Looking ahead to 2018, and how we can serve in a relevant and compassionate way.
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Serving women and their families at many points in their lives is a privilege for our YWCA team, and the reason we have chosen our work here.
For me, our YWCA staff , and our board, January offers a time of renewal--as we look with fresh eyes at the needs in our community, and how we can serve in a relevant and compassionate way.
Early in my term as CEO at YWCA Saskatoon, my task was to make our strategic plan my own. Our plan continues to evolve and guide our work and helps us measure how far we have come. I began by working to understand our organization deeply, and see what our team observes and knows as they serve our clients.
Our organization is strongest when we are united in serving women and families in our community—and when we are closely linked to the community.
- We are continually working to remove barriers for our clients so we can be their safe place. Often, women and their families do not know where to turn for support. It’s our responsibility to coordinate our services and keep our clients as our priority. Our family outreach program is just one example of the difference we can make when we walk alongside a woman and her family in a truly supportive role.
- We are an active participant in collaborative discussions with the Safe Community Action Alliance to seek out solutions for issues in our community together with allies from the city, the health sector, the police service, and community based organizations.
- We felt called to create a safe space for a tough conversation on youth suicide, and were able to bring together a group of professionals who work in mental health and addictions services to speak on our recent panel at the YWCA.
- We were honoured to begin an important conversation about reconciliation in our community by bringing in a special guest speaker from Reconciliation Canada to present to our supporters and stakeholders.
- Partnering with and supporting other local organizations continues to be important to us, including the Saskatoon Sexual Assault Information Centre awareness week, the Saskatoon Women’s Coalition International Women’s Day event, the Saskatoon Open Door Society cultural swim and girls’ programming, and the ongoing Our Space youth drop-in programs with Big Brothers Big Sisters Saskatoon.
- Looking ahead to 2018, our organization is hosting an upcoming Blanket Exercise with an elder to build understanding of reconciliation among our staff and board members.
- Later, we are welcoming comedian Mary Walsh for our International Women’s Day comedy night at the Broadway Theatre.
- We are also planning to host Trauma Informed Care professional development for the YWCA staff team and extend this offering to other local organizations who can benefit. We are grateful to the donor who made this learning possible through the YWCA Ann Campbell Fund.
- We are continuing to address the challenges of our aging facilities and systems, making improvements to infrastructure including phones and software, and evaluating upcoming needs.
Through our holiday appeal, our wonderful donors raised over $90 thousand for programs at the YWCA. Thank you! This included generous corporate gifts, Adopt a Room pledges, social good fundraising events, and many personal gifts in response to our fundraising letter.
Thank you for your generosity and caring spirit. On behalf of our staff and board, we appreciate you for making our work possible! All the best for 2018.
Feel free to come visit me and our team at the YWCA. My door is always open.
Shannon Friesen, CEO
YWCA Saskatoon
P.S. If you have any questions about how your donation is making a difference for our clients, please contact us at (306) 244-7034. You can also learn more about how YWCA Saskatoon is putting your gift into action, plus find information about our mission, programs, and finances by visiting www.ywcasaskatoon.com/about-the-ywca.
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