The theme of this year’s Annual report is “Re- imagine”… and how can it not be? It speaks to the need to re-think and re-approach the important work we do as an organization, to address the changing needs of vulnerable young people in a world that is experiencing unprecedented changes. It speaks to recognizing that the impact of the many issues that we are being confronted with in our society today, post pandemic: higher prices for goods and services; a changing workforce and employment market; increased discussions about social inequities; greater housing unaffordability; growing mental health needs, to name just a few. While the need for our core services at 360°kids remain, (our 4 pillars) – Housing, Employment, Education and Well-being services – how we do this work and ensure effectiveness in reaching the youth and their families have been areas of focus for us over the past year.

This life-changing work we do for our young people can only happen through the commitment and dedication of an incredible staff team. We thank them for the often, thankless work they do, day in and day out. Over the past year, we’ve re-imagined ways to recognize and strengthen our staff teams which has included a comprehensive compensation review, one year ahead of schedule, which updated our pay structure to provide needed salary increases in keeping with the market and inflation and we were also able to provide improvements to our benefit plan. With the first phase of the implementation completed, we will be looking to continue this review in the year ahead.

We’re re-imagining our programs and services through a deeper focus on equity. Recognizing the importance of leadership as a key element to creating change, we engaged a consultant to work with our management team to help us better understand colonialism and oppression in its various forms and how they exist in societal structures and throughout our organization. There have been difficult and important conversations which will help us on our journey to being an equity-informed organization. As part of this journey, we’ve begun to systematically collect demographic data in our programs to better understand the youth we are serving, to determine how we can improve our services and to identify any gaps in our program delivery. One of the highlights in our equity work was the continued work of the Queer Agenda program which is providing training and space for discussions on 2SLGBTQ+ related issues. We are excited about the EDI commitment statement that has been reviewed by staff, endorsed by the Board, and will act as our compass to guide this work forward. This deeper focus on equity initiatives is embedded in our broader strategic priority around homelessness prevention and the importance of addressing some of the structural and systemic drivers that lead youth to homelessness— equity being one of them.

We were also excited by the funding from the United Way Greater Toronto and the Government of Canada through Reaching Home, Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Thanks to this funding, we were able to significantly expand our housing portfolio by acquiring a house in Richmond Hill. This acquisition has enabled us to add five more units to our Transitions program, which plays a crucial role in addressing the ever-increasing demand for affordable housing.

We’re also very proud of the work of our volunteer Board of Directors who have dedicated a significant amount of time to re imagine their governance role with the organization. Noteworthy achievements included, updating our By-Laws in light of the new ONCA (Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act) legislation, renewing of our corporate membership with ICD (Institute for Corporate Directors), working with the Senior Leadership Team to develop and implement a framework to identify and manage risk throughout the organization, active and engaged committees, all of whom helped the organization achieve a significant fundraising milestone with the 360°Experience, our signature fundraising event, surpassing our goal and achieving an unprecedented $500,000.

This type of success is only possible through committed leadership at the Board and staff level as well as, through the generosity of donors, partners and community members who are committed to improving the outcomes of our youth. We are so grateful to you all for your support. As we look to the year ahead, despite the challenges, we approach each new day with optimism. We know that COVID-19 has forever changed our world and that its impact will go on for some time. We will, however, stay true to our vision of a York Region where ‘every young person has a safe place to call home’, a goal which requires us to continue to challenge ourselves, and to keep re-imagining our efforts to improve the lives of the young people we serve.

On a final note, as the CEO, I would like to express my gratitude to Laura Williams, our Board Chair, who having served her full term on the Board, will be leaving her role as Chair and Board member at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on September 27. Laura had the unenviable task of leading the organization through the entire period of the pandemic, one of the most tumultuous periods that the world has encountered in recent memory. During this time, the organization has grown significantly, has a stronger governance framework and is well- prepared for the challenges ahead. On behalf of
the Board and staff of 360°kids, thank you Laura for your commitment to the organization and for your support.

Clovis Grant

Chief Executive Officer

Laura Williams

Chair, Board of Directors