extreme makeover · 2013. 3. 7. · ress slowly-to aid the develop-ment of this prior-ity, it has...

EXTREME MAKEOVER:FYI EDITIONEnsuring that our house is built on a solid foundation

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

agmreport2010june20.indd 1 20/06/11 10:27 AM

1 Table of Contents

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TS 1 Table of ConTenTs

2 Who We are 3 sTaff and board of direCTors 5 exeCuTive direCTor’s Message

7 Chair’s Message

8 finanCial sTaTeMenTs

9 MeMbers, funders & donors

11 CoMMuniTy ParTners 13 PrograMs & serviCes

16 youTh seTTleMenT serviCes 17 hr infrasTruCTure, sCholarshiP & CoMMuniTy engageMenT


2 Who We Are

WH

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E OUR MISSION for youTh iniTiaTive is CoMMiTTed To CreaTing healThy CoMMuniTies by inCreasing life-ChanCes of youTh aT-risk. We do This Through The Provision of eMPoWering Pro-graMs and serviCes ThaT are youTh-driven, inClusive and aCCessible.

VISION for youTh iniTiaTive aiMs To CreaTe healThy CoMMuniTies Where youTh are fully engaged and equal ParTiCiPanTs in soCieTy.

OUR HISTORYFor Youth Initiative (FYI) serves youth, ages 13-29 in the priority neighbourhood of Weston - Mount Dennis, and sur-rounding neighbourhoods of West end Toronto. We started as a project in the former City of York to respond to the crucial and pressing issues of youth disengagement, vio-lence, crime, poverty and alienation among at-risk youth in the area. FYI was incorporated in 2000, acquired charitable status in 2004, and became a United Way member agency in 2005. We currently provide programs and services at two newly renovated locations.

As a by-youth, for-youth organization we have dealt with unprecedented growth and continually overcome a unique range of challenges. We remain grateful to our community members, funders, members, volunteers and our youth for their support in helping us reach a level of sustainability so we can continue to make meaningful change within our communities.


3 Staff

STAF

FResource Development Coordinator (Summer Student)Ahrun ThiyagarajahYouth Settlement Worker Alex Di NoiaCulture & Media Arts Program Coordinator Amanda CainYouth Mentor (Summer Student)Andrew BridgmanAdministrative Assistant – Settlement ServicesAyya Sheptukhina Youth Settlement Worker Benjamin BongolanWest End Ballers League CoachChristopher HarrisonExecutive Assistant Chrysabelle ChoeAdministrative Assistant Desiree AldersonLife Skills Program Support Worker Dianie SamuelFemale Specific Program Coordinator Eva LabiYouth Settlement WorkerFaduma AbdulleCommunity Engagement CoordinatorFelix CabreraDirector of Settlement ServicesIdil Hassan Volunteer Coordinator (Summer Student)Jamar Hall Recreation Program Coordinator Khalid SamuelLife Skills Program Coordinator Khary CollinsDirector of Human Resources & Administration Kristie WrightWest End Ballers League CoachKyle SmithExecutive Director Lekan OlawoyeWest End Ballers League CoachLeonard FullertonProgram DirectorLindsay KretschmerCommunity Engagement CoordinatorLindsay RennerManager of Youth Settlement Services Lynn LiaoYouth Mentor (Summer Student)

Olaide AgboolaDirector of Community Engagement & Communications

Maria Bernard


4 Board of Directors

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Executive CommitteeChair

Michael Miller

Vice Chair

Leah Ross

Treasurer

Jason Vickers

Interim Secretary

Adam Gordon

DirectorsEric Owusu Sekyere

Glenn M. Stuart

John Bishara Qubti

Maryam Mostaedi

Maryatha Procope-Shaw

Mohamed Jama

Natasha Hudson

Omar Francis

Ryan Skrobar

Victor Beausoleil

Executive Assistant Minerva Saddler Culture and Media Arts Program Support WorkerMunir Hashemi Youth Settlement Outreach WorkerNatasha Ryan-Shepherd Community Engagement Outreach Worker (Summer Student)Nathaniel Seivewright Youth Settlement WorkerNorangie Garcia Program ManagerOlanrewaju Agboluage Community Engagement Support WorkerOmar FrancisFinancial Manager Patrick WarnerDirector of Community EngagementPaulina O’KieffeYouth Settlement WorkerRaana Ahmed Administrative Assistant – Settlement ServicesRobin ChoeWest End Ballers League CoachRoderick RobinsonFemale Specific Program Support WorkerSabrina MorrisonFemale Specific Program Support Worker Shakoorah Khadijah CraiggRecreation Program Support WorkerShemika Moore

STAF

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5 ED Message

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There is a parable that states, “A wise man (person) builds his house on a Rock,”although the wind will come, your house will remain strong be-cause it is built on a solid foundation. In 2010, FYI embodied this parable and ensured that our house was built on a solid foundation of policies, procedures and protocols. 2010 was the official launch of FYI’s three year strategic plan, which primarily focused on FYI’s foundation (updating our human resources and financial systems, program and community capac-ity development, fundraising and public relations). Within these twelve months FYI was able to develop the following structures and policies:

Human Resources

Community Capacity

Building & Programming

Public Relations

Fundraising

-Creation of the Human Resource Manual and Human Handbook-Creation of Anti-Oppression Policy and Access & Equity-Implementation of a Job Analysis process-Updating FYI’s financial policies and processes-Update of our Human Resources Information Systems-Establishing a staff training action plan on Human Resoures Policies and Proce-dures-Creation of Organi-zational Core Values and Organizational Protocols -Attaining Employee benefits-Create terms of Reference for Risk Management/HR Committee

-Recruitment of a consultant to examine FYI’s programming systems and structure: identifying strengths, gaps and areas for development -Development of an internal programming systems action team-Conducting an environmental scan of best practices within the sector-Implementation of a more targeted and needs-based programs and services -Creation of a series of resident and com-munity involvement initiatives

-Continues to prog-ress slowly-To aid the develop-ment of this prior-ity, it has now been incorporated into the portfolio of the Director of Commu-nity Engagement and Communications

-Establishment of Fundraising Com-mittee-Creation of 3 sub-committees-Re-evaluation of fundraising plan and strategic goal -Increased staff participation in the United Way cam-paign, raised tangible money in 2010


6 ED Message

There was quite a lot of satisfaction in reaching the goals that we had set out in the first year of our strategic plan. However, soon after, FYI quickly realized that imple-mentation was a much more arduous process than development. FYI Staff worked tirelessly internally and with all of our community partners, to implement and make changes as required. In 2011, FYI will continue to engage its stakeholders (program participants, residents, schools, community partners, donors, sponsors and funders) to ensure that we not only stay relevant, but are creating forward thinking, promis-ing practices in moving the youth-led and youth-service sector forward. True to the 2010 focus of foundation building, FYI “went back to basics” in building the collective capacity of our staffing team. FYI has implemented all-day monthly capacity building sessions for all staff to learn and grow together; we believe that we can meet our organizational outcomes only when FYI as a whole is strong.

We have also been successful in providing forums and spaces where young people can lead conversations with decision makers around the issues that matter to them. Initiatives such as “Youth Speak,” and the “Youth and Policing Dialogues” project, with the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, have enabled us to not only do programs, but provide capacity building opportunities to young people to be their own agents of change.

Although we have had some setbacks in 2010, our staff have worked with great resilience, energy and passion to ensure that we took more positive steps forwards than backwards.

Our passion has shone brightly in 2010 and this passion is emboldened with the emphasis on staff skill development, shifts in how we perceived program develop-ment focusing on outcomes and not outputs, and city building.

Another parable states: “Faith without works is dead,” in 2010, we reinvented this parable by saying, “Passion without work is wasted.” Passion guides our goals, but we understand that the level of excellence that we put into our work is what illustrates our passion.

We look forward to continuing to support young people in building the City they want to live in.

Blessings,

Lekan Olawoye, Executive DirectorFor Youth Initiative in Toronto (FYI)


7 Message from the Chair

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R Dear Youth and Community Members,

In 2010, we had our grand opening at 1652 Keele. Since then we’ve been working diligently to utilize our new space and equipment to provide programming that focuses on media arts and technol-ogy. We’ve also focused our efforts in building leadership skills and life skills in all our programming because young people need to strengthen themselves and take ownership of the programs and ser-vices in their community. We have grown not only at the program-ming level but also as a Board of Directors and we look forward to growing further in the year ahead.

I would like to focus on our young people as our leaders of tomor-row. You’ve heard this before and it has become a bit of a cliché, but in this era of social media trends, today’s ideas become viral in months. So the youth are in the best position to know what’s popu-lar and real now and what’s going to be blazing next season.

I also would like to add that you are leaders already; you just have to gain the knowledge and understanding of how the systemic structures work around you so that you actually get what you need and succeed in your vision. Pursuing knowledge and greater understanding allows you to use your energy positively, instead of randomly expending it and putting your life in jeopardy at times

FYI has made possible a space where the capital investment is already here. It is now up to your mind, the most powerful instru-ment ever, to flip all this opportunity in front of you into something self sustaining that will become a legacy for generations to come. As young people, you should focus on how you can grow and strengthen yourself, then take a stand and empower those around you and exercise your civic duties. You should play a role in making the City of Toronto, your city as well. Focus on the possibilities and you’ll find that nothing is impossible. Believe in your dreams and watch them materialize. Don’t take no for an answer, if a voice asks you; will you make it? You are, who you will yourself to be, so embrace your future and revel in its wonders because you are all wonderful people.

Michael Miller, Chair of the Board of Directors For Youth Initiative in Toronto (FYI)


8 Financial Statements

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9 FYI Members

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FYI MembersLailah AhmedAnastasia Akom-BoatengJonelle AlleyneAnkita AroraJohanna BrewsterJack ButteryDarrel ChirumeKrystine FeldmanOmar FrancisAdam GordonAinsley GriffithsChristopher HarrisonAraline HazlewoodLisa HollidaySuenel HorneMohamed JamaSouleik KheyreMaurice KnibbsCamilla KusecRidge LeveneCauldrick MaloneyDorothy McGowanAmeera McIntoshMichael MillerValerie MitchellMahamed MohamoodLucas O’NeillOntario Provincial Advocate for Children & Youth Judith OwusuLorretta Owusu-SekyereSimone PalmerDorothy Paul

Glenn StuartMark TavaresOnesia ThompsonUrban Arts Community Arts CouncilJason Vickers Rayon Petgrave Jr.Melissa PokhaiMaryatha Procope-ShawShenice ReddieNakisha RobinsonLeah RossShout ClinicSantana SimonMargaret SmithCarley Smith

ArtReach TorontoCanadian TireCanadian HeritageCity of Toronto-Community Service Partnership Citizenship and Immigra-tion CanadaMinistry of Healthy Promo-tionOntario Trillium FundMinistry of Justice Toronto Arts CouncilUnited Way of Greater TorontoYouth Challenge Fund


10 FYI Donors

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ORS FYI General Fund

Loana BattistaOmar CantonLou CantonFrank ChuEverett CooperMario DabidaMadan DamaJim DeemeloAngela FooAdam GordonHCAC Dimensions-Mechanical ServicesLucile HumeSue JamesLindsay KretschmerLaidlaw FoundationMichael MillerSabrina MorrisonSam PetralitoKevin PigeonBruno PisaniDavid ResnickLeah RossJosic ScialiAndy ShewchukJason SteidlGlenn StuartToronto Dominion BankUnited WayYork Eglinton BIA

FYI Scholarship FundFaduma AbdulleLanre AgboluajeFelix CabreraJudith CleggAlex Di NoiaCarl and Pamela GrantYasmin Haq-KhanChristopher HarrisonLindsay KretschmerEve LabiLaidlaw FoundationAlana LoweLaura MetcalfeSabrina MorrisonMarion NewrickLekan OlawoyeGrace PlagerKhalid SamuelShahina SayaniAyya SheptukhinaToronto Community FoundationWoman’s Abuse Council of TorontoKristie WrightYork Variety Zac’s Food Store Ltd. Andrea ZammitMary Grace Zammit

Glenn StuartMark TavaresOnesia ThompsonUrban Arts Community Arts CouncilJason Vickers Rayon Petgrave Jr.Melissa PokhaiMaryatha Procope-ShawShenice ReddieNakisha RobinsonLeah RossShout ClinicSantana SimonMargaret SmithCarley Smith


11 Community Partners

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S Community Partners 20101652 Keele Street Community AliddesaAllianceAction for Neighbourhood Change- Mount Dennis ArtStartsBlack Creek Community Health Centre Alban’s Boys and Girls ClubBurnhamthorpe Adult Learning Centre Christie Ossington CenteCommunity Action Resource Centre COSTI Immigrant Services Culture LinkDennis Avenue Public SchoolD.I.V.ADorset Park Youth Council Education Attainment WestEducation Through MediaEmery Adult Learning Centre Filipino Centre TorontoFilipino Students’ Association of Toronto (FSAT)Friends In TroubleGrassroots Youth CollaborativeHousing Connections Involve Youth Justice for Children and YouthJewish Vocational Services (JVS)Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and CultureLearning Enrichment Founda-tion Maple Pictures Corp.Mount Dennis Community As-sociation North York Community HouseOJENOrganization of Latin American Students (OLAS) Office of the Provincial Advo-cate for Child and Youth Our Lady of Assumption Parish Youth GroupPathways to EducationPelham Park

Salvation Army Social Planning TorontoSONY Syme-Woolner Neighbourhood and Family Centre Toronto Community Housing (121 Humber Boulevard)Toronto Community Housing Toronto Social Services (1860 Wilson Ave) Toronto Social Services (605 Rogers Rd)TCDSB - Archbishop Romero C.S.S.TCDSB - James Cardinal McGuigan C.S.S TDSB - George Harvey C. I. TDSB - Kane MSTDSB - Rockcliffe MSTDSB - Weston C.I.TDSB - York Memorial C.I.Toronto Public Health TPL - Eatonville Public LibraryTPL - Evelyn Gregory Library TPL - Jane Dundas TPL - Mount Dennis Library TPL- Maria Shchuka BranchTPL - Woodview Public LibraryThe Spot (Jane Finch Community & Unison Community Services Unison Community Health Centre Urban Alliance on Race Relations Urban Arts Vietnamese Association of TorontoVietnamese Women’s Association of Toronto VIP / Say WordWeston Mount Dennis Boys and Girls Club Women Abuse Council of Toronto Women’s Health in Women’s HandsWorking Women’s Community CentreYorkdale Adult Learning Centre York-Eglinton BIA Youth Employment ServicesYorktown Community ServicesYork Youth Coalition (YYC)

The Bridge, Newcomer Youth

Youth Capacity Building Space, Culture and Media Arts Program


12 FYI Participants

The Bridge, Newcomer Youth

Youth Capacity Building Space, Culture and Media Arts Program


13 Programs & Services

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Culture & Media Arts Victory! Magazine grants young people an opportunity to express them-selves in a meaningful project; one in which they can create their own ‘visual and literary playgrounds’ and where their thoughts and views are captured and documented in positive ways. In this year, FYI’s participants published 4 magazine issues.

Graffiti Art 101 is an arts-based project that took place in the sum-mer term. Our young people participated in a graffiti arts series of artistic workshops that gave a historic background of this art form’s origin. The series existed to eliminate the negative connotation of ‘graffiti’ and channel creativity into it. At the project’s end, the group completed a mural at 121 Humber Boulevard.

Fresh Fashionz enabled a group of young people to learn about the history of fashion and create their own garments.

Reel 2 Real explored and deconstructed details in films, documentaries and on-screen shows. Young people discussed issues around graphics, pho-tographic highlights, editing, plot analysis, craft of acting and determining the moral of the story. Consequently, they increased their skills in critical and creative thinking.

Female Specific Ladiez First is a social networking program, designed to provide a safe space for young women to participate in gender-focused activities that fos-ter female empowerment. Female youth gained knowledge on issues other females faced on a local, national and global level.

Sister Scripture enhanced the lives of young women by providing them with the opportunity to learn, discuss and grow in an environment that nur-tured their talents and social abilities. The program incorporated the benefits of mentorship, community resources and social education. The Book & Film Club derived from this program to celebrate women in literature and film.

Recreation West End Ballers (W.E.B.) was a league that ran in the summer period. FYI’s youth participants joined the league that played all over the Weston-Mount Dennis and Jane & Finch community. Young people enhanced their ball skills and broadened their networks through teamwork as well as play-ing against other teams. The winner of the league was Team Magic, from the Humber community.

Gamez Night is an opportunity for youth to be in a non-structured en-vironment where they could comfortably engage with our staff and their peers. Activities ranged from interactive games to board games to table games.


14 Programs & Services

Recreation Continued...Dennis Avenue Ballers and Memo Ballers served young people in a less competitive program. Through weekly basketball games and drills, young people developed skills in team work, communication, trust-building and sportsmanship during the year.

Life Skills The 121 Humber and Evelyn Gregory Leadership Program empowered young people to become leaders in their own communities. They improved their communication and team work skills through various activities that challenged their mentalities. They looked at current youth-related issues they faced and facilitated their own discussions on stereotyping and working in an anti-oppressive frame-work.

Take BAC 13 was a garden project held in the summer to beautify the community youth lived in. Young people participated in a revitalizing initiative and gained employment experience. They were awarded honorariums upon completion of the project.

The OJEN Project, in partnership with the Ontario Justice Education Network, brought together young people every week to learn about rights and privileges of citizens under Canadian Law. At the end of the program, the youth took a trip to participate in a mock trial in a real court with support of a provincial judge.

The Cooking Program enabled young people to gain knowledge in cooking skills in local and cultural food. They increased their knowledge of nutritional values and money saving tips when shopping. This program continues to run with our partici-pants almost doubling every year.

1652 Keele St., Victory Magazine


15 FYI Participants


16 Settlement Services

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ESSoccer ProgramAt the beginning of 2010, the settlement team began running an indoor soccer program for newcomer youth in partnership with Toronto Commu-nity Housing at the York Square gymnasium. After having a strong interest from newcomer youth, FYI co-hosted the Annual HOST Summer Soccer Tournament that brings together settlement youth-serving agencies in Toronto. The Bridge developed a soccer team to represent FYI in the tour-nament of 2010 and placed 3rd out of 12 teams across the city. This past fall, we partnered with Learning Enrichment Foundation to share a space and offer the program to youth from both organizations.

The Bridge Newcomer Youth CouncilThe Bridge Newcomer Youth Council consists of youth who are interested in developing leadership skills through community initiatives or acting as consultants to staff at the Bridge in developing programs. During March Break of 2010, the Bridge Youth Council was responsible for organizing a community clean-up day in partnership with the Eglinton-West BIA. The youth have supported the Bridge in outreaching to their fellow students within their schools, organizing FYI events, and acting as ambassadors of the Bridge.

Power Study/Academic SupportPower Study was always a staple program at the Bridge to provide support to newcomer youth who are transitioning into a new school system, how-ever it did not attract youth for a long time until the fall of 2010 when our efforts in reaching out to ESL classes and school staff finally paid off. The youth have continued to use FYI has a space to complete their homework with the support of FYI staff and volunteers.

Nutrition and CookingAt the beginning of 2010, the cooking program started by running a couple times a month, however by the fall of 2010, a large turnout of youth came to the centre weekly to actively participate in the program. It has quickly become one of the most well attended programs within the Settlement stream. Youth receive exposure to cuisines from around the world as well as gain the necessary skills around cooking and food han-dling. This program encourages diversity and cultural awareness amongst the youth in the centre. This program continues into 2011 with a nutrition component added.

Youth Empowerment Program The YEP is a 5-week in-school program that was designed to build new-comer youth’s familiarity with For Youth Initiative settlement staff as well as give them a sample of the programming at the Bridge. Youth participate in leadership, diversity, and language –enhancing activities while engag-ing with their peers and FYI staff. In 2010, the YEP ran out of 3 schools including Nelson A. Boleyn C.I., Weston C.I., and Archbishop Romero C.S.S. We have received requests to run a sequel to the program again in these schools and we are looking to partner with other schools in the area.


17 HR & Scholarship

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AMAt For Youth Initiative, our biggest asset is our human resources - our staff, students, volunteers, and our participants. For this reason, developing and implementing strong human resource poli-cies, procedures, and systems was a key focus in the organization throughout 2010.

FYI’s entire new human resources infrastructure is based on the underlying values of consistency, empowerment, equity, fairness, recognition, transparency, and trust.

As a part of the infrastructure building process, FYI believed it was critical that staff were given opportunities to provide input into the new materials being developed and that they were given sufficient time and training to learn the new tools being implemented.

Of all the materials produced, one of our greatest accomplish-ments in 2010 was our new Human Resources Policy Manual. In alignment with our strategic plan, strengthening our human resources infrastructure through implementation and evaluation will continue on over the next couple of years.

The FYI Scholarship Program was launched in 2006, in commemoration of Jamal Hemmings and Amon Beck-les, two Toronto youth who were both tragically lost to gun violence in No-vember 2005. Jamal and Amon were participants in FYI’s daily programs.

In 2010, the scholarship committee was pleased to announce that Mayor David Miller had designated an annual contribution of $2000 to FYI’s Annual Scholarship Program in memory of his mother, Joan Miller. We are incred-ibly grateful and excited about this donation, as it will provide even more young people in our community the opportunity to have access to the vital post-secondary education that they deserve.


18 Community Engagement

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ENT FYI’s Community Engagement stream aims to develop young

people with a more profound understanding of civic engagement and citizenship. The 10 000 Youth Will Stand campaign was sig-nificantly supported by FYI as it aimed to get young people out to vote in the City of Toronto 2010 Elections.

We remain committed to educating the broader community and advocating on the issues that pose as barriers to the success of in-ner city youth. As a result, FYI is moving forward on a two advo-cacy pieces relating to youth and policing conducted in a collabo-ration with other service providers and the Office of Provincial Advocate for Child and Youth and other service providers.

Following FYI’s ‘by-youth, for-youth,’ model, the Agency Mentor-ship Program (AMP) is an initiative whereby FYI provides capac-ity building supports to fledgling youth-led organizations serving Toronto’s 13 priority neighbourhoods. We intend to select three mentorship groups and continue to support our trustee groups through this program. We are confident that the AMP is progress-ing positively towards the goal of strengthening the youth-led organizations and a supporting a vibrant and sustainable youth-led sector.

The Community Engagement stream also provides meaningful opportunities for volunteers and placement students to engage and contribute to FYI’s various programs and services.

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR

AMAZING VOLUNTEERS

FOR MAKING 2010

SUCH A SUCCESSFUL YEAR!


Youth Capacity Building Space1652 Keele St.

Toronto, OntarioM6M 3W3

Phone: 416-653-3311

The Bridge1669 Eglinton Ave. West

Toronto, OntarioM6E 2H4

Phone: 416-785-9900

Email:[email protected]


extreme makeover · 2013. 3. 7. · ress slowly-to aid the develop-ment of this prior-ity, it has...

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