ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2010
Harlan Schonfeld's speech at AGM 2010
Welcome everyone to the 96th annual general meeting of Family Service Toronto! My name is Harlan Schonfeld and I have the pleasure of being the president of the Board of Directors of this marvellous and enduring organization. It’s wonderful to see so many familiar faces here today. Thank you for joining us. Your participation in today’s celebration of our work of the past year reflects what wonderful supporters we really have!
It amazes me when I think that Family Service Toronto has worked to help people in our communities since 1914 when we were called the Neighbourhood Workers’ Association. Even though our name has changed, the principles that guide our core business have not – we are still here to support families and individuals....we are still here to help strengthen communities...and we are still here to advocate for social justice and reform by fighting for systemic solutions to structural problems such as poverty and inequity. I feel a tremendous affinity for FST’s values of inclusion, accessibility, diversity….equity…integrity….accountability...these are not merely concepts. They are tangible realities that live and breathe in this organization every single day.
I am proud of FST’s commitment to support individuals and families who are struggling… people who may feel that they have nowhere to turn until they find us and their lives change for the better.
When I see the impact this organization has on so many different people - from newcomers who are building new lives in Toronto, to older people who have lived their entire lives in this city - I truly believe that FST’s work makes it a better city for us all. Here are just a few highlights.
Our various programs and services span the city and are delivered in over 27 languages. Last year through our community and employee assistance programs, we touched the lives of 82,769 people, delivering 107,000 hours of service in the form of prevention, community-building and counselling. The impact of our work and the responsiveness of our programs and services is beautifully described in the current edition of our Catalyst Magazine. I encourage you to take it home and read it from cover to cover. In addition, you will find our Annual Report tucked into Catalyst, providing a complementary statistical and financial snapshot of 2009-2010.
These tremendous results are reflective of a dedicated and hard-working staff of 155 people who work in several locations across the city. Your commitment is truly inspiring and I congratulate you all! But…we couldn’t have done this work alone. This past year 293 volunteers and trainees contributed 6,713 hours and 23 students who were placed with FST, contributed 6,000 hours. We thank each and every one of our volunteers and students who shared their enthusiasm and energy and gave so generously of their time!
Last year was a year of action as we launched into year one of our three year strategic plan. Through our planning processes we worked to build on our strengths to ensure that our ability to support vulnerable people continued to be vigorous and focused for the next several years.
The board continued its journey to understand more deeply what it means to work from an inclusion and equity framework. We use inclusion, equity and access as a lens through which we plan and evaluate our work and express our core values. The board expanded its learning on these issues to keep moving forward to meet the challenges of our growing city.
The board also continued its journey to better governance in 2009. Various processes were implemented to heighten member engagement; expand our expertise of financial matters pertinent to this organization; gain a deeper understanding of the challenging world of FSEAP- Family Services Employee Assistance Programs, our very own social enterprise; and, absorb the inspirational work of Campaign 2000 as this national coalition looks to the future. The board continues to evolve and revel in the richness and complexity of its ongoing journey towards excellence in governance.
We are grateful to all our donors, funders and partners, and in particular United Way Toronto for their core funding. Donations and funding support helps us make a difference in people’s lives and allows us to keep the lights on at the same time.
And, finally, thank you for being here tonight, to share in FST’s vision and to show your ongoing confidence in our work. We are a strong and vibrant organization because of your personal investment in us.
