|
2016: Year In Review
ABOUT US
WE ARE A DYNAMIC AND CREATIVE ORGANIZATION WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN ENGAGING YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE PROVIDE A PLACE FOR YOUTH TO FIND MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES. WE HELP YOUTH MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND BE ACTIVE, CARING CITIZENS. WE SUPPORT YOUTH IN BUILDING VALUABLE SKILLS FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT. WE GIVE YOUTH A VOICE. WE GROW YOUNG PEOPLE’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMUNITY. WE BUILD CALGARY’S LEADERS OF TODAY AND TOMORROW.
MISSION:
INSPIRING, ENGAGING AND CELEBRATING YOUTH THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.
VISION:
ALL YOUTH PARTICIPATE IN SHAPING A VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
VALUES:
WE BELIEVE THAT YOUTH ARE AWESOME!
WE HONOUR THE POWER OF THE YOUTH VOICE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUTH IN OUR SOCIETY.
WE VALUE A COMMUNITY IN WHICH ALL YOUTH ARE RESPECTED AND ENCOURAGED TO BE ACTIVE CITIZENS.
WE VALUE THE DIVERSITY, SKILLS, CREATIVITY AND TALENTS OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, PARTICIPANTS AND STAFF.
WE VALUE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR VISION AND MISSION.
Youth Central Programs
Youth Quotes
“Youth Central has provided me with so many unique opportunities such as meeting other like-minded youth, but of utmost importance what it has granted me can be encompassed with one word:
possibility.”
– Maggie
“There are people similar to me, people with the same goals, the same aspirations, people who work as hard as I do. That’s my favourite part about volunteering; it’s being part of a community with people like me.”
– Sarah
Suzy Moutinho
Board Chair
Chair Message
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Youth Central and its’ members, we wish you a new year filled with good health, happiness and peace on earth. Last year was an even more challenging year for Calgary due to the wet summer, the difficult labour market and the economy in general. However, Youth Central had an exciting year and continued to develop great community partners and provide leadership and volunteer opportunities for youth who add so much value to the communities in our beautiful city. Thanks to everyone who supported Youth Central whether it was with the gift of time as a volunteer, supporting events throughout the year or through generous donations. It is with great pride that we inform you that even during these difficult economic times; Youth Central achieved balanced financial results.
In the office, we were short staffed and therefore extremely busy running programs and leading groups. However, we still managed to deliver every program with great enthusiasm, engagement, and energy. Youth Central continues to be recognized by the community through various nominations and awards. In 2016, 82 youth volunteers received the International Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) Award for giving 100 hours in a year. In addition, we celebrated 5 youth volunteers who received the Ethic of Service Award for youth who have volunteered at least 500 hours with YVC in their career and another amazing Calgary youth volunteer currently holds the record for most volunteer hours served of any YVC! Youth Central also had a youth volunteer who received the Community Achievement award in the Youth category in the City of Calgary’s Calgary Award. Thank-you to all the youth who are making a tremendous difference in the community! In November, Youth Central was again nominated for the Western Legacy Awards, Sustained Contribution Group and one of our talented youth volunteers was nominated in the Youth category.
In the spring of 2016, Youth Central staff and board of directors worked on developing our new three-year strategic plan. We are excited about executing this strategic plan which places a greater focus on broadening engagement with all stakeholder groups, expanding Youth Central’s brand awareness, increased focus on superior programming and increasing financial sustainability. In addition to the strategic plan, Youth Central was selected to take part in The Calgary Foundation’s Resource Development Capacity Building pilot program. This pilot is proving to be a great catalyst for Youth Central and we are grateful for the opportunity and confident it will help us achieve our sustainability goals.
This past year we welcomed four new directors to our Board of Directors. With the new strategic plan, resource development plan and a talented and highly skilled team of directors, we are confident we will achieve and exceed our goals for 2017. Continuing to look ahead, 2017 is a notable year for Youth Central, as it is Youth Central’s 25th Anniversary! We are already well underway planning an event and profiling 25 years of alumni.
Once again, a tremendous thank you to the funders who make Youth Central programs possible and the support of new funders who joined the Youth Central family this past year. Youth Central is grateful for your generosity. Our commitment to you is that we will continue to excel at our programs with the wonderful staff and enthusiastic volunteers that work together to make us the organization of choice for youth volunteers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff, board members and volunteers for your amazing commitment and passion.
Youth Central Board of Directors
Board Chair :
Suzy Moutinho – Community Member
Vice Chair :
Mathew Burpee – Vice President, Lynx Equity
Secretary :
Sairose Kassam – Program Manager Homecare, CBI Home Health
Treasurer :
Russell Anderson – District Vice President, Prairie Region, TD Canada Trust
Directors:
Dean Allatt – Legal Counsel, ConocoPhillips Canada
Derek D. Fraser, CFRE – President, iDophilanthropy
Dean Koeller – President, Calvert Home Mortgage Investments Corporation
Elizabeth Lunney – Vice President, Portfolio Manager, Matco Financial Inc.
Jeff Lowe – VP Marketing, SMART Technologies
Julianne Rohel – People Champion, Keystone Excavating Ltd.
Leor Rotchild – Director, Do It Green (DIG)
Matt Grant – Associate in the Securities Group at Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP
Patti Wang – Business Analyst, McKinsey & Company
Steve Leitl – Senior Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Zaheed Damani – Medical Student, University of Calgary
Youth Central Staff
Penny Hume
Executive Director
Tasneem Zaman
Program Coordinator
Lisa Kindree
Co-Executive Director
Andrew Phung
Director of Special Projects
Ros Doi
Program Director
Sylvia Galica
Program Coordinator
Michelle Kemball
Program Coordinator
Marina Tonnellier
Program Coordinator
Jenn Gardiner
Program CoordinatorSignificant Events
Mayor’s Youth Council first ever High School Hackathon
MYC hosted a High School Hackathon, which was a two-day event where teams of high school students worked together, using the City of Calgary open data catalogue to create technology-based solutions to make City of Calgary amenities more accessible and inviting for youth. We had 70 participants and cash prizes totalling over $1500.
YVC In-Schools presentation
Our in-school presentations reached even more audiences this past year. Increasing by 65%, Youth Central was able to engage over 11,000 students in the 2016 program year.
World Changer Award
Leo recently broke the record for the most hours served with YVC affiliates in USA and Canada's. Leo has served 1,225 hours with our YVC program so far, and he’s still volunteering and racking up even more hours.
YVC Steering Committee partners with Canadian Mental Health Association
The Speak Your Mind project was promoted by CMHA for its #NowImStronger campaign. Speak Your Mind is a YVC project aimed at normalizing the topic of mental health. The project shows people dealing with mental illness in attempt to make people feel comfortable discussing mental health.
TD Earth Ambassadors Hydroponic Garden
Youth Earth Ambassadors spent the winter of 2016 constructing a vertical hydroponic garden. Once constructed, this 3 ft. indoor garden became home to 15 seedlings. After growing lettuce and spinach, the group grew seedlings of basil and dill, which were later planted in the herb section of the Parkdale Community Garden.
Calgary Awards
Andrew was awarded Community Achievement in the Youth category in the City of Calgary’s Calgary Award in 2016. As a long time volunteer with Youth Central, Andrew was involved in our YVC and MYC programs. Andrew helped to lead the Community Initiatives sub-committee. Andrew also spearheaded The Speak Your Mind Project.
Registration Fee
Youth Central implemented a registration fee for youth in September 2015. While this change was necessary to ensure the long term sustainability of Youth Central, it also ensures that our programs not only continue to be available to all local youth, but are stronger than ever.
YVC World Changer Awards
Another record broken, Jessica, has volunteered 1082 hours with YVC in Calgary! She’s only in grade 11 and will serve even more hours with YVC before she ages out of the program.
YVC Day 2016 - Happiness Avenue
Youth volunteers created “Happiness Avenue,” flooding Stephen Ave and the downtown core with happiness. With over 40 volunteers holding signs encouraging happiness and giving away paper hearts with kind messages, we know we made a huge impact. People high-fived our volunteers, honked their horns, and shared kind messages to our volunteers.
Youth Quotes
“I’ve met so many people who do incredible things. People who started initiatives and implemented them into the community – it definitely inspires you to do that kind of thing yourself.”
– Chloe
“It doesn’t even feel like it’s volunteering or doing work. It feels like you’re hanging out with your friends and this was the activity you chose to do”
– Hui Wen
Collaborating Organizations
Afrikadey!
Alberta Cancer Foundation
Alberta Theatre Projects
Arbour Lake Community Association
Arusha Centre
Auburn Bay Residents Association
Bethany Care Calgary
Between Friends
Bishop O’Byrne Housing Association
Calgary Board of Education – Cinderella Project
Calgary & District Labour Council
Calgary Dream Centre
Calgary Humane Society
Calgary Japanese Festival O’Matsuri
Calgary Neighbourhoods Society
Calgary Public Library
Calgary Reggae Festival Society
Calgary Tour de Nuit Society
Calgary United Games Association
Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden & Prehistoric Park
Canadian Children’s Brain Cancer Foundation
Canwest Productions
Canyon Meadows School Council
C.A.R.E. Society – Nurture Yourself Program
Carewest-Alberta Health Services
Children’s Hospital Aid Society
Chinook Park/Kelvin Grove/Eagle Ridge Community
City Chase
Closer to Home Community Services
Cranston Residents Association
Daraja Foundation
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alberta
Distress Centre
Doing it Green (DIG)
Dubasov Dance & Wellness Inc.
Fairview Community Association
Federation of Calgary Communities
Food for Peace
Fort Calgary
Grow Calgary
Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta
Haysboro Community Association
Hellenic Society of Calgary
Heritage Park Historical Society
Hispanic Arts Society
HIV Community Link
Holy Trinity Anglican Church
Inn from the Cold
Intercare Corporate Group
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Southern
Alberta
The Kidney Foundation of Canada-Southern
Alberta Branch
Kleos MFG
L’Arch Association of Calgary
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
LINKages Society of Alberta
LPI Group
Mahogany HOA Volunteer Committee
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Marda Loop BRZ
Marketplace Events
Mid-Sun Community Association
MindFuel
New Brighton Residents Association
North Glenmore Park Community Centre
Ontologic
Operation Eyesight
Parkinson Society Canada – Alberta
Parkland Community Centre
Propellus
Prostate Cancer Society
Pulse Studios
Rare Genomics Institute Calgary
Ranchlands Community Association
Renfrew Community Association
Repsol Sport Centre
Richmond Knob Hill Community Association
Rotary Club of Calgary
Rotary Club of Calgary South
Run for Little Ones
Salvation Army Community Services Calgary
Sien Lok Society of Calgary
Silvera for Seniors
Southwood Community Association
Sunrise Community Link Resource Centre
Telus Spark
Temple Community Association
Ujamaa Grandmas
University of Calgary
Urban Productions
Weaselhead Glenmore Preservation Society
West Hillhurst Community Association
Wildwood Community Centre
WinSport
WP Puppet Theatre
YMCA Calgary
Funders
THANK YOU FOR GENEROUSLY SUPPORTING YOUTH CENTRAL THIS PAST YEAR. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO DONATE.
$50,000+
$25,000-$49,999
$10,000-$24,999
Birdies for Kids; presented by AltaLink, Children’s Hospital Aid Society; Dick and Lois Haskayne Fund at The Calgary Foundation; Government of Canada – Canada Summer Jobs; Great-West Life, London Life, and Canada Life; RC Bishop of the Diocese of Calgary – Catholic Charities; The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation; Trico Charitable Foundation; United Way of Calgary and Area
$5,000-$9,999
CIBC; Galvin Family Fund at The Calgary Foundation; Nickle Family Foundation; The Rotary Club of Calgary East
$1.00 – $4,999
Adam Nalepa; Adil Lalani; Aida Rafie; Alan and Geri Moon; Alliance Pipeline; Andrea Moores; Anonymous; Ashley Ward; ATCO EPIC Campaign; Bankview Community Association; Benevity; Brad Nathan; Cailean David; Calgary Youth Foundation Fund – Youth Central at the Calgary Foundation; Canwest Productions Inc.; Carmen Cheng and Dong Kim; Carol Armes; Cassandra Calder; CBI Home Health (AB) Limited Partnership; Cenovus Energy Inc.; Charles Fischer and Joanne Cuthbertson; Christopher Coles in honour of Luke Coles; Christopher Jones; Cindy Nathan; Clippers Pet Grooming; Connie and Eric Morris; ConocoPhillips Canada; Cremers and Elliott Chartered Accountants; Daniel Morgan; Danny Wai; David Khan; Dean Allatt; Debra Milimaka Miles; Derek Fraser; Do It Green (DIG); Doug and Nancy Foster; Edith Phillips-Ehrhardt; Elarbe Professional Services Inc.; Evan Galbraith; Franklin Templeton Investments; FS Financial Strategies – Mission of Care; Gail Urquhart Consulting; Gareth Perry; Geoffrey Brisbin; George and Edith Parekh; Gerry Moon; Greg Quinn; Gwyneth Midgley; Hannah Roskey; Harris Kirshenbaum; Harry & Martha Cohen Foundation; Jane Hurley; Jean Lee; Jeanne Strangeland; Jeffrey Ip; Jeffrey Mehr; Jemison Jackson; Jennifer Acevedo; Jennifer and Ryan England; Jim Gray; Joanna Lipfeld; Joanne Luu; Jodi Miller; John C Drysdale; John Sanche; John Schroder; Joseph Pamic; Judith Hoad; Kaitlin Gordon; Kathryn Waslen; Kathy Chan; Kathy Leew; Keum-Joo Min; Kit Chan; Kyle Olsen; Lane Quinn Benefit Consultants Ltd.; Linda MacNamara; Lindsay Sinclair in honour of Jay & Viviane Mehr; Linna Morgan; Lisa Kindree; Louise Kindree; Lynn and Thomas Rafter; Mark Parekh; Marketpalce Events; Mathew Burpee; Matt Grant; Michele Thomas; Michelle Kemball; Monika Siegmund Savage; Murlyne Fong; Patti Phelps; Paul Lee; Pembine Pipelines; Penny Hume; Pepsico; Peter Burpee; Purdy’s Chocolatier; Renee Chernecki; Rita Bovon; Rob Gray; Rob Martz; Robert Schuett; Roderick and Sally Munro; Ros Doi; Russell Anderson; Russell Weninger; Ryan Duerr; Sarah Elder-Chamanara; Sean Baylis; Sergio Montanez; Shanlee von Vegesack; Shawn Freeman; Sherry and Gino Ferronato; Shirley Smith; SMART Technologies; Stephanie Ho Lem; Steve Leitl; Suncor Energy Foundation; Suzy Moutinho; Sylvia Galica; Tabatha Boot; Tasha Cadotte; The GloMar Group; Thomas Chan; Tiara Folkes; Tristan Bray; Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt Calgary; TWT Group; Wentao Li; WingFest; WinSport Canada
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list, however if you discover any errors, omissions or you would like to be removed, please call 403-266-5448 or email lisa@youthcentral.com.