voices - Greater Vancouver Community Services Society

voices
S p r i n g
Special
points of
interest:

New Faces at
GVCSS in
Home
Support and
the Finance
Department

GVCSS
Goodie Boxes

A New Van
for
Community
Living

Safety and
Health Week
Photo
Contest!
Marion Longstaff Centre
Open House a Success
On Tuesday, January 11, 2011, GVCSS
held an open house to celebrate the
official inauguration of the Marion
Longstaff Centre. The occasion was
marked by speeches from GVCSS Board
President Lynn Carter, Home Support
Director Diana Hill, and Community
Health Worker Filomena Maljkovic,
commemorating the contributions of late
Home Support supervisor, Marion
Longstaff. The centre was officially
dedicated to Marion’s legacy with a
ribbon cutting performed by her mother
and Ms. Carter. Also in attendance were
GVCSS CEO, Ron McLeod, Marion’s
family members (sisters Ann, Gail and
Marion’s mother (centre) and GVCSS Board President Lynn Carter (left) cut the ribbon as Community
Health Worker Doreen Khosa (right) looks on.
Donna, nieces, and brother in law), and Judy Kelly, Operations Director, Vancouver Coastal
Health. Other attendees included CHWs, administrative staff, Vancouver Coastal Health
employees and some of Marion’s clients, totalling over 100 guests.
Inside this
issue:
Program
Profiles
2
Human
Resources
4
Health, Safety
and Wellness
5
New GVCSS
Green Team
section on back
page!
2 0 1 1
GVCSS Launching New
Website!
GVCSS is launching a new website,
updating our online presence to provide a
current overview of GVCSS’ programs,
services and activities. Designed by the
same group who created our new logo, Koch
Ink, the website will showcase our new look.
GVCSS’ new website will go live in early
April. We will announce its launch closer to
this time.
GVCSS Admin staff wore pink to the
office in support of Pink Shirt Day, an
anti-bullying initiative, on February 23.
For more updates on social events at
GVCSS, turn to page 3.
Page 2
Welcome to GVCSS, Alica
Alica Meza joins
GVCSS as
Administrative
Assistant.
Alica Meza has joined GVCSS as an Administrative Assistant to Home Support, Human
Resources and the Executive. Since starting at the beginning of February, Alica has
made a positive impression on her colleagues and the CHWs who come in regularly for
supplies or to have questions answered. She comes to us from another non-profit organization and is eager to put her clerical and relationship building skills to use in her new
capacity. We are thankful to have her on our team. Welcome Alica!
Isabel Sum to Join GVCSS as Home Support Operations Director
We are pleased to announce GVCSS’ new Director
of Home Support Operations, Isabel Sum, who will
be working in partnership with Home Support
Director, Diana Hill. Isabel comes to GVCSS with
13 years’ experience at Community Home Support
Services Association (CHSSA), where she is
currently leading their Home Support Department.
Isabel’s primary areas of responsibility at our
Agency will include preparing our monthly and
quarterly reports for our funders, Vancouver Coast
Health Authority (VCH), collaborating with Finance
regarding billings and collections, overseeing
CellTrak related issues, and analyzing our ability to
meet our required performance metrics set by the
funding authority.
We are fortunate to have secured someone with
Isabel’s vast expertise in Home Support to work
with us to continually improve our own
operations. In addition to her exceptional work
experience, Isabel also brings with her a
Masters Degree in Counseling, a Bachelor of
Arts, and several courses in the CGA
program.
Isabel will begin working at GVCSS on May
2nd. Please join us in giving her a warm
welcome when she arrives!
“New” Faces on the Nursing Team
The nursing team has
expanded this past year
with the hiring of Jolene
Luttmer, (left) Natalie
Wagner (centre), and
Kiran Ball (right).
Since last summer, GVCSS has welcomed
three new LPNs to the nursing team: Natalie
Wagner, Jolene Luttmer and Kiran Ball. They
join LPNs Jossie Opao, Eliza Lorenzo and Manager of Nursing Resources Vanda Clark, RN.
GVCSS Goodie Boxes
To all who participated in our 2010 GVCSS
Goodie Box event, we owe you a great big
―Thank You‖. Whether you participated through
delivery, stuffing or donating, your help was
greatly appreciated. This year we donated 300
goodie boxes to our most disadvantaged clients,
predominantly living in the Downtown Eastside,
our largest distribution to date.
GVCSS distributed about
300 Goodie Boxes this
holiday season.
This expansion allows the nursing team to
support GVCSS’ growing numbers of Community Health Workers in their delivery of high
quality care.
For the upcoming holiday season, we are aiming
to distribute 500 goodie boxes. Due to this
increased size, we will begin our donation drive a
little earlier this year and target suppliers directly
to secure donations of
personal care items, as opposed to approaching
individual stores as we have done in the past.
In addition to corporate sponsorship, we
continue to welcome your donations and will
initiate a formal drive later this year. The support
given by GVCSS employees for this event is
greatly appreciated by both the agency and our
clients who benefit from your generosity. The
GVCSS Goodie Box event continues to be a
rewarding experience which allows us to give
back to our community.
voices
Program Profiles
Page 3
Spring 2011
New Van for Community Living
Community Living is in need of new wheelchair vans for several of its group homes. GVCSS is
happy to announce that one has just been ordered! The new van is a Ford E350 which will be custom fitted to accommodate three wheelchairs and three passengers. It will be ready to drive this
June. This van will be for Williams Road group home.
GVCSS would like to thank several donors who have contributed to the purchase of this van: The
Illich Foundation, CIBC, and the McLean Foundation. We would like to express our gratitude and
appreciation to these organizations for their generosity.
Williams Road group home
residents Jude (centre) and
Tom (left) inspect the
model van.
Community Living Sports Fans
There are many sports fans in the Community
Living program. Recently, several Steveston
group home residents enjoyed a Vancouver
Giants hockey game. And as the hockey
season comes to a close, Community Living
sports fans are gearing up for football season
with the BC Lions.
Jonathon met the BC Lions’ mascot
last September.
Angelo, Ed (staff), Jonathon, and Andy
enjoyed a Vancouver Giants hockey
game on March 6.
Mark Your Calendar: Events at GVCSS
came out to enjoy a wonderful evening
complete with dancing and prizes. We
hope you all had a great time!
Staff enjoyed
an evening of
dancing and
mingling with
their fellow
coworkers at
the holiday
party this past
December.
The GVCSS Social Committee is now
planning this year’s party. Thank you to
the 74 GVCSS staff who completed the
holiday party suggestion form. The
results are in and the social committee
has used your feedback to decide on the
date and venue. So mark your
calendars, the date is set! The GVCSS
Holiday Party will be held on December
3 at the Century Plaza hotel. More
details will follow closer to the date.
GVCSS Holiday Party
The GVCSS Holiday party was attended
by over 125 people on December 21,
2010 at the Heritage Hall on Main
Street. Thank you to all of you who
GVCSS Bake Sale:
Holiday Party Fundraiser
The GVCSS Social Committee is
please to announce its first fundraising
event, a bake sale at Head Office on
April 21 from 10am—2pm. Proceeds
from this bake sale will go towards
expenses for the GVCSS Holiday
Party in December.
If you are interested in helping with
the bake sale, please call Laura
Johnson at 604 714-3517.
Holiday Party Suggestion Form Results:

51 out of 74 employees prefer a December party

40 prefer a hotel as the venue

34 employees would pay at least $25 for a ticket

50 are willing to help fundraise for the party
Program Profiles
Page 4
Shane Holland, Chief Financial Officer
By Ron McLeod, CEO
Shane Holland,
MBA, CMA joins
GVCSS as the
new Chief
Financial Officer.
I am very pleased to announce that GVCSS has recruited and hired a permanent Chief Financial
Officer, Mr Shane Holland, who has been working here as the Interim Finance Director since
February. He will be officially taking over as CFO on March 21st. Prior to joining our Agency,
Shane played a key role on the financial management team at VANOC, where he was Director,
Value in Kind and Sponsorship Revenue from 2006 – 2010. He was primarily responsible for
securing funds and in-kind sponsorships for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which
involved building effective relationships with governmental, corporate and community
stakeholders. In addition to his exceptional and challenging work experiences, Shane also brings
with him a Master’s degree in business administration and a professional designation in
management accounting (CMA).
As GVCSS continues to expand in size and complexity, we see the growing need for the role of a
results-driven chief financial officer to prudently manage significant revenue streams and
expenditures, while also handling a myriad of financial and reporting requirements that are
associated with operating a major non-profit charitable organization.
We are fortunate to have someone with Shane’s credentials and proven commitment to lead our
Finance Department at this critical point of organizational development and change. I am
confident that his leadership skills will serve the Agency well as we seek to find operating
efficiencies while exploring new program opportunities to meet the needs of our clients.
Please join me in congratulating Shane on his new position.
Clarence Chan joins GVCSS for Six Month Contract
Join us in welcoming
these new employees to
GVCSS
HOME SUPPORT
Kiran Ball
LPN
Community Health
Workers:
Rahimeh Samadani—
ECPM
Nardos Tadesse—ECPM
Helene Bergeron
Chisholm - ECPM
COMMUNITY LIVING
Community Living
Workers
Faizudden Faizi (formerly
of Home Support)
Clarence Chan has been appointed to a six month temporary position as an
Accounting Assistant in the finance department effective February 1st. He will be
helping us with accounting functions such as payroll, accounts payable/
receivables, and other general accounting duties in the department. Please give
Clarence a warm welcome when you see him in the office.
Clarence Chan joins as
temporary Accounting
Assistant.
Healthy Eating In Service
Thank you to everyone who attended this workshop. We were fortunate to have Diana Steele from
Global TV’s Noon News Hour speak to us about healthy eating. She gave us the following valuable
tips:






pre-plan meal and snack ideas on your days off
chop and portion your vegetables the same day you go grocery shopping to ensure you have
your veggies ready for the whole week.
shop for groceries weekly and go on a full stomach to prevent unnecessary impulse purchases.
know what food ingredients are and what they mean
when comparing two items, pick out foods with less fat and less sodium. Try to buy items with 0
trans fat, under 2 g of fat, higher than 2 g fiber and under 8 g sugar.
eat regular meals and snacks and know the appropriate portions of the meals that we are
eating.
Diana has provided some handouts available either in the reception area at GVCSS or electronically by email. Please contact Harjinder if you would like a copy. For more information about Diana
Steele, you can visit her website at www.eatingforenergy.com.
Karen Foster, CHRP
Director of Human Resources
Employee relations
604 714-3508
voices
Laura Johnson
HR and Operations Officer
Newsletter, EPP, Web site Access
604 714-3517
Harjinder Dhatt
Human Resources Assistant
Recruitment, Benefits
604 714-3505
Human Resources
Page 5
Spring 2011
Home Support Joint Occupational Safety and
Health Committee: Here to Serve You
The Home Support Joint Occupational Health and Safety (HS JOSH) Committee
would like you to know about their important work. Meeting every once a month, their
goal is to raise awareness of health and safety concerns, and promote workplace
safety. The HS JOSH Committee is formed by members of management and
Community Health Workers.
The HS JOSH has several responsibilities:


examine recent accidents and determine how they could have been prevented,
or how they can be prevented in the future.
gain employee interest in health and safety issues through initiatives such as
organizing safety contests, or discussing safety-related issues in the newsletter.
If you are Interested in Joining the Home Support JOSH
committee or have an issue
you’d like to be addressed,
please contact one of the
members:
Chau - 778-839-6417
Manuel - 778-883-6515
Please feel free to read HS JOSH meeting minutes which are posted on the JOSH
bulletin board near the reception-area.
Filomena - 604-434-5877
The HS JOSH is looking for new members. If you are interested in joining the Home
Support JOSH Committee, please contact one of our members for more information.
Jill - 604-722-5502
Rewarding Work in
the Downtown
Eastside
Submitted by Jill Winott, Community Health Worker and
Home Support JOSH Committee member
―Poorest Postal Code in the Country‖, ―Feds to Close
INSITE‖, ―Pain and Wasting‖: these negative headlines
are often found in newspapers describing Vancouver’s
Downtown Eastside (DTES), creating a picture of a
community to be feared. Yes, the DTES has many
challenges, but as Community Health Workers, we
need to see beyond the media’s fear focus; working in
this community can be a lot of fun as well as extremely
fulfilling, and safe.
I have always found that wearing my GVCSS ID card
was biggest asset I have. People see your ID and they
come up to you and ask ―are you a street nurse‖? Say
―no, I’m a Home Support Worker‖ and be prepared to
hear ―my sister (or brother, friend or neighbour etc.) has
a care worker‖. Your ID is your medal of honour, and
security passport. No one messes with us, we are
valued. Remember that hyped up headlines sell
newspapers. Sometimes the humanity and fact is better
(and more true) than the fiction.
Photo Contest:
The Worst Unsafe
Situation
It’s Safety and Health Week from May 1—7, 2011. To mark
the occasion, the Home Support JOSH Committee is
excited to present our new contest titled, The Worst Unsafe
Situation. As the name suggests, we would like YOU to
come up with the WORST unsafe situation that you can
think of that our workers may encounter, or you have
previously encountered yourself.
This contest is open to all GVCSS employees, in all
programs/departments. Be creative, and think outside-thebox! Our only rule is that these photos CANNOT be taken in
client’s homes; therefore, you will have to create a reenactment of an unsafe scenario that you have observed,
know of, or can think of. The pictures can be hand-drawn, or
taken with a camera. The Home Support JOSH Committee
will choose a lucky winner who will win a fabulous prize and
bragging rights! The winning photo will also be profiled in
the next issue of the newsletter. Submissions are due on
April 15, 2011.
Healthy, Safety and Wellness
Thank You From Rosemarie and Herlan
On December 12, new Community Health Worker Rosemarie Salvador’s home and possessions were destroyed when her
apartment building was set on fire. Since then, with the help of the generous donations made by GVCSS employees, Rosemarie
and her husband Herlan have been able to get back on their feet and settle into a new apartment. They have written the following
message of gratitude:
We want to express our appreciation for your generosity and support. Your personal
commitment was incredibly helpful and allowed us to start again, your assistance
means so much to us. You’ve lifted a huge weight off of our shoulders and because of
your help you’ve motivated me and my husband in starting our lives over again. We
are very blessed to have so many people care about our disaster and we would like to
thank God that we have people as generous as you. Again, thank you so much….
This picture shows the
Salvador’s apartment ablaze
during a December fire.
-Rosemarie and Herlan Salvador
New Feature! Go Green with the GVCSS Green Team:
Earth Hour:
Saturday, March 26
from 8:30pm to 9:30pm
GVCSS Green Team
GVCSS has formed a special
committee called the GVCSS
Green Team, which will find
ways to reduce and track our
agency’s carbon output. The
Green Team is currently working
with Gobi, makers of carbon
management solution Gobi Soft,
to identify our environmental
objectives and to develop and
implement our action plan.
This is a very exciting initiative for
GVCSS. Stay tuned for more
information on how GVCSS and its
employees can take action to
protect the environment.
Don’t forget to switch off the lights on
Saturday night and join the millions
around the world who are taking part
in this global event to take a stand
against climate change.
For more information, visit
www.earthhour.org
Greater Vancouver Community Services
Society (GVCSS) is a non-profit agency
represented in several different municipalities
– Vancouver, Richmond and North Vancouver
and currently offers two types of services:
Home Support Services, and Community
Living Services.
Suite 500
1212 West Broadway
Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3V1
Phone: 604.737.4900
Fax: 604.737.2922
[email protected]
The goals of the Society are to offer and
operate a comprehensive program of
assistance to the elderly, the physically and
developmentally disabled and other socially
disadvantaged people in the community, and
to promote community involvement and
cooperation.