Annual report of the Executive director of the youville centre
Our support of the educational efforts of our students, former students, and their families is becoming a trademark of Youville Centre and evidence of our commitment to life-long learning.
In June, Youville Centre honoured 18 young women at our annual Graduation ceremony. We were happy to highlight the achievements of 16 graduates who obtained secondary school Diplomas. In addition, we celebrated 2 honorary graduates who have been accepted as mature applicants into post-secondary programs at Algonquin College. Youville also acknowledged McHugh's first successful apprenticeship candidate and awarded scholarships to 7 alumnae entering the second or third year of post-secondary studies at College or University. Three children of former students received $1,000 bursaries as they begin post-secondary programs. Our support of the educational efforts of our students, former students, and their families is becoming a trademark of Youville Centre and evidence of our commitment to life-long learning.
Mental Health counselling services remain available to our young mothers four days a week thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The 3-year funding from Trillium will end in December 2009. On-site addiction counselling is provided through a wonderful partnership with Sandy Hill Community Health Centre, Funding for addictions counselling is provided by the Ministries of Health and Child and Youth Services.
The social outreach and christian education Fund
For the second year, Youville is able to access funding through the Social Outreach and Christian Education Fund at St. Bartholomew Anglican Parish. Because of the generosity and community outreach of this Parish, our Centre will be able to continue to employ a front-line outreach worker to provide short-term counselling and support services directly to our students even outside regular hours.
The Marion Dewar Annual Defender of the Public Good Award
The Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPC), with whom Marion Dewar collaborated over the years, has established an award in her name, to highlight and honour other Ottawans who share her vision, compassion, and dedication.
The SPC, itself, has been working hard for more than 80 years, to help make Ottawa a better place to live.
The SPC is a non-profit organization whose staff and many volunteers are committed to drawing attention to important community needs and supporting groups as they work together to effectively address social and economic issues that affect their lives.
The Marion Dewar Annual Defender of the Public Good Award recognizes individuals in our city who have worked hard for social justice who have given their time and energy towards building communities in which people's differences are respected and all are encouraged to participate.
Judith Sarginson, the Executive Director of the Youville Centre, was one of the recipients this year of this prestigious award. As the award pointed out, our Director is a person who leads by example and "lives social justice daily". A committed educator, she has spent a lifetime helping young women and mothers learn critical child care skills.
Congratulations for a job superbly well done.
Partnerships benefit our clientele
Youville continues to foster partnerships with community agencies to provide a variety of programs and services to benefit our clientele. We are continually responding to the ever-changing needs of our young families.
“We are continually responding to the ever-changing needs of our young families.”
This past year we have promoted staff professional development in a number of areas: peri-natal Childbirth Education; Reflective Practice research; Infant Mental Health certification; program evaluation; and team- building. We are especially proud of our involvement in an anti-violence program entitled In Love and In Danger. Our staff and students have assumed leadership roles in this city-wide project. We are pleased to be contributing to the community in Ottawa, a community that is so supportive of our work with at-risk teens.
Youville is fortunate to receive on-going funding from the United Way to support our Alumnae Support Program. This past year a part-time coordinator has overseen the needs of former students and the program has expanded to include support for continued education and employability readiness.
Youville Centre is always grateful for the support provided to us by the Ministries of Education, Health and Long-term Care, Community and Social Services, Children and Youth Services, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the United Way. Thanks to their financial support, we are better able to fulfill our mandate of serving at-risk teen parents. We are also indebted to foundations, community, group and individual donors who make our work more effective through their support.
I am grateful to our volunteer Board of Directors who work tirelessly on behalf of our clientele and their families. They continue to advocate for our Centre, serve on committees, attend meetings, sponsor events, represent our Centre in the community and support the work performed by our staff. Their individual and collective commitment to our Centre contributes in large part to support the successes we have achieved to date.
- Judith Sarginson. Executive Director, The Youville Centre