Our Commitment
A Message from the Executive Director
As an organization, we are coming out of a time that was full of strong growth and resulted in many significant changes in the communities that our programs and services operate in.
The Club continues to evolve as it seeks to meet the challenges and needs of the 1,300 children and youth that the Club serves annually.
Strategic Plan
In 2012, the Club sought expertise on how to how to efficiently allocate our efforts, capital, and human resources to maximize the impact of programs and services on our families. We consulted with families, members, our community partners, neighbours, front line staff, volunteers and alumni to make an informed Five-Year Strategic Plan, to illuminate the path ahead and help us create the ultimate winning conditions for our young people, so that they are empowered to achieve their dreams.
In addition to closing the gap in the capital funding, our vision is to be viewed as the go-to-community hub for coordination and provision of youth services in the downtown east, while looking at how the Club can secure a permanent west end site, comparable to the facility at 101 Spruce Street.
Community Safety
The Club is also making strides in terms of Community Safety.The Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs is one of 10 community organizations that form the Regent Park Social Development Planning Table, many of whom work with children, youth and families in Toronto's downtown east community. Regent Park is one of Toronto's most under-served communities that has been greatly impacted by ongoing gun violence.
During the school day, when a violent or potentially harmful situation erupts, the police have a set of protocols that they follow to ensure the safety of local school students and staff members who could potentially be in harm's way. Presently, the police are unable to communicate with community agencies due to a number of issues, largely due to the fact that there are too many changing points of contact. This has, and continues, to put hundreds of children, families and agency staff at-risk of becoming accidental victims.
Our 24 Seat Passenger Bus, funded in part by the Ontario Government
Through partnerships with Cisco Systems, the Paloma Foundation,
the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Salesforce Foundation and Economical Insurance, the Club has been able to continue to build capacity for creating safe spaces for young people in the downtown east.
I invite you to review some of the highlights of our Five-Year Strategic Plan, explore our 2013 Report to the Community and join us on this journey as we help create thriving communities.