2014-2015 - Saskatoon Open Door Society

Transcription

Saskatoon Open Door Society
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT
CONTENts
1 M
essage from the
Board of Directors
2 M
essage from the
Executive Director
3 A
udited Financial
Statements
6 Human Resources
7 Employment Services
9 S ettlement & Family
Support Services
12 Settlement &
Community Support
Services
17 Language Training &
Daycare Services
Our Mission
The Saskatoon Open Door Society exists to welcome and assist refugees
and immigrants to become informed and effective participants in Canadian
society, and to involve the Saskatoon community in their hospitable reception
and just acceptance.
Our Vision
Saskatoon is a multi-cultural community where newcomers enjoy full
participation in its economic, social, intellectual and cultural life because of
the work of Open Door in collaboration and partnership with others.
Our Values
18 Newcomer Information
Centre
We believe that:
19 Message from a Client
• People should be provided with the opportunity to make their own
decisions.
20 Did you know?
• The development and delivery of Society services should involve members
of the larger Saskatoon community.
• A holistic approach to service delivery will best meet people’s needs.
• A community that is well informed about refugee and immigrant services
will provide a welcoming environment.
• Mutually beneficial interaction among people of different cultural
backgrounds is the most effective means of developing respect for cultural
diversity.
• There is one race – the human race – and all its members have the right to
equality of opportunity.
2014–2015 Annual Report
1
Message from the Board of Directors
Saskatoon Open Door Society has been a
pioneer service provider for newcomers
since 1980 and continues to be one of
the most vital organizations, providing
exceptional settlement services in
Saskatoon. During the past year, Open
Door has welcomed and assisted
refugees and immigrants with their
resettlement requirements in Saskatoon
from over 97 countries, including the
Philippines, Pakistan, India, China, Eritrea,
Bangladesh, Somalia, Nigeria, Congo and
Bhutan.
During the past year, as part of our
mandate, we undertook a substantial
amount of work at the Board level, along
with the management team, to build on
the existing framework and to further
develop a strategic plan to move forward
and provide better services for our
clients.
Saskatoon Open Door Society has
worked to foster and maintain strong
partnerships and to cultivate support
from our funders and partners at the
municipal, provincial and federal level.
We have also extended our connection
with local businesses and were able
to engage our community in a more
profound and substantial manner,
which provided an opportunity for
both newcomers and the residents
of Saskatoon to have a better
understanding and appreciation of one
another.
We are fortunate to work with a
dedicated and enthusiastic staff who
have shown year after year their
ability to advance the mission of
this organization and to become the
model service provider in Canada. We
also acknowledge and appreciate our
committed volunteers for giving a
significant amount of their valuable time
to assist and welcome newcomers to
Saskatoon.
On behalf of the Board, I would like to
thank all of our partners and funders
for their commitment to and support of
Saskatoon Open Door Society.
President, Board of Directors
Haidah Amirzadeh
2013–2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Name
Position
Committee
Haidah Amirzadeh
President
Ex-Officio
George Rathwell
Vice-President
Public Awareness & Fundraising
Gholam Alaie
Member
Human Resources, Governance
Dr. David McGrane
Member
Governance (Chair)
Gale Hagblom
Member
Human Resources (Chair), Public Awareness & Fundraising
Naveed Anwar
Member
Audit and Finance, Public Awareness & Fundraising
Mildred Kerr
Member
Human Resources, Public Awareness & Fundraising
Usha Kapoor
Member
Audit and Finance, Human Resources
Diego Monteiro
Member
Audit and Finance (Chair)
Muveddet Al-Katib
Member
Public Awareness & Fundraising (Chair)
Derek Tannis
Member
Governance
Mahfam Janbakhsh
Member
Governance, Human Resources
2
Message from the Executive Director
The 2014-2015 fiscal year has been
another year of immense change, but as
I said last year, change is good. Our year
can best be described as one filled with
many successes and a few challenges.
Programming and services continue to
be reviewed and updated as required
with an eye on providing what our clients’
need to become settled and integrated
members of our community. I encourage
you to read this Annual Report to
familiarize yourself with those details.
Saskatoon and Saskatchewan continue
to be beacons of opportunity for
Newcomers to Canada and attractive
places for Immigrants to call “Home”.
Our economy is strong and diversified,
resulting in a province and a city that
continue to “Shine”. Saskatoon and
Saskatchewan both have some of the
lowest unemployment rates within the
country, offering many new and exciting
opportunities for our clients. As a result,
our organization serves an ever increasing
number of refugees and immigrants, who
continue to ask for increased services
related to settlement and integration.
During 2014-2015, our Board of Directors
continued to focus their efforts on Policy
and Strategic Planning initiatives. In the
fall, a decision was taken by the Board
to hire a third party service provider to
assist the Board with both a review of
Governance/Policy as well as Strategic
Planning. Both of these initiatives are
ongoing with expected completion
dates near early fall. Once complete, our
challenge will be to make the Strategic
Plan a living document that guides our
annual planning as well as provides both
short and long term planning direction.
Tangible changes related to business
operations continue to be made thanks,
in part, to the dogged determination of
our management team. Sustainability of
service has been enhanced through two
large projects that have been completed
as a result of funding support garnered
from our main funder. The first project
was the replacement of our servers at
both our First and Third Avenue locations
as well as supporting IT changes. This
change has resulted in increased speed
within our network system as well as
other efficiencies related to data transfers
and storage. For the most part, our IT
network and supporting services are now
cutting edge technologies that will serve
our organization well for the next five
years.
The second project that has had a
dramatic impact on our capacity to
function was the replacement of our
phone system. Thanks again to our
main funder for supporting this change.
Our new phone system uses advanced
technologies that will serve us well for the
next number of years.
It goes without saying that our
organization is a people organization
where the main focus of our efforts is on
continuing to support Settlement and
Integration initiatives for refugees and
immigrants who make Saskatoon home.
To this end, I want to thank our staff for
their continued dedication and hard
work. Our success is directly connected
to their daily efforts. Your efforts have
not gone unnoticed by both our Board
of Directors and the community at large.
Thank you for this commitment. As a side
note, I also want to acknowledge and
thank the efforts of SGEU, Local 5291 on
the signing of our two year Collective
Bargaining Agreement. Open, honest,
transparent discussion is always a great
way to develop deep understandings.
Near the end of this report, you will find
more details outlining other changes that
have taken place. None of these changes
would have happened without the
continued support of our funders, along
with the efforts of many staff. For this, I
am thankful.
On a personal note, I want to thank each
and every member of our volunteer
Board of Directors for their ongoing
commitment, support, guidance and
advice. Your wisdom has resulted in many
bold changes to Governance and Policy,
as well as Strategic Planning that will
guide us as we move forward.
Phil Anton
Executive Director,
3
May 30, 2015
Report of the Independent Auditor on the Summary Financial Statements
To the Members of the
Saskatoon Open Door Society Inc.
The accompanying summary financial statements, which comprise the summary statement of financial
position as at March 31, 2015 and the summary statement of revenue and expenses for the year then
ended are derived from the audited financial statements of Saskatoon Open Door Society Inc. for the year
ended March 31, 2015. We expressed an unmodified audit opinion on those financial statements in our
report dated May 30, 2015.
The summary financial statements do not contain all of the disclosures required by Canadian accounting
standards for not-for-profit organizations. Reading the summary financial statements, therefore, is not a
substitute for reading the audited financial statements of Saskatoon Open Door Society Inc.
Management’s responsibility for the summary financial statements
Management is responsible for the preparation of a summary of the audited financial statements on the
basis described in the note to the summary financial statements.
Auditor’s responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the summary financial statements based on our procedures,
which were conducted in accordance with Canadian Auditing Standard 810, Engagements to Report on
Summary Financial Statements.
Opinion
In our opinion, the summary financial statements derived from the audited financial statements of
Saskatoon Open Door Society Inc. for the year ended March 31, 2015 are consistent, in all material
respects, with those financial statements, on the basis described in the note to the summary financial
statements.
Chartered Accountants
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
128 4th Avenue South, Suite 600, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7K 1M8
T: +1 306 668 5900, F: +1 306 652 1315
“PwC” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership.
4
Summary Statement of Financial Position
As at March 31, 2015
2015
$
2014
$
945,441
300,000
559,636
20,854
85,940
1,384,743
221,331
25,790
22,500
1,911,871
1,654,364
443,569
225,925
2,355,440
1,880,289
478,304
348,738
338,283
351,545
827,042
689,828
419,553
191,195
1,246,595
881,023
702,990
24,016
381,839
702,990
34,730
261,546
1,108,845
999,266
2,355,440
1,880,289
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Term deposit
Accounts receivable
Prepaid expenses and deposits
Deposit on building
Equipment and leasehold improvements
Liabilities and Net Assets
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Deferred revenue
Deferred contributions related to equipment and leasehold
improvements
Net assets
Unappropriated surplus
Equity in equipment and leasehold improvements
Internally restricted reserves
Commitments and contingency
5
Summary Statement of Revenue and Expenses
For the year ended March 31, 2015
2015
$
2014
$
2,020,240
1,492,826
1,213,145
1,034,071
579,143
514,855
443,157
351,055
316,123
125,212
125,707
65,958
53,677
66,534
48,572
1,322,739
1,201,853
961,991
955,000
511,835
392,075
372,797
299,007
292,772
232,033
190,975
127,088
107,170
55,686
53,262
44,340
8,450,275
7,120,623
Salaries and benefits
Occupancy
Fees
Consumables
Training
Communication
Information technology support
CIC temporary accommodations
Equipment rental and repairs
Transportation
Goods and services tax (non-refundable portion)
Security
Other
6,216,324
637,930
461,038
246,371
162,835
140,748
101,321
93,077
52,088
47,851
29,668
26,338
-
5,486,233
552,988
273,283
200,297
114,517
100,016
107,111
46,666
13,736
49,028
26,996
23,368
20,525
Amortization
8,215,589
125,107
7,014,764
92,966
8,340,696
7,107,730
109,579
12,893
Revenue
Language Instruction for Newcomers (LINC)
Settlement Support Workers in Schools (SSWIS)
Needs Assessment, Referral and Support (NARS)
Childcare Division (CD)
Can Sask Career and Employment (CANSASK)
Labour Market Participation Program (LMPP)
Resettlement Assistant Program (RAP)
Newcomer Information Centre (NIC)
Can Sask (TELMA)
Enhanced Language Training (ELT)
Other
Provincial Language Training (PLT Stage 1)
Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)
Settlement Advisor (AEEL)
United Way of Saskatoon and Area
English for Employment (E4E)
SK Immigrant Settlement Assistance Grant (SISAG)
Expenses
Excess of revenue over expenses
Note to Summary Financial Statements
March 31, 2015
The summary financial statements are derived from the complete audited financial statements, prepared in accordance with Canadian accounting
standards for not-for-profit organizations as at March 31, 2015 and for the year ended March 31, 2015.
The preparation of these summary financial statements requires management to determine the information that needs to be reflected in the
summary financial statements so that they represent a fair summary of the audited financial statements.
These summary financial statements have been prepared by management using the following criteria:
a)
to ensure that information in the summary financial statements is in agreement with the related information in the complete audited
financial statements; and
b)
to ensure that the summary financial statements contain the information necessary to not be misleading.
The complete audited financial statements are available on the Saskatoon Open Door Society Inc. website at:
http://www.sods.sk.ca/AboutUs/AnnualReports.
6
HUMAN RESOURCES
As always, Human Resources was very
busy in 2014. We hired a total of 66 new
staff members. This was due to positions
becoming available via resignations,
leaves of absences (maternity, medical and
other), summer programs, and temporary
positions. We had a total of 169 employees
in 2014 (7 were on leaves of absence).
Human Resources continues to work
in collaboration with SGEU and its
representatives to resolve issues before
they become grievances. Employees and
management are encouraged to work with
each other to resolve issues so that they do
not reach the grievance stage.
In 2014, we honored our hardworking,
loyal employees at our Annual Staff
Appreciation event. At this event, we
awarded one (1) 20 year long service
award, three (3) 15 year long service
awards, one (1) 10 year long Service award,
and six (6) 5 year long service awards to
our employees.
# of Active
Employees
Employees
on LOA
New Staff
Hired
Finance & Administration
9
2
5
Settlement & Family Support
23
0
5
Settlement &
Community Support
26
2
14
Employment Services
20
1
8
Language Training
38
0
19
Daycare
37
2
10
Newcomer Information Centre
4
0
2
Management
7
0
3
164
7
66
Unit
Total
Did You Know?
We had 66 job postings (internal
and external) in the 2014 fiscal
year and have 4 postings for the
2015 fiscal year so far…
Top: Human Resources Staff 2015
Bottom: Staff Appreciation Awards October 2014
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
Partnering with Employers to Build Saskatoon’s Future Workforce
Telling it by the Numbers
3 WEconnect Job Fairs
42 employers and over 1,000 potential
employees at each job fair
50 partnerships with employers and
community organizations
200 clients supported through the
credential recognition process
507 newcomers employed
A Doctor for Davidson
“I am so glad and delighted to let you know that I have obtained my
Canadian medical practicing licence. I have been posted to Davidson. I love
it here and hope to settle here long term, so long as my husband also finds
work,” Olamipo says.
“I’m part of a hiring committee at the clinic and the resume and interview
skills that I gained at the Open Door Society have given me the confidence
and ability to screen resumes and participate in the interviewing of potential
employees.”
Over 4,000 services provided to over
1,000 newcomers
Working with Employers—
a Winning Combination
Saskatoon is experiencing the fastest job
growth in Canada and possibly North
America with 8,000 new jobs in 2014 and
over 47,000 in the past six years. During
the same time period, the number of
newcomers arriving in Saskatoon has more
than tripled.
Employment Services is now working
directly with employers to help fill
vacancies. Through counselling,
workshops and training programs,
our staff help bridge the gap between
newcomers who are looking for a job
and employers who are looking for more
employees so that they can work at full
capacity.
Employers’ willingness to hire newcomers
has a huge impact on our community.
Employers are not simply providing an
individual with a job. They’re giving
families a chance to establish a new life
in a new country. They’re giving children
a chance to obtain a good education.
They’re building a new customer
community with motivated workers
and global expertise. It’s a winning
combination.
The staff of the Employment Services Unit contribute their expertise and
enthusiasm to bridge the gap between newcomers looking for a job and
employers looking for skilled, dedicated workers.
Employment
Services Employer
Appreciation event
Saskie the Saskatoon
Open Door Society
Employment
Services Mascot with
Youth Employment
Connection clients
7
8
Four New Programs
One Step at a Time
Employer Connections
Individual employment counselling
helped “Bianca” set a realistic
employment goal and make childcare
arrangements. She has now obtained
a full-time entry-level position as well
as a second, part-time job with a wellrecognized Canadian company that
uses some of her professional skill set
and pays $25 an hour. We also assisted
“Bianca” with the credential assessment
process for her university degree. Once
this is complete, she plans to pursue a
professional position in her field.
Working directly with local businesses
(hospitality/fast food services, customer
service, financial services, security
guard, general labour) to address labour
shortages
• Occupation-specific skills training
• Industry-specific language training
• Resume and interview preparation
• Pre-screening of candidates
• Mentoring in workplace culture and
values
Self-Assisted Services Centre Drop-in
centre: access to computers and internet
for job search; employment-related
printing, phone and fax services
Weekly workshops: job search skills,
cover letter writing, resume writing,
interview practice
English for Employment
Language training to assist newcomers
in expressing themselves clearly and
confidently in the workplace
“I am so appreciative of the
services you provided. You have
had a significant positive impact
on the life of my family.”
“Anastasia” came to the
Employment Service Unit in
great distress. A widow with four
dependent children, she was
struggling to raise them and
Other Employment Services’
Programs
find employment. We taught
Skills-4-Work—assisting newcomers to
find employment in line with their skills
and education
search and helped her create a
Life and Employment Enhancement
Program—developing the skills needed
to obtain and maintain employment
for a Standard First Aid and CPR
Youth Employment Connections—
educating newcomer youth on how to
access the local labour market
her how to do a Canadian job
strong resume that reflected her
skills. We provided full funding
course so that she would be
competitive in the labour market.
She secured a full-time, higher
than minimum wage position
with health benefits.
Individual Career & Case Management
Services
WEconnect Job Fair
Providing guidance to clients during
the professional credential recognition
process and individualized employment
counselling for clients with multiple
barriers to employment
Thank You
9
SETTLEMENT & FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES
Resettlement Assistance
Program (RAP)
Needs Assessment, Referral
and Support (NARS)
RAP is the initial settlement and support
services provided to refugees within the
first six weeks of arriving in Saskatoon.
This program serves a wide variety of
newcomers to Saskatoon, including
permanent residents, during the first
three years of arrival to Canada. Our
experienced counsellors, who are
often newcomers themselves, have
an understanding of the difficulties in
adjusting to a new home.
• We assisted 192 refugees from 15
different countries including: Eritrea,
Bhutan, Sierra Leone, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Iraq, Ethiopia,
Somalia, Myanmar, Cuba, Syria, Burundi,
Iran, Pakistan, Lebanon and Sudan.
• We now lease 3 apartments to welcome
Government Assisted Refugees through
the RAP program.
Refugee
Assitance
Program
client 2015
Highlights:
• NARS Staff provided direct settlement
services to 7,023 clients, providing
34,190 additional supports and referrals.
• To better serve the needs of our
21% Eritrea
6%
clients, staff participated in various
21% Somaliaworkshops
5%
professional development
in areas including:
Settlement
10% Iraq
4%
Practitioner Training through AAISA:
10% Syria
3%
2D Module Settlement and Transition
6% New
Ethiopia
Processes, Building
Relationships 8%
6%Newcomers,
Sudan Webinar
First Nations and
Seminar on Influences on Pre-natal
Brain Development, Nobody’s Perfect re:
Number of Arrivals per Country
New Clients
The following chart represents the countries
of origin:
75
An
75
Ar
60
Su
55
W
Bhutan
42
Sp
D.R. Congo
40
Hu
37
M
33
Co
33
Da
25
Sc
23
Cr
20
Dr
15
Ra
12
Yo
10
Yo
Iran
Sierra
Leone
Clients
receiving a Needs, Assessment, Referral and
Support service
Other
Returning Clinents
2%
1%
1%
1%
4000
87
Flute Building (YEW)
75
Annual Youth Conference
75
Arts (YEW)
60
Summer Camp Referrals
1000
55
Woodworking (YEW)
0
42
Spoken Word Art (YEW)
6% Bhutan
21% Somalia
5% D.R. Congo
10% Iraq
4% Iran
10% Syria
3% Sierra Leone
6% Ethiopia
8% Other
Total Clients
957 Yo
w
139 Sports Referrals
118 Youth Hosting Youth
2000
2010/11
40
Human Rights Club (YEW)
2011/12
2012/13
37
2013/14
2014/115
Marathon Training & Race
This table shows the increase
of Intake, Kitchen
Information
33 Collective
(YEW)and Referrals services over the past
three fiscal years
33 Dancing (YEW)
6% Sudan
8000
Fl
5000
21% Eritrea
Returning Clinents
87
Cuba
Packistan
Burundi
Lebanon
147 Girls Only Swimming
3000
Total Clients
139 Sp
2%
1%
1%
1%
3% Myanmar
Cuba
Packistan
Burundi
Lebanon
147 Gi
118 Yo
167 Summer Youth Activities
6000
167 Su
3% Myanmar
8000
7000
New Clients
Qualification Training, Perspectives and
Pathway: Global Health Conference
Immigrant and Refugee Health,
Understanding and Working with
Sexually Exploited or Trafficked Children
and Youth Part I and II, The Mindfulness
Counselling Strategies, Webinar: Mental
Health of Immigrant and Refugee
Children in Canada.
25
School Buddy
23
Creating Youth Culture
20
Drumming (YEW)
15
Race Against Racism (YEW)
12
Youth Café
10
Youth Digital Storytelling
10
Family Programs
• F amily Programs focus on education
and support and consist of the following
Parenting and Nutrition Programs:
Nobody’s Perfect, Parent Talk, Food for
Thought, Pre-Natal Hospital Tours.
FAMILY
PROGRAMS
=
Case
consultation
Family
support
• Parenting: Bond to Literacy, Roots of
Empathy, Newcomer Workshops, Cross
Cultural Parenting, Getting Together.
• Women’s Supportive Group and
Women’s Creative Club.
• Immigrant Men’s Group and Men’s
Recreation Club.
• Case Management.
Attendees at the Empowing Women
event held in September 2014.
+
Women’s &
Men’s Support
Programs
+
Parenting
& Nutrition
Education
Programs
11
Men’s Support Program
clients December 2014
Highlights:
• Family, Parenting and Nutrition staff saw
2,149 clients (new and returning) and
provided 6,470 services.
• Case Management and Family Support
programs actively provided support
and counselling to 80 clients who were
experiencing multiple and complex
issues in their life.
• 73 new clients attended the Immigrant
Women Support Group which offers
a chance for women to share their
experiences, make new friends, and
learn about resources. Educational
sessions built around arts and crafts
also stimulates women’s creativity and
guides them to explore their potential.
•W
omen’s Support Programs hosted two
Immigrant Women’s Events and more
than 150 women attended.
• T he Men’s Support Program supports
immigrant men in their process of
cultural transition in Canada. There are
two components to the program; a
weekly cooking class that incorporates
educational discussions and information
workshops with guest speakers and a
weekly recreational session. During this
fiscal year, 102 new clients attended the
Men’s Support Programs.
•M
en’s Support Program hosted their
first Immigrant Men’s Event and 133 men
attended the event.
Translation services
In 2014-15, Translation and Interpretation
Coordinating Services provided 2,037
translation and interpretation services
to our clients and to the Saskatoon
community. The following chart provides
the information on services in more detail:
Services
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
MAR
Total
Document
Translation
83
60
99
127
126
141
123
93
111
79
86
70
1198
Interpretation
32
53
60
73
54
53
71
99
104
95
63
82
839
Total
115
113
159
200
180
194
194
192
215
174
149
152
2037
12
SETTLEMENT & Community SUPPORT SERVICES
Community Connections
Programs
Program
New Clients
New
Volunteers
Community Connections programs
aim to create an inclusive community,
to connect newcomer families with the
local host communities and ultimately, to
enrich lives. Approximately 300 talented,
energetic and dedicated volunteers
contribute more than 24,000 hours of
service to ensure the success of each
program.
Community Mentoring
113
31
Community Host
43
7
Conversation Circles
89
37
One-on-One Tutoring
13
18
Other (Community Garden, Collective
Kitchen, Seniors’ Programming)
n/a
29
Highlights:
Seniors Programming
8
n/a
• As part of SaskCulture’s Culture Days
in the fall, we held a Celebrating our
Cultural Diversity event. This event was
chosen to be advertised in a national ad
campaign in the Globe and Mail.
Volunteer Connections
67
46 new agencies
Youth Study Group
270
42
Total
603
164
• Staff organized the children’s section of
Prairie Prism, a local event attended by
more than 1,000 people.
• As part of its Connecting Our Cultural
Communities activity, a celebration of
culture was held in March. This event
was funded in part by the City of
Saskatoon and featured cultural displays,
activities, entertainment and food. It was
also attended by more than 200 people.
• Several social and educational events
were held including a tour of the
Enchanted Light Forest & Winter Social,
A Cup of Tea Educational event, Hello
Neighbour event, two Clotheslines
in partnership with Hampton Free
Methodist Church, a cultural profile of
the Métis Nation and a bowling activity.
• A second community garden was
created in June which is located in the
Meadowgreen community and this year
it was the recipient a Fiskar’s Orange
Thumb Award. Thanks to the efforts of
the Fiskar’s team, local sponsors and
volunteers, more than 70 families were
able to garden in the two areas.
Culture Days event hosted by our Community Connections Program
• Due to the success of the annual fall
Volunteer Fair, hosted by the Volunteer
Connections program, a spring one was
added. It too was successful. These Fairs
were attended by 15 to 20 community
organizations and 150 to 200 newcomer
clients who are looking for volunteer
opportunities in the community.
13
Conversation Circles Walking Club
• Staff also promoted the Saskatoon Open
Door and recruited volunteers at many
civic events and venues throughout the
year.
New initiatives:
• Community Connections began working
with students from the U of S and St.
Thomas More College for volunteer
placements.
• We started coordinating projects
between the University and newcomers.
• Seniors Programming began with a
conversation circle held in partnership
with the Saskatoon Council on Aging.
• A distribution list was created to
keep newcomers informed of various
community activities taking place.
Community Connections Volunteers
Cup of Tea event
Children’s Circle at Meadowgreen
Community Garden
Enchanted Light Winter
Social December 2014
Cultural Bridging Programs
New initiatives:
Cultural Bridging programs are designed
to bridge the newcomer immigrant and
refugee population with the broader
community.
• Resource Development: A resource
framework has been developed to
catalogue and organize resources for
Enhanced Cultural Responsiveness.
Enhanced cultural responsiveness
workshops: In 2014-15, Cultural Bridging
staff provided more than 50 off-site
training sessions to more than 1,000
participants from over 20 organizations
in our community.
• Train the Trainer: This project will see
the creation of training materials that
will be available to employers, teachers,
and other leaders who wish to provide
ongoing Cultural Bridging support for
their staff.
Creating Youth Culture: Participants
design and then deliver their own crosscultural presentations to elementary
school students across the city.
Windows of the World: Cultural
Bridging has an extensive collection
of cultural artifacts which have been
purchased or donated.
Enhanced Cultural Responsiveness
Workshop, Cultural Bridging
15
Clients and staff at a SSWIS
Newcomer Information Session
Settlement Support Workers in
Schools (SSWIS)
The Settlement Support Workers in
Schools (SSWIS) program is designed
to assist newcomer elementary and
high school children and their families
with their settlement process as new
Canadians; and aid in their integration
into the Canadian school system. This
program runs in partnership with
Saskatoon’s Catholic, Francophone and
Public School Divisions.
Highlights:
• 2 additional staff have been hired and a
new position was created to improve the
intake process.
• 10,499 services were provided for
newcomer students and their families
while assisting 1,874 clients.
16
Children, Youth, and Young
Adult Programming
Our youth programs are designed to
support refugee and immigrant youth
with their process of integration in
schools as well as the community,
through providing opportunities for
recreation and social interaction with
youth from local as well as other cultures.
Highlights:
•R
each out to as many newcomer clients
as we can and offer a variety of activities
to meet their interests and needs.
• Increase the number of partnerships
with community organizations, agencies
and school divisions within the city of
Saskatoon.
•P
romote and develop programs that
emphasize the inclusiveness of Canadian
Born, First Nation and Immigrant/
Refugee youth through the Youth
Hosting Youth, School Buddy, Creating
Youth Culture, Youth Conference, Youth
Youth Sports Referrals Program 2014
Empowerment Workshops.
3% Myanmar
2%
1%
1%
1%
Participation
for youth program activities87 Flute Building (YEW)
Cuba
Packistan
75programs.
A total of 1,213 Youth participated in the following
Burundi
75 focuses
Arts (YEW)
Note:
Separately The Youth Study Group program
on the academic
Lebanon
enrichment of the students via homework support and tutoring in various subject
60 Summer Camp Referrals
areas such as Math, Social Studies, Science, English and Computer Sciences. Last year,
957 students were served through this program with
50 volunteers
involved.
55 over
Woodworking
(YEW)
6% Bhutan
5% D.R. Congo
4% Iran
3% Sierra Leone
8% Other
ng Clinents
42
40
37
33
Collective Kitchen (YEW)
33
Dancing (YEW)
87
Flute Building (YEW)
25
School Buddy
75
23
75
Arts (YEW)
20
Drumming (YEW)
60 Summer Camp Referrals
Total Clients
55 Woodworking (YEW)
15
Race Against Racism (YEW)
12
Youth Café
42
10
Youth Digital Storytelling
40
37
957 Youth Study Group
with over 50 volunteers
33
Collective Kitchen (YEW)
33
Dancing (YEW)
25
School Buddy
23
17
Language Training & Daycare Services
Language Training
English Classes held
at our 1st Avenue
Building
Our unit runs 37 language classes to help
students acquire language ability. Classes
use a thematic approach to give students
overall proficiency in English for accessing
services, talking about their background
and the community, and participating in
Canadian society. Some of the themes
students studied include education,
employment, health and fitness, driving,
Canadian politics and government,
housing, and banking.
Students visited the Western
Development Museum, the Forestry
Farm, Dutch Grower’s Garden Centre,
Wanuskewin Heritage Park, and other
places. Local trips included valuable
excursions to the library, various
supermarkets, banks, drugstores, and
other locations, where students apply
learning in a practical context.
Our main English instruction programs
include:
Language Instruction for Newcomers
to Canada (LINC)
LINC is funded by Citizenship and
Immigration Canada, and assists
newcomers in learning functional
language skills for life in Canada.
In 2014-2015 we offered 31 LINC classes in
basic literacy skills and language levels 1
to 4. This year, LINC classes transition into
a new approach for student assessment,
the Portfolio-Based Language
Assessment system. Each student
maintains a portfolio of language tasks
which helps to document their learning
progression.
As part of the LINC program, our Summer
Fun Program provides school-aged
children and their families an opportunity
to practice English, learn about the
community together, and have fun.
Experiencing community field trips,
arts and crafts, and practicing English
can provide newcomer children with
an important head start to integration
before school begins again in September.
It more easily facilitates parents’
attendance in language classes during
August when elementary school children
have no school.
Stage 1 and 2 English
Funded by the government of
Saskatchewan, this program assists
newcomers such as temporary residents
on work permits, or new Canadian
citizens. Classes follow a theme-based
approach similar to the federally funded
classes. This year four classes at levels 1 to
4 (Stage 1) and two new classes at levels 5
and 6 (Stage 2) were offered. Classes were
held at our First Avenue location and
Queen Elizabeth School.
Overall this year,
• 802 students registered in language
training, compared to 692 the previous
year;
• An average of 384 students were
enrolled in classes at any one time, up
from 359 the previous year; and
• 354 new students joined our language
programs.
Daycare Services
The Saskatoon Open Door Society
Multi-Cultural Daycare is located at our
First Avenue location. Our Early Learning
Centre is located at Queen Elizabeth
School. Both provide child care services
to our clients enrolled in our English
Language programs and the general
community.
Newcomers working on improving their
language skills receive professional,
certified care for their children as they
adjust to life in Canada. Our international
atmosphere encourages children to learn
and understand diversity from an early
age.
A highly qualified team of supervisors
and Early Childhood Educators play
a fundamental role in the successful
integration of children in the school
system and community.
18
A Regional Newcomer Gateway
New to Canada? Talk to us first!
WELCOME!! The Newcomer Information
Centre (NIC) is a walk-in centre available
for all newcomers in Saskatoon and
surrounding communities (150 km
radius) known as the Saskatoon Regional
Gateway. It was established to be a one
stop location to receive information and
referrals about programs and services
in the community. All services are free
of cost. There are seven provincial
settlement advisors able to assist in the
gateway that the NIC can connect clients
to for settlement support. In addition,
over-the phone interpretations services
are available in 170 languages.
settlement agency programs, business,
children & youth, community, driving,
education, health, housing, recreation
and more.
The NIC is a unique partnership as it is cofunded by Citizenship and Immigration
Canada and the Ministry of the Economy.
The Saskatoon Open Door Society (the
contract holder), Global Gathering Place,
Saskatchewan Intercultural Association
and International Women of Saskatoon,
known as the NIC Partnership, have
joined together to oversee and provide
guidance to the centre.
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT
AND REGISTRATION
RESOURCES
Reporting Period: Apr 2014 to Mar 2015
Friendly and knowledgeable staff are
here to welcome all newcomers and
are ready to help! Clients can also
access computers at the NIC to find
settlement information online. A printer,
photocopier and scanner are available
for use. A fax machine and telephones
are also available for local numbers.
The NIC houses information relating to
Newcomers with valid work permits
wanting English language classes register
at the Newcomer Information Centre
for the Canadian Language Benchmark
Placement Test (CLBPT) to access the
provincial language programs known as
Stage 1 & 2.
Year-end Totals
Number of New Visits (New Clients)
3,434
Number of total visits
7,893
Number of phone calls
2,856
Numbers of e-mail client inquiries
275
Number of English training inquires
5,591
Monthly Total Events
14,458
19
MESSAGE FROM A CLIENT
Dear Managers and all staff,
My name is Pha, a client of SODS. I am
writing the letter to express my deepest
gratitude for great help and caring I
obtained from your organization. A bad
thing is my Canadian husband and I didn’t
get along well. His bad temper made
me scared and nervous. I coughed badly
and felt sick after a few months I arrived.
My husband became impatient with my
sickness and wanted to kick me out of his
home, for I was a burden in his eyes.
Finally my husband abandoned me. I
speak a little English and felt weak and
exhausted. My poor health condition
didn’t allow me to go out for work. I
don’t have any friend in Saskatoon and
no place to go. I was desperate and
hopeless. I was recommended to seek for
help from Saskatoon Open Door Society.
Before walking into Open Door Society,
I thought I would rather self-suicide if I
could not get any help. I felt so helpless
that I couldn’t help my tears when I met
my NARS counsellors at first time. Both
of them were really patient to help me
complete registration process. Their
smiles and gracious attitude made me
warm welcomed. They listened to me
carefully and identified all my needs. They
contacted women shelter to provide me
free accommodation, interpreted for me
to deal with divorce with my ex-husband
through Legal Aid and so on. I was
diagnosed that my cancer spread to my
lung and my bone after two months. I had
to put up with body pain day and night. I
was lonely, anxious and depressed. I was
in a complete breakdown in physically
and mentally when my doctor told me
I only had a few months left. I faced
the biggest challenge in my lifetime. I
obtained enormous support from your in
NARS, Family and Translation programs.
Their professional counselling sustained
and comforted me spiritually. Their
compassion, caring and love is the light
in my darkness and gave me strength
to fight with cancer. I was invited to
attend women’s programs. I enjoyed
and made friends from the program.
They also assisted to contact with my
doctors and notified me schedule for
each appointment and drove me to go
to see my doctors during off-work hours.
The NARS Counsellor helped me fill out
all types of applications when I needed
to corrected my SIN and healthy card
information. The Case Management
workers visited me in hospital and at
home in cold winter. They coordinated
with health region to ensure I can get
essential equipment and service for
my daily life. My application for social
assistance was rejected in the first place.
I was not capable to go out for work and
didn’t have any financial support. The
Case Management worker made a lot
effort to convince social workers to
understand my difficult situation and
urgent needs. I eventually was approved
to get social assistance. This is a big
relief that greatly reduced my anxiety
about my finance. My case manager,
always respond to my request quickly.
Her professionalism is very impressive
to me. Staff interpreted for me many
times through telephone calls. Staff
spent her own money buying nutritious
medicine for me. I am deeply touched
by all efforts and supports I got from
Open Door Society. As a new immigrant,
I can’t imagine if I am still alive today
without your help. I would like to share
my story and experience with people I
know. Words can’t exactly express my
appreciation to your organization and
your lovely staff. Since I came to Canada, I
encountered so many difficulties and still
faced a lot of challenges ahead. I felt I am
lucky because I have obtained countless
help and support from people who may
know or not know me. Canada is a great
country with great people. I have deeply
fallen in love with it. Thanks again for all
of you. God bless all of you!
Pha, April 10, 2015
20
Did You
Know?
• The Board of Directors has hired a
third party service provider to update
Board Policy as it related to Governance
practices.
• The Board of Directors has hired a third
party service provider to update our
Strategic Plan for the 3 – 5 year period
from 2015 forward.
• SODS and SGEU Local 5291, have signed
a new two year collective agreement,
effective April 1, 2015 through March 31,
2017.
• With the support of a Main funder, our
Employment unit has been piloting an
“English for Employment” project.
• Facility changes at our First avenue
location include a major painting
initiative, as well as lighting
improvements and security changes
within our daycare space. In addition, we
have created additional archive space.
• With the support of a Main funder, we
have incorporated Smart Boards into our
classrooms at both First Avenue as well
as Queen Elizabeth elementary school.
This enhancement will dramatically
improve teaching and learning
opportunities for our clients.
have improved our client comfort within
our LINC classrooms.
• Efforts continue to enhance LINC
teaching/learning through the
implementation of portfolio based
language assessment initiatives.
• Increased the number of partnerships
with community agencies, resulting
in a sharper focus on enhanced
opportunities and service provision for
our clients (ESU – 50, SCSS – 46).
• Initiated a review, and made changes to
practices related to LGBTQ supports.
• Continue to work on plans associated
with changes to Interpretation/
Translation services.
• Continue to streamline processes
associated with Management operating
procedures, including transparency of
communication and devolved decision
making.
• Within our daycares, our staff are
working hard to incorporate Play and
Exploration curricula into daily activities.
• We continue to explore innovative
marketing strategies to enhance
the profile of the agency within the
community.
• With the support of a Main funder,
we have replaced our antiquated
phone system at both First and Third
Avenue locations, with cutting edge
technologies.
• The Settlement and Family Support
Unit now leases 3 apartments to
welcome GARs clients as their temporary
accommodation.
have made significant IT changes that
include the replacement of our old
servers at both First and Third Avenue
locations. In addition we have replaced
our spam filter and network attached
storage unit, updated our wireless
components at both locations as well as
updated our exchange server at Third
Avenue.
• With the support of a Main funder, a
major renovation has been completed
within our RAP/NARS work space.
• Technology enhancements have been
made to our client meeting rooms.
• Improvements have been made to
reduce our level of risk associated with
loss of data through the contracting of
an off-site third party service provider.
• Created the addition of five language
spaces, including one additional
language lab and five additional classes,
resulting in a total of 31 language classes
being offered to clients.
• Examined and adjusted our levels of
insurance as it pertains to our ongoing
requirements.
• Our ACCPAC project is now up and
running, allowing us greatly enhanced
financial capacity.
• We currently have 162 active employees
including six managers and one
Executive Director.
• Efforts continue in refining our job
descriptions, screening and hiring
processes.
• We conduct a monthly orientation for
new staff members including Privacy
Policy training.
• The Settlement and Community
Support Services Unit has added an
internationally trained Cultural Bridging
Facilitator and also piloted a successful
digital story telling program.
• A community garden was created in the
Meadowgreen area. This garden, and the
Good Earth Family Garden established by
Community Connections four years ago,
allows members of the community the
opportunity to come together and grow
fresh, affordable food.
• The Employment Unit, hosted 3
WEconnect job fairs hosting over 42
employers and 1,000 jobseekers at each
job fair.
• The Settlement and Family Support Unit
organized 4 events with a total of 600
clients attending.
• Community Connections started offering
programming for newcomer seniors with
a successful Cooking Club.
• Our Case Management Workers
supported 80 clients who faced complex
issues.
• The Settlement and Family Support
Unit Manager represents the Province
of Saskatchewan on the National
Resettlement Assistance Program
Working Group.
THANK-YOU TO OUR FUNDERS AND PARTNERS WHO
HAVE HELPED MAKE 2014-2015 A GREAT YEAR!
Brainsport
Saskatoon Co-operative Association
Canadian Tire – Jumpstart Program
Saskatoon Community Foundation
CHEP
Saskatoon Free Methodist Church
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Saskatoon Health Region
City of Saskatoon Community Development Branch
Saskatoon Literacy Coalition
Community Initiative Fund
Saskatoon Media Group
Conseil Des Écoles Fransaskoises
Saskatoon Police Service
Core Neighborhood Youth Co-Op
Saskatoon Public Library
Ecole Canadienne-Francaise
Saskatoon Public Schools
Global Gathering Place
Saskatoon Business College
Government of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon Youth Soccer
Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools
Sask Culture Inc.
International Women of Saskatoon
SaskTel
Language Assessment and Referral Centre
Service Canada
L’Assemblee Communautaire Fransaskoise (ACF)
SCYAP Art Center
Muttart Foundation
Shaw Communications
Newcomer Information Centre
St. Thomas More College
Oskayak High School
Student Summer Works
Public Health Agency of Canada
S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
Read Saskatoon
TD Canada Trust
Scotiabank
Tim Hortons
Royal Bank of Canada
United Way of Saskatoon and Area
Saskatchewan Government Insurance
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Intercultural Association Inc.
White Buffalo Youth Lodge
Saskatchewan Marathon
YMCA Saskatoon
Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy
YWCA Saskatoon
For more information on Saskatoon Open Door Society
Programs and Services, please visit www.sods.sk.ca.
Administrative Services and Reception
Employment Services
Settlement and Community Support Services
Settlement and Family Services
Translation and Interpretation Services
100-129 3rd Avenue North
Saskatoon, SK S7K 2H4
Ph: (306) 653-4464 Fax: (306) 653-7159
[email protected]
Language Training & Daycare Services
247 First Avenue North
Saskatoon, SK S7K 1X2
Ph: (306) 653-4464 Fax: (306) 653-4404

2014-2015 - Saskatoon Open Door Society

Transcription

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