Visit www.ilcwr.org to access: ●ILCWR Annual Reports ●Audited Financial Statements ●The Imagine Canada Ethical Code Handbook ●ILCWR’s Agency Fundraising Policy and more! A Message from the ILCWR Board.............. 2 A Message from the Executive Director.......3 Spotlight On...Joan!.....4 The 15 th Annual Tournament of Hope....5 ACCESS 2012...............6 The Region of Waterloo’s 2012 Accessibility Plan.........7 THE FORUM AUGUST 2011 Inside... “Together, Freedom Through Access and Choice” APRIL 2012 An Important Message to Our Supporters T he Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region places a high value on maintaining trustworthiness in our relationship with our donors. Without your support, we would not be able to achieve our mission of helping people with disabilities achieve independence in our community. We thank you for your dedication to, and confidence in, the good work that we do. We believe that transparency and accountability are both essential elements of our success. With this in mind, the Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region has recently joined Imagine Canada’s Ethical Code Program! The Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code lays out a set of standards for charitable organizations to manage and report their financial affairs responsibly. By adhering to these standards, we are complying with generally accepted practices for soliciting and managing donor dollars. After all, our supporters are entitled to the highest possible degree of transparency and impact when investing in us. If you have any questions about our adherence to the Ethical Code, please feel free to call ILCWR Head Office at (519)571-6788, or visit our website where you can download a variety of materials related to our financial accountability. Thank you for your ongoing support! Find us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/ilcwr Follow us on Twitter! @ILCWR Watch us on YouTube! www.youtube.com/ilcwr Keep in Touch! www.ilcwr.org
The Region of Waterloo’s 2012 Accessibility Plan .........7
THE FORUMAUGUST 2011
Inside...
“Together, Freedom Through Access and Choice”
APRIL 2012
An Important Message to Our Supporters
The Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region places a high
value on maintaining trustworthiness in our relationship with our donors. Without your support, we would not be able to achieve our mission of helping people with disabilities achieve independence in our community. We thank you for your dedication to, and confidence in, the good work that we do. We believe that transparency and accountability are both essential elements of our
success. With this in mind, the Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region has recently joined Imagine Canada’s Ethical Code Program! The Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code lays out a set of standards for charitable organizations to manage and report their financial affairs responsibly. By adhering to these standards, we are complying with generally accepted practices for soliciting and managing donor dollars. After all, our supporters are entitled to the highest possible degree of transparency and impact when investing in us. If you have any questions about our adherence to the Ethical Code, please feel free to call ILCWR Head Office at (519)571-6788, or visit our website where you can download a variety of materials related to our financial accountability. Thank you for your ongoing support!
Find us on Facebook!www.facebook.com/ilcwr
Follow us on Twitter! @ILCWR
Watch us on YouTube!www.youtube.com/ilcwr
Keep in Touch!www.ilcwr.org
Easier said than done, of course. Servant leadership is especially important for non-profit organizations with core values such as teamwork and dignity, and requires a vision and understanding of identity and mission to be successful. A servant leader is someone who makes it a priority to solve problems and conflicts in a way that supports each team member, and has the self-awareness and foresight to see not only the whole picture, but the long-term one. As Greenleaf himself noted in The Institution as Servant (1970): “The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” Given ILCWR’s mission, vision, and values, of course, there is a particular resonance to this test. Cooperation, trust, empathy, service to others, ethical use of power: these are also ideals that drive excellence in governance, regardless of whether it is within the scope of the CEO or the board. If the model of governance (in this case, the Carver model) is the framework—the concept within servant leadership informs its content. The concept of servant leadership helps us define our jobs, and is a framework for evaluation and discipline. But, significantly, it’s also something that goes beyond the boardroom.
Yours sincerely,
Taposhi Batabyal, President,ILCWR Board of Directors
APRIL 2012
2
An Interesting Concept in Non-Profit Leadership
It’s what both board and CEO
are called upon to do. Much is said and written about effective leadership, but cutting through all the management jargon and boring generalities is the concept of servant leadership.
This concept was first proposed by a man named Robert Greenleaf, and adopted as part of a governance model for boards by John Carver. It places both boards and CEOs (or Executive Directors) in a position of responsible stewardship; both are expected to hold their organizations in trust for the greater good of society and the community at large.
Naturally, it is a more participative, collaborative type of leadership. Greenleaf pointed out that it comes from a desire to serve, as opposed to needing the power trip of autocratic leadership, or from a desire to feel superior and control everyone else. After all, one of the hallmarks of a good leader is to encourage and enable others to achieve their full potential, because the highest success of those around you is your own success.
Taposhi Batabyal,Board President
“...the highest success of those around you is your
own success. “
APRIL 2012 APRIL 2012
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A Message from the Executive Director
Bil Smith, Executive Director
Warm Spring
Greetings (and Happy New Year!) As the calendar changes to April, we find ourselves at the beginning of a new funding year that is full of exciting
possibilities. Plans are in full swing for both the 15th Annual Tournament of Hope Golf Classic and ACCESS 2012. These events raise community awareness of accessibility issues and the impact of our Centre. They also raise funds that help people with disabilities achieve independence. Please read more about them in the issue and consider participating in any way you can. I am very pleased to announce that the Board of the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network passed a motion to confirm an ongoing investment in our Outreach Program for older adults with physical disabilities. While this isn’t new money for our Centre, it is a strong vote of confidence from our partners at the LHIN and an acknowledgement of the direct and preventative impact ILCWR has on the greater health system. We look forward to continuing to work with our community partners to expand this program further in the coming years. Over the past several months, we have restructured our management team to focus on quality, increasing efficiency, and most importantly improving the service we provide to both our consumers and staff. As we begin the new fiscal year,
Angela Korn will move into the role of Director of Business Services, Daryl Nancekivell will become the Director of Service and Laura Sparks will move into the new role of Director of Human Resources. Prior to joining ILCWR last fall, Laura worked in HR and Organizational Development in the health care field and brings many valuable skills to the table.
Paula Saunders, formerly our Community Support Services Director, will take on the role of Director of Access and Awareness. The new department name is more reflective of the work done by Paula and her team, and the impact they have on the community as a whole. Please welcome all of these people to their new roles as they help to make ILCWR the great place that it is. As we move into this ‘new’ year, we have much to be thankful for, and are very optimistic. In addition to the solid and growing investments from all levels of government, a growing number of individuals and businesses are coming on board and pledging their support for the good work we do. On behalf of our Board, our staff, and the people to whom we provide service, thank you so much for your continued support.
Bil Smith, Executive DirectorIndependent Living Centre of Waterloo Region
“...we have much to be thankful for, and are very
optimistic.”
APRIL 2012
4
Joan was very young when her heart went out to help others. It was wartime, and mothers would
often leave young ones alone when they had to work. She recalls asking her mother for soup to take to their homes so she could feed, bath, and put them to bed as they had been playing outdoors most of the day. Joan decided very early in her life that she wanted to be a nurse, but being the oldest of the four siblings in her household, she knew that was impossible. Instead, she inherited the role of Postmistress in St. Agatha; a position she held for 18 years. Interestingly, that makes this her second retirement of her lifetime—and only after the first in 1991 did she find her true calling with ILCWR.
“It was the desire of my life, and I accomplished it
by working for ILC.” “I always felt the need to help,” Joan says today. And as an attendant with the Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region for over twenty years, she has had a wonderful opportunity to do just that. “I have learned so much,” Joan said in a phone interview two weeks before her retirement. “I felt competent with the training that was available, and so inspired by what the consumers could do for themselves. As an attendant, I felt like a nurse providing hands-on assistance and helping people who needed help. It was the desire of my life, and I accomplished it by working for ILC.” For Joan, the work was always satisfying, but the relationships she cultivated through her work were equally important. “To this day, all of my
[consumers] have become friends,” she says. “You couldn’t ask for nicer people.” April 5th will be both a solemn and a celebratory day for Joan. She will be celebrating her 80th birthday, but will also be retiring from her work as an ILCWR attendant. In retirement, Joan looks forward to keeping in touch with the consumers she has worked with over the years, as well as spending quality time with her grandchildren. She also continues to volunteer at Nithview Home in New Hamburg, where she is able to maintain her lifelong tradition of helping others. When told how she would be sorely missed by her friends at the Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region, Joan replied with quiet modesty. “I have received so much more from ILCWR than ILCWR has received from me.” “To be honest,” she added, “I always felt guilty taking the paycheck.”
Spotlight On...Joan!
Have you seen the new ILCWR web video, “Spotlight On...Sharron!”?
Visit www.ilcwr.org to watch this great ILCWR story!
APRIL 2012 APRIL 2012
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The Tournament of Hope is a fun event dedicated to raising funds for compassionate causes through
camaraderie, fellowship and the spirit of helping those in our community with a significant, specific need.
By joining us for a great day of golf, you are helping to address a great need in our community to provide much-needed assistance to people with disabilities who often “slip through the cracks”. Your contribution is always appreciated and makes an immediate impact on the lives of the people we assist.
And of course, it’s never a bad idea to gettogether with friends for an amazing day ofgolf!
The 15th Annual Tournament of Hope Golf Classic
TournamentofH PE
G o l f C l a s s i c
You Can Help!There are many ways in which you
can contribute to the Tournament of Hope. You can become a sponsor or give a donation, register to golf and
tell your friends!
For more information contact(519) 571-6788
www.tournamentofhope.ca
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13th, 2012Grand Valley Golf & Country Club
Register early!
Join us for another enjoyable round of golf as we raise funds for deserving people in our community. Now 15 years into our tournament, we are proud to have helped 119 individuals directly in Waterloo Region by raising more than $318,000!
We have achieved this through the good fellowship and support of hundreds of participants, sponsors, volunteers and supporters.
• Four-person team scramble format• Men’s, Women’s and Mixed (2 men 2 women) teams
Featuring a Friday Evening Performance by Canadian
singer/songwriter...
Justin HinesIn support of his new album,
“Days to Recall,” available now!
Sponsored By...
A two-day trade show featuring the best in accessible products and services for people with disabilities and their
families!
Friday, September 21 & Saturday, September 22, 2012Kitchener Auditorium
APRIL 2012 APRIL 2012
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The Region of Waterloo’s 2012 Accessibility Plan
It’s a good year to be living in the Waterloo Region. On February 8, 2012, our Regional Council adopted the 2012 Accessibility Plan, which
highlights planned accessibility initiatives for the coming year, and reports on the status of items outlined in the 2011 Accessibility Plan. The Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region is pleased to see impacts of its own efforts within the pages of the Accessibility Plan. For example, the Region used our Beyond Barriers program to train Region of Waterloo staff and the officers of Waterloo Regional Police Services in Accessible Customer Service—an activity which is mentioned frequently in the summary of last year’s initiatives. In addition, both Taposhi Batabyal, ILCWR’s Board President, and Paula Saunders, Director of Access and Awareness, serve on the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC), which had a major role in
producing the 2012 Accessibility Plan. A major focus of Waterloo Region’s new Accessibility Plan is the Integrated Accessibility Standard, passed under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). This standard, which incorporates Information & Communication, Transportation and Employment considerations, inspired the inclusion of the following highlights of the 2012 Accessibility Plan:
●Implementation of the TextNet program to answer all incoming TTY calls to the Region of Waterloo.
●Launch of the redesigned Region of Waterloo website, along with four additional websites, all of which will meet the W3Cs WCAG 2.0 AA level of accessibility.
●Creation and implementation of an educational campaign to raise awareness of service animals, for both Regional staff and for members of the public.
●Successful implementation of the AODA Customer Service Standards for Waterloo Regional Police Services.
●Planned implementation of over 30 provisions of the AODA Integrated Accessibility Standard throughout 2012.
ILCWR is proud to be a member of a community which is so dedicated to accessibility for its citizens, and we hope the Region of Waterloo will to be a leader in accessibility for the province of Ontario. The full 2012 Accessibility Plan is available for download in PDF format from the Region of Waterloo’s website: www.regionofwaterloo.ca/accessibility.
AUGUST 2011APRIL 2012 ILCWR PROGRAMS AND STAFF
Executive Director - Bil SmithDirector of Business Services - Angela KornDirector of Human Resources - Laura SparksEmployee Health Coordinator - Christina ChurchillHuman Resources Coordinator - Doug Boucher Finance Coordinator - Tracy SpencerExecutive Assistant/Community Relations - Andrew PosenReceptionist - Jim Ducharme
Director of Access and Awareness - Paula SaundersBeyond Barriers Coordinator - Vanessa HenrichsKids on the Block Coordinator - Angelika WernerPeer Resource & Advocacy Coordinator - Dan LajoieDirect Funding Coordinator - Lorene Collingwood
Director of Service - Daryl NancekivellOutreach & In-Home Respite Supervisor - Cindy GuyOutreach Supervisor - Lise HancockOutreach Supervisor - Sandy StaufferProgram Support - Leanne Schade Program Support - Heather Marsh
SHAMROCK - WATERLOO - (519) 746-1312 To Be Announced, Spring 2012
MOOREGATE - KITCHENER - (519) 745-5949 Allan Russell - Project Supervisor
