12 June 2, 2012 - ObserverXtra

THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 2012
Woolwich Counselling
Centre the recipient
of $25,000 award
FREE
JAMES JACKSON
The Woolwich Counselling
Centre (WCC) has
been named the recipient
of the 2012 Social Venture
Partners Waterloo Region
(SVPWR) Investee award.
With the award comes
guaranteed funding of
$25,000 per year over the
next three to five years,
along with mentorship and
guidance from more than
50 partners with SVPWR.
“We’re pretty thrilled,”
said Mary Wilhelm, executive
director of the centre.
SVPWR launched back
in 2010 using a business
model created in Seattle,
Washington in 1997 by Paul
Brainerd. His vision was
to build a philanthropic
community that leveraged
venture capital practices,
meaning a group of partners
pool not only their
money – a minimum donation
of $5,000 is required
per year – but also their
technical or vocational
skills to help communitybased
organizations grow.
“The $25,000 is important
but it goes way beyond
that. The other pieces are
very attractive,” said Willhelm.
“We’re not just about
writing a cheque,” added
Jennifer King, executive
director of SVPWR. “Along
with the grant comes the
expertise of our partners.”
Woolwich councillors
have yet to weigh in on a
controversial hiring, which
saw a newly-created staff
position filled by a friend of
the mayor. Now the township
faces the possibility of
going through the process
two months later, as the
new employee’s work visa is
set to expire.
Councillors, however, say
personnel matters are left
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CATHY DIAMOND
PHARMACIST
NEWS | 3
STEVE KANNON
Councillors take hands-off stance in hiring controversy
STEVE KANNON
That expertise can range
from a marketing and business
background to promote
the investee, to legal
and fundraising assistance
as well.
“It really is a partnership,”
King said. “We believe
in the idea that we
can accomplish more by
pooling our money and our
time.”
In three years the SVPWR
will reexamine the progress
of each investee and decide
if they wish to continue
funding them. They also
perform annual evaluations
of the program to see how
the groups are progressing
and how the funds are being
used.
WCC provides various
counseling programs and
services to support the
needs of the people of Waterloo
Region, with a focus
on youth and children.
They help about 160 kids
per year with issues ranging
from grief and loss to
autism, and Willhelm hopes
that number will climb to
at least 200 with this increased
funding.
As far as dedicated funds
for children are concerned,
the group receives a donation
from the United Way
as well as $15,000 from Wallenstein
Feed every year,
so $25,000 of guaranteed
funding every year over the
AWARD | 6
to staff; the situation has
not been the subject of a
formal discussion, nor are
there plans to question the
decision to hire someone in
the country on a temporary
visa set to expire in mid-
June.
Saskia Koning, a South
African citizen, beat out
some 120 other candidates
to win the executive assistant’s
position, starting the
job Apr. 26. It was to be a
three-year contract.
LINWOOD STUDENTS GREEN THEIR SPACE
Students at Linwood Public School,
including Grade 8 Green Team
members Shaylen Jones (left),
Chantelle Weber, Julia Lee, Johnny
Metzger, and Emma Weber (back)
participated in the school’s sixth
annual spring plant in the schoolyard
Monday. The event included four
new trees, 24 new shrubs, and 21
new perennials as part of the awardwinning
environmental sanctuary.
[JAMES JACKSON / THE OBSERVER]
Chief administrative
officer David Brenneman
said this week there’s been
no change in Koning's visa
situation. It’s likely she’ll
have to leave the post, sending
the township back to
square-one in the hiring
process.
Brenneman and Mayor
Todd Cowan, who was
involved in the hiring process,
deemed Koning the
best-qualified candidate.
Without her application,
the township had considered
re-advertising for the
position, deeming all the
other applications ill-suited
to the job.
"If the position becomes
vacant the only additional
costs that will need to be
incurred will be associated
with the recruitment
process," said Cowan in an
email.
"It should be noted that
had the township not hired
Ms. Koning, we would have
proceeded to re-advertise
the position and incurred
those costs regardless."
Koning’s own résumé,
however, does not seem to
fit the qualifications stipulated
by the township when
it advertised for an executive
assistant to the mayor/
council and corporate
communications assistant.
Brenneman said he is satisfied
with her background
and experience.
Officials have also de-
Church
added to
Woolwich
heritage
register
Shuttered, the last
service having taken
place at the end of 2011,
Chalmers Presbyterian
Church remains a Winterbourne
landmark, one
advocates say deserves
preservation. They found
a receptive audience in
Woolwich councillors, who
this week agreed to include
the building on its Municipal
Heritage Register.
The inclusion of the
church as a “listed building
of interest” affords it some
protection, and perhaps
paves the way for a full-on
heritage designation.
Built in 1870, the structure
has essentially remained
unchanged over
the last 142 years, serving
as a Presbyterian church.
In December, however, the
church closed its doors due
to a declining membership.
In January, some 60 residents
worried the building
could be lost to demolition
if the property is sold,
petitioned the township to
preserve the building.
“In smaller communities
like Winterbourne, there
are usually a few structures
CHURCH | 7
clined to discuss the pay
scale for an administrative
assistant’s job – $43,000 to
$53,000 a year, plus generous
benefits – that are out
of line with HRSDC data
for similar jobs in the private
sector. The township
position pays about 50 per
cent above private-sector
averages for administrative
assistance jobs – about
$35,000 – and much more
HIRE | 6
SAMER MIKHAIL
PHARMACIST /OWNER
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