thanked enough.
Thank you to all the service users who walk through
our door. This year has seen many challenges for
SACY but they pale in comparison to the daily
struggles we see with you. We have earned your trust
and aim to keep it. You are the reason we are here.
You are the reason we plan and look forward to ways
to enhance what we do. Yes sometimes we need to
take a step back to take two steps forward and yes
we know you struggle, for this we are not thankful.
We wish this service was not needed, but sometimes
it is and thank you for always showing us why we are
here. Your resilience is amazing and makes us realize
how thankful we should be that that we are trusted
to be your support. We aim to respect, support and
empower all people who access each and every one
of our programs.
Lastly, I personally want to thank the staff past
and present. I often say it is an honour to be the
Executive Director of the Sudbury Action Centre
for Youth and I will say it again this year. Look
through this report and be proud of everything we
did this past year. Thank you for your caring and for
your commitment to SACY. Thank you for putting
the service user first, always. Thank you for exploring
new ideas and ways to assist the people who access
our services. Thank you for being flexible, supportive
Continued from page 3
of one another and for coming together this past
year during some trying times.
As we move forward, I felt it was an appropriate
time to really reflect on what we do and to thank
everyone who makes it possible. I am truly thankful
to be in this position and I’m not sure I have said
enough in this report but again, Merci, Miigwech
and Thank You!!
7
2012/13 Board of Directors & Staff
Executive Members
President...............................André Guay
Vice President............Shelley Condratto
Treasurer.................................Keith Benoit
Secretary........................Kevin Boudreau
Executive Director..............Ken Wallenius
Harm Reduction Program
Emilly Fleming..............................IDU Coordinator
Satch Pearson ...........Needle Exchange Worker
Len Frappier ......Harm Reduction Coordinator
Cassie Pearson ..................... IDU Outreach Lead
Mystelle Gagnon ................. IDU Outreach Worker
Brandon Smith...............IDU Outreach Worker
Youth Program
Kylie Raine ............. Youth Program Coordinator
Directors
Patrick Yule ...................... Housing Support Worker
.........................................Robert Brunette
Sherry Desjardins .................. Program Facilitator
................................... Tony Man-Son-Hing
................................................Mike Ladyk
Pierre Lafleur ......................... Program Facilitator
Paige Marois ................................... Relief Worker,
Brandon Smith ................................. Relief Worker
..............................................Dan O’Reilly
Gary Smith ....................................... Relief Worker
..................................Brenda Stankiewicz
Derek Shepherd ..................... Program Facilitator
Staff
Administration
Ingrid Dion ...................................Office Manager
Summer Students
Bonnie Cushing ................Administrative Assistant
GraemeMcKillop.......................... Summer Student
Employment Program
Gerry Pauze ......................................Coordinator
Scott Chisnell ...........................Outreach Worker
8
Brittney Lepine ..........................Summer Student
Report from the Youth Program
by Kylie Raine
Program Coordinator
Once again, another busy year has passed at the
Sudbury Action Centre for Youth, bringing with it
new youth, new staff and new programs. In addition
to the many services we continue to provide (Peer
Mentor, After School, School at SACY, Evening
and Housing) we have now found some new
programs (CARE and the Music Program) have
become a vital part of our routine in the Youth
Program.
As always, for staff in the Youth Program, our
youth are our inspiration. To see a youth find the
inner strength to take personal responsibility for
the direction of their life is inspiring. Many youth
are fighting a constant battle within themselves.
Their personal battle might be a lack of self value,
loss of self respect, loneliness, being labeled, suicide
tendencies, trust, love, depression, insecurity,
addiction or a sense of wanting to belong. The key
is reinforcing hope. Their renewed hope fuels their
ability to conquer these issues. The resiliency the
youth show is inspiring, and it’s an honor to watch
them on their journey.
Kylie Raine
Youth Program Coordinator
Youth Drop In
The Drop-in provides a safe, non-judgmental
environment where youth are able to gather for
the purposes of socialization, recreation and access
to social services. It is an alternative to roaming
the streets and is equipped with a billiards table,
kitchen and computer area with free internet access.
The no-pressure environment allows youth to feel
comfortable and, when they are ready, access the
services they need. The Centre is open 9am to 8pm
Monday and Tuesday, 9am to 9pm Wednesday to
Friday and 2pm to 7pm on Saturdays.
The Youth Program also had a variety of events
throughout the year, both recreational and
educational. Along with these activities, the youth
drop-in offered opportunities to work on social
skills and teamwork through Ball Hockey, soccer,
and pool tournaments along with Video Game
Marathons.
The Drop-in has created many
partnerships over the last year(s) including Beech
Street Community Kitchen, Steve Caruso – Music
Program, Interprofessional Education, Northern
Ontario School of Medicine – C.A.R.E. arts group,
Sudbury Rowing Club, among others.
Youth Program - New Registrations
During the past year, the Youth Program had 196
new registrations. The busiest months occurred in
May 2012 with 29 new youth registered and March
2013 with 23 new registrations.
Of the 196 new registrations, 121 of them were
under the age of 20. During the past year there
9
Report from the Youth Program
Evening Program
Derek Shepherd ................ Program Facilitator
Pierre Lafleur ..................... Program Facilitator
Paige Marois ..................... Program Facilitator
Brandon Smith .................... Program Relief Staff
Gary Smith .......................... Program Relief Staff
were 110 males and 86 females who registered for
the program.
Last year, 32.6% youth were considered homeless
(staying in a shelter, no fixed address or in an
addiction facility) at the time of registration.
This year, 46.9% were homeless at the time of
registration. The majority, slightly over 53%, were
renting an apartment or still living at home.
Youth Program - Drop-In Visit/Interventions
During the period of this report, there were 9,610
visits to the youth drop-in. As a front-line agency,
the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth provides a
variety of services to assist youth in need. Some
of the issues youth are dealing with today include
mental and physical health, life-skills, anger
management, conflict resolution, substance misuse,
family, income, and pregnancy to name a few.
The Youth Program had 121 individual youth
access the centre for counseling services. Combined
with the visits for the housing worker this number
increases significantly (see housing report).
There were 2,586 interventions provided this past
year and when broken down, the majority fell into
one area, “Life Skills”. This area accounted for
approximately 55 per cent of the total non-housing
interventions.
10
In our evening program we have up to 10-25 youth
per evening that have access to a warm safe nonjudgmental environment. Our program is aimed
to get at-risk youth off the streets while providing
access to recreational programming. Onsite we
offer activities such as arts and crafts, pool table,
computers, cards, board games, video games and
movies. We also offer youth activities at other
locations such as playing basketball at Lansdowne,
YMCA, soccer, ball hockey, Art Gallery of
Sudbury, movies and our community garden. We
also, provide support services such as informal
counseling and referrals to support systems in the
community that will help increase self-esteem and
reduce their feelings of isolation. We also offer
dinner six nights a week at 6:00pm.
The Evening Support Program is supported by
the City of Greater Sudbury, United Way and
fundraising dollars through bingo proceeds. The
Sudbury Food bank is also a valuable resource to
this program, assisting with the purchase of food
for nightly meals. This year we had 3,826 visits to
the Evening Program.
Continued
from page 8
Housing Support Program
Patrick Yule................... Housing Support Worker
The Sudbury Action Centre for Youth has been
actively involved in the planning, coordination and
implementation of services for individuals who are
homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless for the
past ten years. We are an active member of the
Homelessness Network and receive funding from
the City of Greater Sudbury in order to provide
housing support services to youth who are homeless
or at-risk of becoming homeless.
SACY’s Housing Support Program assists
individuals and their families to find emergency
shelter and affordable housing, help in obtaining
identification, assisting in accessing social services
such as Ontario Works, Ontario Disability, food and
clothing banks and most importantly, works with
youth to address underlying issues of homelessness
such as: lack of income, poor budgeting, addictions,
mental illness, unemployment, low self-esteem and
much more.
During the period covering April 1, 2012 to March
31, 2013, the Housing Support program serviced
384 unique youth. The Housing Support Worker
also keeps track of number of visits, and in the last
year the Housing Support Program had 782 visits,
with some who utilized services almost daily and
other who accessed the program on a less frequent
basis; once or twice a month. There has been a
noticeable trend in youth who are under eighteen
years of age accessing the housing program that
are no longer able to live at home and are trying
to access Ontario works but are having a hard
time being accepted or have no way of obtaining
a trustee.
In co-operation with the Homelessness Network,
our Housing Support Program exclusively works
with youth aged 16 – 24. This enables the housing
worker to spend more time with them individually,
addressing underlying issues of homelessness and
supporting youth through the process of obtaining
and maintaining sustainable housing. The housing
worker is able to attend home visits once a week,
which is conducive to a proper assessment of
their needs and aids in providing support. The
program also has an outreach component which
allows the worker to connect with and meet youth
who although may be in need of services, are not
currently aware of or accessing the services.
11
Report from the Youth Program
Peer Mentor Program
Sherry Desjardins ................. Program Facilitator
Derek Shepherd .....................Program Assistant
The youth who successfully completed this year’s
Peer Mentor Program have overcome many
personal challenges, and succeeded in tackling
the obstacles that came before them. The Peer
Mentor Program was designed by youth, for youth
and maintains a youth driven, youth run mandate.
The young people that participate in the program
help determine the tools needed to further their
own development and aid them in their ability to
provide assistance to other at- risk youth.
The program is available to youth between the ages
of 16 and 24, who are committed to attending life
skills workshops every Tuesday evening throughout
a 26-week period. Workshops on such topics as; goal
setting, beliefs and boundaries, crisis intervention,
gossip, motivation, gambling awareness, self esteem,
stress management, etc. are facilitated by program
staff, peer mentor graduates and representatives
from other community agencies.
The youth involved this year visited many locations
in the community during their training including
the Sudbury and District Health Unit; Sexual
Health Clinic, and the Community Kitchen. The
community actively participates in the Peer Mentor
Program, such as, the Sudbury and District Health
Unit who conducted a workshop on STI’s and
other communicable diseases, Satu Raitis who
regularly conducts workshops on Self Esteem and
Healthy Relationships and Reseau Access Network
who conducted a HIV/AIDS workshop. The youth
were involved in agency presentations and volunteer
work within our community.
12
The Peer Mentor Program is funded by the
United Way/Centraide of Sudbury and Nippissing
Districts. It has been highly successful in helping
youth overcome personal barriers, set and achieve
goals, and learn new skills that can be transferred to
all facets of their lives. The Peer Mentor Program
has been a proud recipient of the Donner Canadian
Foundation Award for Excellence in Counselling
Services three years in a row in the past.
2012-2013 Peer Mentor Program Graduates
Bradley Baker
Amy St-Jean
Brooks Rienguette David Williams
Honorable Mention – Peer Mentor Participants
DallasWhiteBuffalo Derek Plaus
Timothy Pyke
Charles St-Jean
David McDonald Katrina Raitis
Rowing at Bell Park
Sherry Desjardins ...................Program Facilitator
We received an opportunity to teach the youth
at SACY the basics of rowing from the Sudbury
Rowing Club in the summer of 2012. The youth
and a staff member attended Bell Park where the
trainers gave them an hour of training on land,
followed by in water training. The youth learned
the importance of team work and the value of
participating in something that normally would
not have been an option for them. This provided
them with the ability to understand the motor
skills needed to control and keep the boat steady.
The youth participated in 3 rowing workshops at
2.5 hours each. The rowing club provided healthy
snacks and drinks at the end of each lesson and
large pot luck lunch on the last day.
Continued from page 10
After School Program
School At SACY
This is the fourth year that SACY is able to offer
the After School Program. This year we had a total
of 91 unique participants. There were a total of 1307
visits to the After School Program. The program
is offered on Mondays, Thursday and Fridays
each week from 3:00 to 6:00 pm and runs from
September through June. The program focuses on
physical activity, healthy eating and nutrition, as
well as personal health education and wellness. The
After School Program is geared towards “at-risk”
and homeless youth between the ages of 16-24.
The program promotes the awareness of obesity,
decreasing health concerns and increasing healthy
eating through fruits and vegetables, as well as
increasing physical activity. The program seeks to
improve learning outcomes through workshops
geared towards healthy, positive living. In addition
to the physical health component of the program, it
utilizes arts and crafts to promote mental, spiritual,
and emotional health and learning. The program
receives support and funding from the Ministry of
Tourism, Culture and Sport.
The School at SACY program assists youth in
obtaining high school equivalent credits used to
attain a high school diploma. A teacher is in the
drop-in two hours a day, three - five days a week.
This provides youth with the opportunity to learn
in a comfortable environment, while receiving a
more one-on-one experience. This year, we have
had 27 youth sitting down to do school work.
School at SACY had 6 individual students receive
credits (for a total of 14 credits) and 5 students
who transferred to St Albert Adult Learning
Centre to increase their daily school hours.
Pierre Lafleur ....................... Program Facilitator
Derek Shepherd ................ Program Facilitator
Paige Marois ..................... Program Facilitator
Melinda Cecutti
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Report from the Youth Program
C.A.R.E. Group
Gayle Adams-Carpino ................... Volunteer
(Northern
Ontario
School
of
Medicine)
Jan Buley ...............................................Volunteer
(School of Education, Laurentian University)
CARE’s (Caring and Respect Everywhere) goal
is to connect homeless or at risk of homelessness
youth with new learning opportunities (NOSM),
community partners (Art Gallery of Sudbury)
and creative and education experiences (School
of Education) in order to discover, strengthen and
celebrate their transition into adulthood. Each
Friday CARE youth gather with professionals
from the community to explore creative means
of expression for young people. These include
provocative learning opportunities with art,
drumming, conversation and monologue creations.
Many aspects of the CARE programming are
grounded in the Seven Grandfather Teachings
from the local First Nations communities, of
which several of the CARE members belong. On
December 7, 2012 the CARE group created all
of the artwork for the First Annual CARE/Art
Gallery of Sudbury Show. The youth attending the
CARE program have openly shared their sense of
inclusion, empowerment and how these feelings
have impacted their future involvement with the
systems.
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SYC (SACY Youth Council)
David Raymond, Cheyanne Monk, Cody
Lavallee Shanda Raymond, Andrew
LeBlanc, Patrick Bennett, Courtney Bennett,
Christine McCulloch, Melissa Bertin, Dallas
WhiteBuffalo, Brad Baker
SYC is a committee that is made up of youth
who attend our Centre. They meet weekly; have
a president, vice president, secretary and members.
SYC take on certain responsibilities within the drop
in including, but not limited to, monthly calendar,
newsletter and fundraising. Funds raised by the
youth committee stay within the drop in and are
spent on a yearly outing planned and organized by
the youth. Participating in the council teaches skills
such as team work, responsibility, and organization
among many others.
Continued from page 12
LGBTQ2
Jamie Solomon ....................................Volunteer
SACY Music Program
Stephen Caruso ................................ Volunteer
Jason Jallet
..............................Volunteer
(Northern Ontario Motion Picture
Industry Development Corporation)
This is the first year that SACY has been able to
offer a group for our youth who are part of our
LGBTQ2+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, transgendered,
Questioning, 2-spirited, +) community in Sudbury.
Our program began in November 2012 and
has already formed a dedicated core of youth.
Workshops run on Wednesdays from 4pm – 5pm
at SACY, and any youth aged 16-24 are welcome.
The group has discussions that range from “coming
out”, bullying, and “Life of a Transgendered Youth”
to HIV/AIDS and STI’s.
Culture
The SACY Music program was created by Stephen
Caruso, who volunteers his time and his music
equipment every Thursday evening. Countless
hours have been spent with the youth writing,
practicing and recording unique music, allowing
some of our very talented youth an opportunity to
create their own songs. Jason Jallet, from local Not
for Profit organization NOMPCIDC (Northern
Ontario Motion Picture Culture and Industry
Development Corporation), generously donated
his time editing a music video and helped make
it available online. This program empowers the
youth, exposing those strengths and giving them
a sense of accomplishment. SACY has some
amazing talent, and this program has allowed the
youth to express themselves in a positive manner.
The Songs are available for download at http://
sacyalbum.bandcamp.com/ with all money raised
going to purchase of musical equipment.
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Employment Program
Employment Program
Funded by: The Ministry of Training , Colleges
and Universities; Province of Ontario
We, at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth,
believe that people can find work that they
enjoy doing and that they want to do. We
believe that every person must be treated with
Respect, Integrity and Confidentiality. We
also believe that by facilitating the process of
exploring one’s ideas and dreams, people can
make informed decisions about jobs, work and
their career direction that have a positive effect
on their lives and on those around them.
For those who have a difficult time finding and
keeping full-time employment, the Sudbury
Action Centre for Youth’s Casual Labour Pool
offers job seekers an opportunity to earn an
honest wage for their physical labour.
For the past 27 years, the Sudbury Action
Centre for Youth has been successfully
providing employment counseling, referral, and
casual labour jobs to the vulnerable youth and
adult population in our community. Many of
the workers have difficulty finding and securing
employment due to a number of personal and
systemic barriers. Past experience has proven
that a worker’s basic needs must first be met
in order for him/her to begin the process
of securing employment. For example, it is
extremely difficult for people to concentrate on
finding employment if they are homeless and
have no idea where their next meal is going to
come from.
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Gerry Pauze ..........................Program Coordinator
Scott Chisnell ..............................Outreach Worker
Ingrid Dion ....................................Office Manager
During the period covering April 1, 2012 to
March 31, 2013, there were 181 new workers
registered in the Employment Program.
A total of 3424 other interventions were provided
to workers through the employment program.
These included assistance in securing housing,
food, clothing, income, and identification.
Vocational and personal counseling involved
career planning and job search with assistance
to create and update resumes, cover letters, job
interview preparation, as well as transportation
to casual labour jobs and job interviews.
The employers who hire our workers are mainly
residents, mostly seniors (98%), who live in
their own home and require help with regular
maintenance such as snow shoveling, grass
cutting and landscaping, fence repairs, painting,
and other minor repairs around the home.
Private contractors and small business owners
including other non-profit agencies also hire
our workers.
During the period covering April 1, 2012 to
March 31, 2013 the Employment Program
placed 1515 workers in 1654 casual labour jobs.
During this same time period, 20 workers gained
full-time employment and 2 workers found
part-time employment as a direct result of their
participation in the Employment Program.
Continued from page 14
The Employment Program continues to benefit
from the ongoing generosity and support of a
caring community.
This past year was our last year as an
Employment Ontario funded agency. Despite
our disappointment that the program no longer
fits in their mandate, we would like to thank the
Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities
for their support over the years. We would
also like to acknowledge the United Way/
Centraide of Sudbury and Nippissing Districts
for stepping up and funding the program as we
move forward.
We would also like to thank the employers for
providing workers with casual labour. Finally,
we want to thank the workers whose labour
continues to build a solid reputation for the
casual labour pool. We are dedicated to working
with you in order to assist in your search for fulltime employment, and provide opportunities
for casual labour jobs.
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The Point
The Point
Funded through the Sudbury &District Health Unit,
through the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
For a fifth consecutive year, the Point Needle
Exchange program has witnessed an increase
in the demand for supplies and services. The
demand started in early January and continued
to rise through- out the year. The Point Needle
Exchange continues to blend the Harm
Reduction Program (I.D.U. Outreach) as they
both complement each other and serves as a
continuum of care for the service user accessing
both services.
Client Demographics:
During 2012-2013 fiscal year, The Point provided
approximately 11,538 services to service users,
which included 296 new service users. Many
service users came from surrounding areas such
as Espanola, Manitoulin, Chelmsford, Capreol ,
etc. Due to this wide geographical area needing
services, a mobile unit would allow services to be
delivered in these areas.
The service users primarily access the Point
for needle exchange; however they also access
a variety of other services offered at The Point
such as; Blood borne pathogens testing (HIV/
AIDS, Hep-C, STI) , referrals to other agencies
or programs, drug use information, treatment
options, issues of legal matters /family, health
related concerns, and supportive counseling.
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Len Frappier ........................Program Coordinator
Satch Pearson .................Harm Reduction Worker
Males
Females
8024
3514
Number of Contacts
Number of New Contacts
Age Range of Service Users
204
92
20-70
18-65
Testing Services Provided:
Number of tests provided:
HIV Testing
Other STIs Testing
Pregnancy Test
Vaccines (Flu, Hep A )
Drug Info/Counseling
Safer Sex Information
Basic Medical Care
Others
Number of Referrals made:
Other HIV/STI Testing
Detox/Drug Treatment Social Services
Other Counseling
Othe
28
36
5
25
11464
492
32
273
58
23
18
13
147
Needle Exchange Statistics:
During the fiscal year 475,136 new needles were
distributed, which is an increase of 105,038 from
last year’s total.
Total numbers of needles returned: 316,312
Total numbers of needles distributed: 475,136
Return rate:
78%
Number of condoms distributed:
20,778
Continued from page 16
Emerging Trends
With our service users not being able to access
their drug of choice, oxycondone, replaced by
Neo-oxy , there has been an increase in cost
for any old stock available. Service users have
been injecting the new Neo-oxy’s, along with
heroin, cocaine other drugs that are not meant
to be injected. Some examples being , Ritalin,
and even Bupernorphine. There are harmful
products being used as an additive to cocaine and
crack called Levamisole (animal de-wormer)
and Wellbutrin which has caused an increase in
major abscesses resulting in increased visits to
the Emergency Room for treatment. It has been
a challenge to encourage our services users to
receive treatment for these abscesses as they feel
they are discriminated against when accessing
health services. Safe inhalation kits are being
requested more often than ever before. These
tools are unfortunately not available at this time
and the fear of more users sharing and contracting
Hepatitis –C and even H.I.V. becomes more
prevalent among our service users.
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HIV/IDU Outreach Program
HIV/IDU Outreach Program
Funded though the AIDS Bureau and Ministry of
Health and Long Term Care
Cassie Pearson..HIV/IDU Outreach Program Lead
Mystelle Gagnon .......... HIV/IDU Outreach Worker
Emilly Fleming ......... HIV/IDU Program Coordinator
Brandon Smith ............HIV/IDU Outreach Worker
The most important aspect and function of the
HIV/IDU Outreach Program is establishing
trusting and positive relationships with our service
users. The Outreach program currently operates
from 6pm to 9pm Monday to Friday. Outreach
strives to meet and connect with individuals by
walking the streets and attending areas where
people may congregate and socialize including the
mission, bars, parks, residences etc. We primarily
canvas the downtown core and its surrounding
areas, including the Donavon and Flour Mill area.
This is a fundamental aspect of the program as it
provides an opportunity for workers to connect with
individuals who may not otherwise access services.
The HIV/IDU Outreach Program has become an
easily recognizable presence on the street as well
as being highly trusted by the IDU community.
made, 381 were repeat male service users and
365 repeat female service users. We made contact
with 63 new male service users as well as 74 new
female service users. In office there were 703 visits
between repeat and new service users as well. The
majority of our service users access our services for
safe injection and safe sex equipment. During the
2012-2013 fiscal year the outreach team distributed
11,217 safe injection kits and 16,892 condoms. The
Outreach team also collected over 96,000 syringes.
The Outreach Program also provides services in
relation to practical support, counseling, education
and referrals to its service users. Within this fiscal
year we recorded;
306… Counseling Supports
New Changes
The HIV/IDU Outreach Program saw quite
a few changes over the past 2012-2013 fiscal
year. Unfortunately we said bye to an Outreach
Worker, Brandon Smith, along with the Program
Coordinator Emilly Fleming. It was determined
that the program would continue with two workers.
We welcomed Cassie Pearson as the new Lead
Outreach Worker, along with Outreach Worker
Mystelle Gagnon. Through the Outreach team we
are able to provide street outreach services as well
as in office services.
Client Demographics
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In the 2012-2013 fiscal year the HIV/IDU
Outreach Program serviced 883 services users
during street outreach shifts. Of these contacts
1056… Practical Supports
1048… Education Supports
61… Referrals
78… Other Supports
During the past year we continued to work closely
with our peer population through 37 active peers
with over 50 reporting sessions conducted. This
fiscal year we added 9 new peers. Our peers have
made approximately 1262 contacts in relation to
material distribution.
Additional Services
In addition to outreach services, the HIV/IDU
outreach Program also provides education to the
community as a whole. We work in partnership with
many organizations in the Sudbury community.
During the 2012-2013 fiscal year we made;
79… Agency Contacts
5…
40…
Presentations
Committee meetings
Continued from page 18
Partnerships
The HIV/IDU Outreach Program strives to
develop and strengthen partnerships with other
community organizations. In the 2012-2013 fiscal
year we continued to work closely with NOAH’s
Space, a new initiative aimed at bringing together
social services of the community. Through this
new partnership we have connected with over
38 different agencies in our community. This
partnership has allowed us to support several
initiatives in the community as well as hear from
community members themselves. The Outreach
Program continues to build on its new and existing
partnerships.
Reseau Access Network
The Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy
NOAH’s Space
The Sudbury and District Health Unit
College Boreal
Cambrian College
Everest College
Laurentian University
Committees
The Second Chance Committee
NOAH’s Advisory Committee
The Outreach Coordinator Committee
Emerging Trends
In the past fiscal year we have noticed some emerging
trends with the type of substances preferred by our
service users. With the lack of supply of preferred
substances, more IDU’s are open to other substances
that are less commonly used and are engaging in
riskier behavior regarding the modification of
“tamper-resistant” substances. The Outreach teams
has made, and continues to make a conscious effort
in terms of further educating our services users
regarding the adverse effects while continuing to
support our service users using a harm reduction
approach. There has also been a noticeable increase
in the requests for safer inhalation kits amongst our
service users; we hope to be able to further meet
our services user’s needs with safe inhalation kits in
the near future.
We are currently in the process of implementing
our new Bike Outreach Program that will allow
Outreach Workers to cover a larger geographical
area when conducting street outreach duties.
Challenges our services users face is lack of proper
nutrition, and/or a criminal record, mainly from
non-violent crimes such as shoplifting, drug
trafficking and prostitution. Those in conflict with
the law face further stigma and discrimination. A
majority of our service users do not have a family
doctor or have lost their doctor due to their drug
illness. Although our services users mainly access
the drop-in for safe materials, many of them also
make use of the support workers for help with
advocacy and guidance in navigating the social
services and available resources.
Through partnership we have access to a vehicle to
assist in the development of our peer program. This
allows us to access a larger geographical area when
conducting outreach and assists in the collection of
used materials. This has also allowed us to spend
more time with our peers to further educate them
based on their needs, as well, it has also allowed us
to gain insight on what our service users need and
what is trending in the IDU community.
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Sturdy Roots, Donors and Community Supporters
Community Support
Reseau ACCESS Network
Beech Street Community Kitchen
Bianco’s Audiotronic
Church of Ascension
Church of Epiphany
Christ the King Church
City of Greater Sudbury
Day’s Inn
Desjardins Caisse Populaire des Voyaguers
Diocese of Algoma, ACW
Foyer Notre Dame
Golf Sudbury
Grand & Toy
Great Canadian Superstore
Greater Sudbury Hydro Plus Inc.
Greater Sudbury Police Service
INTACT
IODE - Alexander Ramsey Chapter
Jim’s Automotive
John Carl MacIsaac Foundation
Kustom Klubhouse
Marymount Academy
Midcity Mazda
Molson’s
Northern Credit Union
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Paroisse Ste. Anne
Prom Music
Quilt and Stitchery Guild
Rotary Club of Sudbury
Senator Hotels Limited
S.E.S. Consulting
Soucie Salo Safety
Sport Chek
St. Albert’s Learning Centre
St. Peter’s United Church
Stack System Solution
Stan & Michelle Caswell
Stride Systems
Sudbury Community Foundation
Sudbury Community Service Centre
Sudbury & District Health Unit
Sudbury Food Bank
Sudbury Provincial Liberal Association
Sudbury Theatre Centre (STC)
Sudbury Vocational Resource Centre
Sudbury Women’s Centre
Sunlife Financial
Tim Horton’s
Valley East Construction
Valley Pentecostal Church
Volunteer Sudbury
Youth Entertaining Sudbury
Youth Theatre Group
Vrab’s Independent Market
Our Funders
Provincial
Ministry of Community Safety
& Correctional Services
(“See The Signs” Project)
Ministry of Health & Long-term Care
A: Sudbury & District Health Unit
(The Point-Needle Exchange )
(Employment Program)
Ministry of Health Promotions
A: (After School Program)
B: Healthy Communities Fund (HCF) (SACY on Campus)
B: AIDS Bureau
Service Canada
(Skills Link)
Local
The City of Greater Sudbury
The United Way/Centraide of Sudbury
(IDU Outreach Program)
(Youth Program Coordinator, Evening Drop-In Program)
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Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities
The City of Greater Sudbury
Homelessness Network
(Housing Support Worker)
(Evening Drop-In Program, Peer Mentor Program)
Recognition
Years of Service
Satch Pearson 15 years
Keith Benoit 15 years
Andre Guay 10 years
Robert Brunette 10 years
Gerry Pauze Lifetime Membership Award
Aileen & James Grassby Volunteer Appreciation Award
Youth
Andrew Leblanc
Adult
Gayle Adams-Carpino, Jan Buley, Steve Caruso
Personal Achievement Award
Youth
Tiffany Morgan
Harm Reduction
Jamie Lee Martin
Employment Program
Ronald Luoma Memorial Award
(In honour of a long time client and volunteer, Ronald Luoma who passed away in 2008)
Sanford Wynne
Thanks to our Volunteers:
Jan Buley
Gayle Adams-Carpino Steve Caruso
Jean Charette
Mary Donato
Jason Jallet
Jeanine McLean Dorothy Thomson
Jamie Solomon
Placement Students:
Jennie Anderson
Natalie Forget
Mercedes Jean
Dean Rowe
Jessica Bolen
Emilly George
Stephanie Leclair
Micheal Szymanski
Kayla Dozzi
Amanda Ivory
Getou Panda
Jennifer Terranova
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Fun @ SACY
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