Table of Contents - Sudbury Action Centre for Youth

Table of Contents
Report from the President of the Board ....................................................... 2
Report from the Executive Director ............................................................... 3
The 2008 Board of Directors. and Staff .............................................................. 4
Report From the Youth Program ........................................................................ 5
Skills Link Project............................................................................................... 10
Employment Program ...................................................................................... 11
The Point .............................................................................................................. 13
HIV/ IDU Outreach Program ............................................................................. 14
Donors and Support .......................................................................................... 16
Recognition ........................................................................................................ 18
Special Events ..................................................................................................... 19
1
Report from the President of the Board
by Judge André Guay
President
Sudbury Action Center for Youth
Board of Directors
O
ccasions such as this one present us with an
opportunity to do two things – look back
over the past year and look forward into the year
to come. This past year has been one of change,
particularly with respect to our staff – those who
carry out the work of the Agency.
In July 2008, our new Executive Director – Mardi Taylor, took over the reins of the
Agency. With the help of the Agency program
coordinators and staff, the transition took place
quickly. While 2008 saw many staff move onto
new opportunities, we also obtained a new
position in the form of a Youth Program
Coordinator, through funding we received from
the City of Greater Sudbury.
The Agency was recognized in 2008 through
the Ontario HIV Treatment Network for
service excellence for the IDU Outreach
Program, and received the Peter F. Drucker
Award, for excellence in non profit management.
Two of our programs were also finalists in the
Donner Foundation national Awards. In
consultation with staff and the direct assistance
of the United Way of Greater Sudbury, the
Board developed a new mission statement more
reflective of the work we do on a daily basis. The
growth in all areas of the Agency in terms of
number of clients served, attests to the fact that
we truly offer “a safe non judgmental place” for
those who need it.
2
The upcoming year promises to be as exciting as the
one we just finished. Two projects that the Board
will undertake is a review of premises to accommodate our growing needs, and a Board policy review.
We are in search of partnerships with our local
schools and other agencies and groups serving
youth in our community. One such entity is
the Greater Sudbury Police Service. I should
note that this year, the Greater Sudbury Police
Service presented us with five new computers
for the Youth Drop In Centre. We were very
appreciative of the support given to us by
outgoing Chief of Police Ian Davidson and we
hope to continue our positive relationship with
the GSPS under its new Chief, Frank Elsner.
We appreciate the interrelated needs of youth
and young adults for adequate housing, health
services, personal support and counseling,
addiction services, job training and employment.
Through one of our local school boards, we are
hopeful of obtaining educational assistance
delivered directly to youth and clients on site.
Stay tuned for further developments in this respect.
As our “mission statement” declares, our goal is
to offer a safe, non judgmental place to access
support and services for those in need. In order
to continue to achieve our mission, it is my hope
that the visioning process re-initiated this year
will expand to include all of our staff, and
stakeholders supportive of us in the community.
In the coming year, let us keep the good work we
do for those in need. Let us never forget what
happens to the poorest and most vulnerable members of our community when no one cares and
when no one intervenes to help them. We are the
Sudbury Action Centre for Youth, and we care.
Report from the Executive Director
by Mardi Taylor
Executive Director
Sudbury Action Center for Youth
T
he year of 2008 has seen many changes
at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth.
Through the staffing changes and new faces in
the programs and around the table, our roots
really do run deep and the tradition of exceptional
service and program delivery continues.
I said, when I was introduced at last year’s AGM
as the new Executive Director that I was proud
to be the newest member of the SACY team and
was looking forward to working with and getting
to know everyone at our Agency. Twelve months
later nothing has changed, except perhaps that I
am more proud than ever to be associated with
this Agency and place of hope and comfort for
so many who access it. It takes a community
to care, and this is evidenced every day by who
walks through these doors.
Through our Employment Program, Harm
Reduction Area (the Point Needle Exchange and
IDU Outreach), and the Youth Program Area
(Youth Drop In, Peer Mentor and Awareness
Programs, Skills Link), there is one consistent
theme. That everyone genuinely cares about the
people who come here and use our services and
programs.
It was very gratifying therefore, to have the
Sudbury Action Centre for Youth receive the
recognition it deserved by being presented with
the Peter F. Drucker Award (for excellence and
consistency in non-profit management) through
the Donner Canadian Foundation in 2008. The
IDU Outreach Program also received recognition for service delivery excellence by receiving
the Jay Browne Award from the Ontario HIV
Treatment Network. Another highlight was
receiving a $10,000 grant to support our Drug
Awareness training through the Intact (formerly
known as ING foundation) and welcoming now
retired Police Chief Ian Davidson for a tour
of the Youth Drop In and Harm Reduction
programs at the Agency.
This has been one of the most intense, difficult
and at the same time satisfying and uplifting
years of my life. Yes, there will always be the
need for more funding and all the day to day
challenges that working at an agency such as
this provides. But whenever I need a lift, I just
walk around and talk to the staff, the clients, and
observe the hope that happens here. Yes, the
roots run deep and the care is apparent.
Thank you to each of our funders and
community supporters and to our donors for
allowing this important work to continue. Thank
you to the Board of Directors, who oversee the
work of our agency and for the support they
have given to me this year. Thank you to the
placement students and to each and every
individual on staff, who bring such care and
commitment with them here every day. Thanks
to the clients for never losing hope. All of you
contribute and all of you make the Sudbury
Action Centre for Youth a place to put down
roots in our community.
Finally, thanks to all of you for the past year, and
here’s to many more!
3
2008/09 Board of Directors & Staff
Board of Directors
Executive Members
André Guay
Vice President
Treasurer
Executive Director
Administration
Mardi Taylor, Executive Director
President
Secretary
Staff
Ingrid Dion, Office Manager
Bonnie Cushing, Human Resource Specialist
Art Moore
Gary Smith, Marketing Specialist
Employment Program
Keith Benoit
Gerry Pauze, Employment Program Coordinator
Scott Chisnell Employment Outreach Worker
Dean Brownlee
Harm Reduction Program
Doris Schwar, “Point” Program Coordinator
Mardi Taylor
Satch Pearson, Needle Exchange Worker
Len Frappier, HIV/IDU Outreach Worker
Kevin Grant, Outreach Worker
Directors
Bob Brunette
Darren Pacione
(Young leaders
on board)
Patron
Marg Flett
Kelly Richer, Outreach Worker
Youth Program
Ken Wallenius, Youth Program Coordinator
Kelly Richer, Youth Worker
Emilly Fleming, Youth Worker
Michael Fox, Awareness Coordinator
Peter LafleurReleif Youth Worker
Dr. James Grassby
Hayley Kidd, Youth Worker
Patrick Yule, Peer Mentor Facilitator
Brandon Smith, Youth Summer Student
4
Kylie Raine, Housing Support Worker
Report from the Youth Program
by Ken Wallenius
Youth Program Coordinator
The more things change, the more they stay the
same. It has been a year of many changes in the
youth program at the Sudbury Action Centre for
Youth, just as it has been a year of constants.
The Youth Program saw significant changes
in staffing but continued to provide the
services many of our youth want and need.
New facilitators in both the Peer Mentor and
Awareness programs continued the strong
tradition of offering timely, informative and
youth driven programming that has made
SACY a nationally recognized agency. Another Skills Link program came and went with
nothing but praise from all of our partners, youth
and community leaders.
The youth said goodbye to many longtime staff
and said hello to some familiar faces and some
new ones as well. All the while, maintaining
their ability to face life’s challenges head on
and knowing that SACY is there for them. It is
youth’s desire to change, their ability to adapt,
their willingness to begin to trust again, that is
the difference. Change is hard, but change can
be good and while the faces may change, the
support, the empathy, the consistency of caring
of all the staff of the SACY youth program will
never change. So the more things change, the
more they stay the same.
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 8am to 8pm Monday and Tuesday, 8am to 10 pm Wednesday - Friday and 2pm
to 10pm on Saturdays.
The Youth Program also has many events
throughout the year, both recreational and
educational. Some of these events included
Holistic Healing Week, the Back to School Blitz,
March Break Madness and Drug Awareness
Week. Along with these activities, the Youth
Drop In offers opportunities to work on social
skills and teamwork through Ball Hockey games,
Slo-Pitch tournaments, pool tournaments and
Video Game Marathons.
NEW REGISTRATIONS
During the past year, the Youth Program had
190 new registrations. The busiest month
occurred in November when 30 new clients
registered followed by April 2008 with 26 and
May 2008 with 25.
YOUTH DROP IN
Various funders including support from the FOCUS
Community Project
Of the 190 new registrations, 129 of them were
under the age of 20. During the past year there
were 117 male and 73 females who registered for
the program.
The Drop-in provides a safe, non judgmental
environment where youth are able to gather
There was an encouraging sign this past
year with respect to housing status, last
5
Report from the Youth Program
year over half of the new registrations
were considered homeless (staying in a
shelter, no fixed address or in an addiction
facility), and this year less than half of those who
registered, 43%, fell into this category. The
majority or 53 % were renting an apartment or
still living at home.
DROP-IN VISITS/INTERVENTIONS
During the period of this report, there
were 8,917 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. Our intervention statistics
are broken down into four categories, each with
several sub-categories:
1. Mental Health Services (abuse, anger
management, conflict resolution, decisionmaking, relationship management, mental
illnesses, self esteem, sexual assault, stress
management, substance misuse and suicide)
2. Physical Health Services (clothing, hygiene
and food assistance)
3. Life Skills Services (birth control, budgeting,
employment, family, general assistance, goal
setting, legal, parenting, pregnancy, safe sex,
school and “other”)
4. General Services (bus ticket and
identification assistance).
6
The Youth Program had over 150 youth access
the centre for counseling services. Combined
with the visits for the housing worker this
number increases significantly
(see housing report).
There were 926 interventions this past year
and when broken down, the majority fell into
two areas, “Life Skills” and “Mental Health”.
Combined, these two areas accounted for close
to 75% of the total non-housing interventions.
EVENING PROGRAM
funded through City of Greater Sudbury
and the United Way of Greater Sudbury
Emilly Fleming Evening Program Worker
Scott Chisnell Evening Program Worker
Tom Galloway Evening Program Worker
Pierre Lafleur Relief Evening Program Worker
Access to a warm, safe and non - judgmental
environment gets at-risk youth off the street and
provides a healthy alternative to misusing drugs
and/or alcohol. Youth are introduced to
positive role models and feel connected to
a support system that will help increase their
self-esteem and reduce their feelings of isolation.
The Evening Support Program is supported
by the City of Greater Sudbury, the United
Way and fundraising dollars from The Sudbury
Action Centre for Youth, and additional funds
from the FOCUS Community Project
The Evening Program provides support,
physical activity, education, fun activities and a
nutritious meal to street youth between the hours
of 4:00pm and 10:00pm. The Sudbury Food
Bank is also a valuable resource to this program,
assisting with the purchase of food for the meals.
This year, we had 3,431 visits to the evening
program. The Evening Program has provided a
variety of educational and recreational events
Continued
including sporting events, educational
workshops, billiard nights, “open nights”, new
release movie nights, video game nights, board
game nights; live music performance and jam
nights, and arts and crafts nights.
HOUSING SUPPORT PROGRAM
funded through the Homelessness Network,
City of Greater Sudbury
Kylie Raine, Housing Support Worker
The Sudbury Action Centre for Youth has
been actively involved in the planning and
coordination of services for individuals who are
homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless for
the past eight years. We are an active member of
the Homelessness Network and receive funding
from the City of Greater Sudbury, through this
network 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,
assisting in accessing social services such
as Ontario Works and Ontario Disability
Support Program (ODSP), accessing food and
clothing banks and, most importantly, works
with youth to address some of the underlying
issues of homelessness such as: lack of income,
poor budgeting, addictions, mental illness,
unemployment and more.
During the period covering April 1, 2008 to
March 31, 2009, the Housing Support
program serviced 834 unique clients and
families. The Housing Support Worker also
keeps track of number of visits, and in the last
year, the Housing Support program had
1,673 visits with the majority of the youth
coming for two or three visits per month. Most
of the Housing Support clients were absolutely
homeless with the remainder at-risk of being
homeless. With respect to income, the majority
were on social assistance (Ontario Works, ODSP
or Employment Insurance), only a small percent
were working or had no income what so ever.
For the first time, our Housing Support program has made a change in the clientele they
serve. In co-operation with the Homelessness
Network, our Housing Support Program has
begun working with youth 16 – 24 years of age
exclusively. This has allowed our housing worker
to spend more time with each individual client,
addressing those underlying issues in order for
the youth to remain housed successfully. The
Housing Support Worker is now available to go
out on home visits one afternoon a week to visit
with the youth in their home, thus being able to
evaluate those needs more effectively and provide
the one on one support that the youth require.
Finally, we distributed over 1,500 housing
lists from the Bargain Hunter, Red Cross and
local newspapers. Our Housing Support Worker
also made over 1,000 referrals to local shelters,
permanent housing, addictions, treatment, and
mental health organizations.
7
Report from the Youth Program
PEER MENTOR PROGRAM
funded through the United Way &
the FOCUS Community Project
Linette Fillipini, Peer Mentor Facilitator
Patrick Yule, Program Assistant
Kelly Richer Program Assistant
Derek Newman, Peer Mentor Facilitator
The youth who successfully completed this year’s
Peer Mentor Program were a determined and
focused group. 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.
8
The youth involved in this year’s group visited
out of centre locations during their training,
including the Sudbury and District Health Unit
Sexual Health Clinic. The community is actively
participating in the Peer Mentor
Program. We were visited by organizations
such as Sudbury and District Health Unit,
who conducted a workshop on Fetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorder and Access AIDS Network
who conducted a HEP C workshop.
The Peer Mentor Program is funded in part by
the United Way/Centraide of Sudbury and the
FOCUS Community Project of Sudbury and
District Health Unit. 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 the proud
recipient of the Donner Canadian Foundation
Award for Excellence in Counselling Services, and
was a finalist in this category in 2008
2008-2009 PEER MENTOR PROGRAM
GRADUATES AND PARTICIPANTS
Kevin Shawanda
Lisa Lively
Marc Vezeau
Leslie Kiddle
OTHER WORKSHOP ATTENDANCE
Evan Pieroway
Myles Madeau
Pat Dwyer
Jamie-Lee James
Christine McCulloch Josh Kana
AWARENESS PROGRAM
Funded through the Ontario Trillium Foundation
Lisa Toner Awareness Program Facilitator
Michael Fox Awareness Program Facilitator
The purpose of the Awareness Group Program
is to create a supportive, information group in
which youth are able to increase their awareness
in areas related to mental health as well as share
Continued from page 5
their concerns with other youth. The program’s
goal is to enhance the youths’ understanding
of their social, physical, spiritual, emotional
and economic aspects of life, and how these
factors affect their mental health. This is achieved
through weekly workshops, which are delivered
Wednesdays between 4:00 and 5:30 p.m. Because
of the youth-driven mandate of the centre, the
youth participants play a key role in the topics
that are discussed in these workshops.
Overall, the goals of the program consist of
the following:
1. to develop a support network for youth
experiencing mental health difficulties.
2. to increase communication and awareness
around youth and mental health issues.
3. to allow for early intervention in mental
health difficulties.
4. to help youth with mental health
concerns connect with each other and
their community.
5. to empower youth to help make life better
for themselves and their peers.
From April 2008 to March 2009, the Sudbury
Action Centre for Youth’s Awareness group has
had approximately two-hundred and seventyseven (277) participants. February 2009 was the
busiest month with a cumulative total of 26
participants throughout four (4) workshops
focusing on self-esteem, art therapy, “coming-out,”
a prominent GLBTTQ2 issue, and a
“community needs assessment” focus-group with a
representative from the YMCA.
Typically, group topics range from mental
disorders (such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, etc); coping skills (such as with stress,
family, school, and life in general); Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Queer, and
two-spirited (LGBTTQ2) issues; and cultural
affairs (such as Aboriginal healing). Ultimately,
every topic is rooted in mental health particularly
focusing on raising awareness of mental health
related issues and equipping the youth with the
skills and tools in order to promote an overall
sense of well-bring across the social, physical,
spiritual, emotional and economic aspects of life.
9
Skills Link
Skills Link
Skills Link Graffiti Removal Project
funded through Service Canada
and the United Way of Greater Sudbury
Carole Pilon-Manion Skills Link Project Coordinator
Pierre LaFleur Life Skills Coach
We had ten participants in the original
program which began in July. These ten young
people received training and support with
both employment skills and life skills through
onsite workshops and attendance at training
sessions offered by our community partners
including the YMCA, Sudbury Vocational
Resource Centre and onsite training through
the City of Greater Sudbury. Six of the
original ten participants completed the
program and gained valuable experience and
training including First Aid certification, fall
arrest and safety harness training, scissor lift
operation and air brush operation. Graffiti
removal occurred at seven City playground
sites, and two mural projects were completed
at the Eyre Playground and the United
Way wall at 105 Elm St. Repainting and
maintenance work was also completed over
the fall and winter months at various City
recreation locations.
10
A very successful Open House took place
with attendance by over 20 of our community
partners. The Skills Link participants also
assisted in cleaning and painting a mural
at the Green Stairs, and attending a City
Council meeting. The participants attended
many community events over the course of
the project, and their work became well known
throughout the community for the quality and
care shown.
Four additional participants took part in
the January – March 2009, in order to take
advantage of First Aid training, employment
and life skills workshops, and the formation of
transition plans. All four of these additional
participants completed their portion of the
program.
Over 90% of the participants were
homeless at the start of the project, with
over 90% of them obtaining and remaining
successfully housed by program completion.
All of the youth completed the project with
transitional plans with several pursuing full
time employment and one youth returning to
school for academic upgrading.
Support was received through many
community partners including other
organizations and private businesses and
funders. You are all listed on the recognition
page and we thank you for your support of this
very successful Skills Link project. Thanks
also to all of the youth who participated in this
Skills Link project for their hard work and
effort. You all did a great job.
Employment Program
Employment Program
Funded by: The Ministry of Training , Colleges
and Universities; Province of Ontario
Gerry Pauze, Program Coordinator
Ken Wallenius, Outreach Worker
Ingrid Dion, Office Manager
We, at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth
(SACY), 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.
Many of the employers (85%) are residential
home owners, with a majority of those being
senior citizens. This is due in large part to
the constant referrals from the Parkside
Seniors Centre, which is housed in the
YMCA downtown. The work that our clients
provide for these senior citizens is much more
than just a job. It is giving hope for many
who are retired to remain independent and
comfortable in their own homes. Whether
it’s grocery shopping, cleaning, gardening,
painting, shoveling snow or making sure their
grass is cut every two weeks or just someone to
talk to, the workers in the casual labour pool
have risen to the challenges and opportunities
that are presented every day with dedication
and professionalism second to none.
For the past twenty-three 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.
The worldwide economic downturn of late means
that the opportunities that are accessible at
SACY’s Employment program will be more of
an asset to those seeking help while in
between jobs.
During the period covering April 1, 2008
to March 31, 2009, there were 304 workers
registered in the Employment Program. Of
these 304 workers, more than half (63%) had
no income, 33% were homeless at the time of
registration, and 48% did not graduate high
school. Forty-five percent(45%) of the
workers registered in the casual labour pool are
twenty-five years or younger.
A total of 2,908 other interventions were
provided to workers through the employment
program. These included assistance in
securing housing, food, clothing, income, and
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Continued from page 11
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.
In addition to the residential homeowners
who hire our workers, we also provide services
to private contractors and small business
owners including other non-profit agencies for
a total of 600 employees. During the period
covering April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009, the
Employment Program placed a total of 3,888
workers in 2,892 casual labour jobs.
The Employment Program continues to
benefit from the ongoing generosity and
support of a caring community. We would like
to take this opportunity to thank Employment
Ontario, funded through the Ministry of
Training, Colleges and Universities, for their
ongoing support and commitment to helping
individuals gain skills leading to employment.
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 full-time employment, and provide
opportunities for casual labour jobs.
12
The Point
The Point
Funded through the Sudbury & District Health,
Unit, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
Doris Schwar, Program Coordinator
Satch Pearson, Harm Reduction Worker
Kelly Richer, Relief Worker
Patrick Yule, Relief Worker
At The Point, the past year has been exceptional.
A record number of needles were distributed
to injection drug users (IDUs), and a record
number of needles were returned for safe
disposal. Client contacts, however, remained
at the previous year’s high of 9,500, and more
new clients were attracted to the program.
While these increases may indicate some
increase in drug use and drug users in
Sudbury, they also indicate that more clients
are practicing risk reduction and are willing to
avail themselves of the wide variety of services
offered at The Point.
Many clients stay for coffee after exchanges,
and numerous clients drop in for support,
referrals, messages and other assistance. Since
our clients frequently have no telephone, they
use The Point as a contact telephone number
for medical appointments etc., and even as a
means to remain in contact with families.
Inevitably, clients who drop in to The Point for
purposes in addition to or other than needle
exchange will eventually attempt to reduce
their drug use or stop using entirely.
The drop-in component of the program is by
far the most time-consuming. Although the
program offers no formal counseling, it does
offer supportive listening. As clients develop
trust and rapport with staff, they reveal their
mental and physical health problems, housing
and financial needs, family and relationship
issues, practical problems such as a lack of birth
certificates, SIN and health cards, and legal
problems. Consequently, we frequently make
referrals to legal, health and social services.
250000
Needle Exchange
200000
150000
100000
50000
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
# Exchanges
Client Contacts 2005 to 2008
2005
2006
2007
2008
13
HIV/IDU Outreach Program
HIV/IDU Outreach Program
Funded through AIDS Bureau, Ministry of
Health and Long Term Care
Len Frappier, Program Coordinator
Emilly Fleming, Outreach Worker
Kelly Richer, Outreach Worker
Lisa Toner, Outreach Worker
14
It is important to understand the
characteristics of the clients we serve in order
to better meet their needs without judgement.
The client base consists of individuals who are
between the ages of 20 to 45. The majority are
females (71%) ; 25% identify themselves as
Aboriginal, 61% identify themselves as white
and 14% belong to another minority group,
approximately 28% suffer from some form
of mental health issue. A large majority have
not completed their high school, which makes
it hard to get employment and the nature of
their illness prevents them from becoming
employed. Those that do find jobs often cannot
keep them for long because they are in poor
health. For example, over 75% of the clients
we serve have Hepatitis C.
Other challenges our clients face are lack of
proper nutrition, and they may have a criminal
record mainly from non-violent crimes, such
as shoplifting, drug dealing, and prostitution.
Those in conflict with the law face further
challenges to make gains in the community
by the discrimination they face from the
potentially harmful choices in their life. The
majority of our clients do not have a family
doctor and or have lost their doctor due to
their drug illness.
The Sudbury District Health Council reports
that 26% of the population have reported
dysfunctional family relationships. Domestic
violence, single parenting and lack of financial
support leads to low self esteem and
inadequacy. Adults experience these emotional
feelings as do the children and the youth in
our community. It is estimated that a majority
of our clients do not have contact with their
family members. It is estimated that about half
the client base have been victims of some sort
of abuse and or neglect.
The most important challenge of the Outreach
Worker is to establish trusting relationships
with these clients to better serve their needs.
Outreach involves reaching out to clients at
sites where they tend to congregate. Examples
are The Point Drop In, bars, coffee shops,
parks, local malls, and any other place that they
may congregate. The HIV/IDU Outreach
Program has developed linkages with 626 new
clients and is recognized and trusted by the I
DU community.
During the period of this report, for the
services we offered, some National and
Provincial recognition have been received.
The IDU/HIV Outreach program was a
finalist for the 2008 Donner Canadian
Foundation Awards for Excellence in the
Continued
delivery of Social Services for Prevention and
Treatment of Substance Abuse, for the second
straight year. We were then presented with the
Jay Browne Living Legacy Award, from the
Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN),
in recognition of excellence, leadership and
innovation in the field of HIV/Aids Outreach
and advancing the work of community leaders.
We delivered the following program services in
2008/2009:
• Prepared and distributed packages
containing educational materials, condoms,
harm reduction kits, etc.
• Facilitated 18 education presentations
reaching 570 participants;
• Provided 320 referrals and accompanied
clients to their appointments;
eg. Hospital, Doctors, Clinics, Lawyers
and Family intervention
• Distributed 5,585 needle kits(10 per pack),
gave out 14,295 condoms and collected
35,025 used syringes off the streets.
• Provided counseling to 408 individuals and
education to 634 individuals
• Partnered with 24 other agencies in the
provision of direct services.
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Sturdy Roots, Major Donors
In 2008 Sudbury Action Center for Youth
received the following major gifts.
Intact Foundation, formerly known
as the ING Foundation, graciously
donated $10,000 to help fund our
drug awareness campaign. We thank
you from the the bottom of our hearts
for allowing us to develop a training
manual for the delivery of the youth
drug awareness presentations.
In 2008, Sport Chek and their “Power of
sport for kids program” donated sports
equipment and winter boots. Thank
you for keeping our spirits up and our
feet warm. The sports equipment will
allow all our youth to participate in
recreational sports activities at no
charge.
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Sturdy Roots, Donors and Community Supporters
Please support those who support us.
Community Support
Access Aids Network
Battlefield Equipment Rentals
C & A Steel
Citadel Holdings
City of Greater Sudbury
Claude Percy Playground Association
Costco - Sudbury
Desjardins Credit Union
Diocese of Algoma, ACW
Foyer Notre Dame
Grand & Toy Muirheads
Great Canadian Superstore - Sudbury
Greater Sudbury Hydro Plus Inc
Greater Sudbury Police Service
Sudbury & District Health Unit
INTACT - formerly ING Foundation
Jim’s Automotive
John Carl MacIsaac Foundation
Laurentian Basketball Coach (Shawn)
Levert Personnel Resource
M’Chigeeng First Nation
Northern Credit Union
Pavilion Family Resource
Pinecrest Public School
Raptor’s Foundation
Ruby’s Restaurant
Say Cedar (Shelter)
Senator Hotels Limited
S.E.S Consulting
Sport Chek - Sudbury stores
Stride Systems
St. Johns Ambulance (discount)
St. Peter’s United Church
Sudbury Community Service Centre
Sudbury
Sudbury Food Bank
Sudbury Provincial Liberal Association
Sudbury Vocational Resource Center
The Fleck Family Foundation
Trendsetters
Vale Inco
Volunteer Sudbury
Vrabs Independant Market
Our Funders
Federal
• Service Canada (Skills Link)
Provincial
• Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (Employment Program)
• Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
A) Sudbury and District Health Unit
(The Point - Needle Exchange)
B) AIDS Bureau
(IDU Outreach Program)
• The Ontario Trillium Foundation
(SACY Awareness Program)
Local
• The City of Greater Sudbury
(Youth Program Coordinator, Evening Drop In Program)
• The City of Greater Sudbury
Homelessness Network
(Housing Support Worker)
• The United Way - Greater Sudbury
(Evening Drop In Program,
Peer Mentor Program)
• FOCUS - Community Project
Sudbury & District Health Unit
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Recognition
Years of Service
Ken Wallenius - Youth Program Coordinator
5 years
Aileen & James Grassby Volunteer Appreciation Award
Youth
Wendy Hayward
Adult
Shawn Swords
Personal Achievement Award
Youth
Caitlin LaFrance
Harm Reduction
Lise Luckett
Employment Program
Ronald Luoma memorial award
(In honour of a long time client and volunteer, Ronald Luoma who passed away in 2008)
Darryl Dokis
Thanks to our Volunteers:
Janice Morton
Dorthy Thomson
Mary Donato Placement Students
Samantha Randerson
Ben Crawford
Francine Larochelle
Michael Fox
Sirpa Luolaja
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Marg Chorney
Anne Duval
Helen Duval
Anglé Thiffeault
Natasha Hill
Kelly Richer
Ping Ma
Special Events - 2008 Baseball and Billiards
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2008 Soccer
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