ANNUAL REPORT 2011 - Resource Assistance for Youth

ANNUAL REPORT 2011

thank you!2 ANNUAL REPORT 2011

about RaY / services / missionRaY is dedicated to being a progressive, responsive and community based service foryouth in Winnipeg. As a frontline service organization RaY seeks to provide servicesthat meet the emergent and long-term needs of youth experiencing homelessness. Theenvironment that RaY provides is welcoming, accepting, voluntary, has a harm reduction focusand is client centered. In addition to frontline services the organization actively accepts itsrole in system-based advocacy, education, research and cutting-edge program development.Today, RaY is one of a handful of community-based organizations that support youth who arehomeless in Winnipeg. Working out of their 125 Sherbrook Street site, RaY provides a variety ofservices that include:• Basic needs supports• Primary health care• Mental health support• Addictions support• Transitional housing• Tenancy support• Life skills training• Eviction prevention• Systems navigation• Advocacy and support• Job readiness training and support• Employment experience• Art, culture and recreation activitiesTo provide youth with what they need,on their terms, to better their lives.4 ANNUAL REPORT 2011

one great boardRESOURCE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH 7

A Year of Growth andImprovementThis year has been one of profound renewal.In the latter part of 2011 senior staff and Boardof Directors convened to determine the futuredirection for our organization. Out of that meetingfour strategic goals were established thathave acted as our guiding benchmarks for 2012.The goals are as follows:• Continue to seek out revenue in an effort tosecure financial stability for the organization• To engage in succession and transitionplanning for board, staff and the overallorganization• Ensure agency growth occurs in a measuredresponse to service demand• Develop RaY’s profile as a leader in theprovince with regard to ourwork with homeless and street entrenchedyouthIn an effort to acheive these goals, a new administrativemodel was conceived, developedwith the help of Suzanne Gessler, and implementedto support, and extend RaY’s capacity.The primary response to achieving the goalswere the installation of two new administrativepositions: Director of Research and Planning, andDirector of Development and Communication.Through the addition of these two newpositions, we have successfully created theopportunity to meet and balance the demandfor service excellence, financial sustainability,and the demand for thorough reporting, pro-8 ANNUAL REPORT 2011gram evaluation and relevant researchto substantiate agency funding requirementsand the issues we see every day.With the addition of highly skilled administrativesupport, we have decreased the overall administrativeburden to the existing administrativeteam which in turn has allowed us to focus onour original central intention - direct serviceto the youth. This addition of (wo)manpowerhas increased our capacity to find additionalresources for the youth and our agency, multipliedour efforts to promote RaY’s good work,and has improved our capacity to perform professionalplanning - all without the requirementof any additional funding. The overarchingaim is for the executive team to achieve sustainabilityfor these additional positions overthe course of this pilot year. So far so good.Along with a focus on the above mentionedstrategic priorities, we have embarked onphase two of our capital campaign with themain focus to retire existing debt related to theoriginal capital campaign cost overruns. Wehave many funders, corporate sponsors andprivate donors to thank for our current success,all of which are listed within this booklet. Wewill continue to go boldly forward and exploreinnovative ways to achieve sustainability, andforge partnerships that support our programsin order to provide meaningful life improvingopportunities for the youth we serve.We have new and not so new partnerships thatrequire mention. We have a wonderful communityrelationship with our West End neighborsat Klinic. A big “thank-you” to Klinic’s ExecutiveDirector Lori Johnson and her team forseconding one of their therapeutic counselorsto work with RaY participants one afternoona week at no cost to us. We would like to ac-

knowledge and welcome Lyndsay Hersikornto our team. Her wisdom and skill with ouryouth is evidenced by the lineup of youth waitingto see her. There is nothing more inspiringthen when community works together for thecommon good. We have had the great privilegeof having a nurse practitioner on sitetwo afternoons a week through our partnershipwith Manitoba Health and the Winnipeg RegionalHealth Authority (WRHA). I would like toacknowledge Bev Dyer who was our firstnurse practitioner to be housed at RaY andwhose contributions towards the developmentof RaY’s clinic cannot be understated. Thankyoualso to Vivi Katz who partnered with Bevwho, during Bev’s maternity leave, ran theclinic and mentored our now permanent staffAmanda Hopps. Amanda is a gift to all that workwith her, joyful and a skilled medical practitionerwith a keen understanding of the youthwe serve. Thank-you to all at WRHA andManitoba Health for this opportunity.On the national level, RaY’s work with the Eva’sPhoenix Learning Community continues. TheLearning Community is a pan-Canadian groupof executive directors of frontline public benefitservice providers and other stakeholdersthat are committed to ending youth homelessness.In 2011, Winnipeg was host to the LearningCommunity’s annual meeting. Togetherwe marked five years of collaboration.It is difficult to believe that it has been tenyears since I began my work at RaY. I oftenjoke that 10 years in this sector is twenty yearsin any other. All joking aside, I have enjoyedthe amazing ride. I have had the good fortuneof working with Erica Chatelain and SeanClose both of whom started at our agency thesame year as I did. The same level of com-mitment is evidenced on a board boasting thelikes of Ian Marcil and Kevin McGarry who havebeen volunteering since the outset of OperationGo Home in 1994. Within this sector, staffturnover is commonplace, wages are low, pensionand benefits are often a luxury and thework is difficult. As an ED, I feel humbled bythe level of commitment RaY staff has shownto our cause over the years. It has truly been ablessing to work alongside loyal, trusted peoplewho I can, without a doubt, call my friends.In summary, RaY is the only agency of its kindin this province. Who we are is our strength.We know what we do, why we do it, and soon,due to the work of our new executive teamand the priorities laid out by our Board ofDirectors, we will be able to articulate it insuch a way that there will be a greater understandingof our cause. We have all the rightpeople working in the right places to bring ouragency to the next level. We embrace growthwith robust hope for our youth. Our intentionis to remain nimble and responsive to the everchanging and complex needs of this targetpopulation. We have public, community, andgovernment support. Working in concert,through resource sharing, building bridges anda commitment for social justice, we can changethe landscape of the streets in the inner city.Kelly HolmesExecutive DirectorRESOURCE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH 9

Office Manager reportI was hired last June to be the Office Managerat RaY. In the past I have worked as a systemsanalyst in government, owned and managed myown businesses and worked in accounting.I assumedI would spend most of my days down inthe basement in front of a computer primarily doingbookkeeping. I was concerned that I mightbe unchallenged and lonely. Was I ever wrong!I am involved in every aspect of RaY from accountingto administration to building up-keep,to supporting the operation of programs. Due tothe sudden loss last year of RaY’s long time officemanager, Pam Belair, and the formation ofthe executive team, the accounting and administrativeside of RaY has grown significantly andneeded to be restructured. After two years inRaY’s own building, in order to keep the buildingin pristine condition, repairs are starting to needto be done and I discovered that is also part ofmy job. I work to ensure that the day-to-day operationsrun smoothly so that the front line staffcan accomplish their goals with RaY’s youth.I come from the for-profit world. I did not know thenot-for-profit sector and has it ever been an eyeopener. Naively, I thought grant money wouldarrive at the beginning of a period, before it wasspent and not afterwards. How do you follow abudget when you do not know how much youwill receive or when you will receive the money?Discovering the amount of time spent on applyingand reapplying for grants, time spent on reportingresults and costs, reworking the numbersagain and again and yet again for another grant ina slightly different format has been a revelation.I always assumed the “social safety net” wasreal, there to catch us if we ever needed it. Was Iever wrong. After almost a year of learning aboutthe problems our youth face, I am still shocked tolearn of all of the gaping holes in our social servicessystems. The youth come to RaY becausethere really is no other place for them to go andwe attempt to mend a few holes in the “net”.Janice PaulickOffice Manager10 ANNUAL REPORT 2011

operating revenue30% Federal 33% Provinical 18% Chari5es & Founda5ons 10% Private Dona5ons 9% United Way operating expenses74% Programs 17% Admin 9% Building program expenditures43% Basic Needs & Outreach 26% Employment & Training 19% Housing 10% Health & Wellness 1% Art & RecreaEon RESOURCE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH 11

Director of Communicationsand Development reportThough i’m unable to lay claim to being along time member of the RaY family, the lastyear and a half has seemed somewhat eternal.That is not to be read negatively, onlythat since having joined the organization, Iam privileged to have borne witness to an impressiveamount of positive growth and transformation,both individual and organizational,which has taken place within the brief yearand a half I’ve spent working with this agency.Having worked with other community organizationsin Winnipeg’s core, I have known aboutRaY for some time. From what I had learnedthrough hearsay, the agency was doing fantasticwork. No barriers, judgment, or discrimination.Outsiders helping outsiders. Programs andservices which were actually responsive to ademonstrated set of needs. A progressive organizationwhich encapsulated everything a youthserving agency should be, assisting a marginalizedpopulation which was widely ignored,and doing it in a singular fashion. After havingbeen offered a management position with theGrowing Opportunities employment program inNovember of 2010, I was pleased to learn thatRaY’s reputation had indeed lived up to reality.As our organization has grown, so have themanagerial demands placed upon RaY’s executiveteam. As a result, I was very fortunate tohave been asked to take on my current role asDirector of Communications and Developmentat the end of 2011, with the goal of expandingour capacity to engage local and national mediain a conversation about youth homelessness,and to capitalize upon new and exciting opportunitieswhich have revealed themselves as aresult of our expansion. In this new capacity, Ihave aimed to cultivate new fundraising partnershipsand development opportunities, fostergreater levels of stewardship with our existingdonors, increase engagement with social media,strengthen our capacity to cooperate withsocial service agencies both locally and nationally,and to help cement RaY’s profile as theforemost authority on marginalized youth inthe Province of Manitoba. It has been busy, tosay the very least. To date, there have been anumber of successes, among them the developmentof new partnerships with the FairmontHotel, the Louis Riel School Division, as wellas with the I.H Asper School of Business at theUniversity of Manitoba. If the last six monthsis any indication of what can be accomplishedwith our newly formed executive team, I anticipatemany great things in the year to come.In recent months, Kelly has challenged myselfand others to ask ourselves the “why” question.Why is the work we do important? In consideringthis, and the role which we play in the livesof hundreds upon hundreds of marginalizedyouth within our city and province, the importanceof our work becomes terribly clear. Ouryouth deserve better. They have a right to thesame level of dignity, respect, and opportunitywhich is afforded to other youth within our society.This is why we do what we do, and thereason I feel inspired to be working for such anorganization. In considering my role as it relatesto the achievement of organizational sustainability,my confidence in the work performedwithin these walls drives me to work hard,and to contribute as best I can towards bringingmore opportunities to the youth we serve.Many thanks to Kelly Holmes, Jason Neufeld,Suzanne Gessler and Janice Paulick for makingrecent months so enjoyable. I am incrediblyfortunate to be working with such anaffable group of interesting and humble individuals,and look forward to growing alongsideyou all. Also, many thanks to the variedand wonderful personalities who constitute theRaY staff team, many of whom I miss greatlysince having become a “basement dweller”.Here’s to another great year!Adrien SalaDirector of Communicationsand Development12 ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Kelly and RaY. I suggested that I join the board.She opted to hire me instead as RaY’s newDirector of Research and Planning. I agreed.My job is to help formalize RaY’s policies, mediatethe scores of requests from academiato do research with our youth, build researchand funding partnerships, evaluate programs,undertake strategic planning and overall helpput RaY on the map as an authority on theneeds of marginalized and homeless youth.Director of Research andPlanning reportRAY has played a significant role not only in thelives of our participants but also in the lives ofmany of the staff. This is my story. About a yearago I found myself in an early mid-life careercrisis. I had recently left a job in government,had finished a major research project on adulthomelessness in Winnipeg, and feeling cynicalI had taken a few months off. At that pointI was convinced that I needed a change fromcommunity work and the city planning game.I was discouraged about government policieson homelessness and I was frustrated with thelack of courage and planning insight to movethis issue forward. After twelve years in thehousing and homelessness field I wanted a jobthat was concrete and that was really achievingsomething, not unrealistically trying tosolve a major social problem. I was burnt outand I knew it. I thought of going back to universityand starting all over again. I even appliedto pastry chef school and took businessclasses to start my own catering company.Enter Kelly Holmes and RaY. In Spring of 2011,Kelly approached me to help out with planningat RaY. She had a forward thinking ideaabout how to create a new way of doing businessat the organization. She was exhaustedafter two years of rapid organizational growth,change and loss. She was frustrated with thesocial service industry – the competition forfunding and the overall lack of what she hastermed “sector respect”. Something had to giveand she asked if I could help develop a businessplan for a new administrative model thatwould help RaY secure a solid future despiteall the challenges. I always had a soft spot forHaving completed one year working at RaY, Ican genuinely say that my burnout has passed.RaY, its leadership and the people who workhere allow ideas to grow and be tested withoutrestraint, fueled by a genuine passion for socialjustice and the youth that count on them. I particularlyappreciate their respect for good planningand strong research. This is evidenced ina number of projects I am currently working onat RaY with their enthusiastic support. Theseinclude: joint research on mental health andhomeless youth with Dr. Elaine Mordoch fromthe Faculty of Nursing at the University of Manitoba;a co-developed proposal with the CanadianCentre on Policy Alternatives- Manitoba, theSocial Planning Council of Winnipeg and Dr. EvelynPeters from the University of Winnipeg onthe systems that create the conditions for youthhomelessness; and an overall organizationalevaluation with Kaplan Research Associates Inc.The youth that come to RaY need a stablecombination of supports that include: appropriateand affordable housing, education andtraining, physical and mental health servicesand mentorship. Accessing these is an ongoingchallenge. My time at RaY, with the participants,the positive work environment, leadershipand co-workers convince me that thiswork is important, we can overcome the challengesand this is where I need to be for now.My role as researcher and planner at RaY isone of the most satisfying roles I have had.I am proud to be part of the RaY team. Mywork combined with that of the rest of the executiveteam members, frontline staff andboard members has helped further solidifyRaY’s commitment to provide youth withwhat they need, on their terms, to better theirlives, and that benefits the whole community.Suzanne GesslerDirector of Researchand PlanningRESOURCE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH 13

Program Director reportNow that we have settled into our new spaceat 125 Sherbrook Street, the focus has shiftedtowards strengthening and improving our servicedelivery model. One of the priorities setforth by the Board of Directors is “measuredgrowth in response to need”. To ensure thatRaY’s growth coincides with the needs of theyouth, the agency has embarked on an agencywideevaluation process that will highlight whatthe agency is doing right, while pointing us inthe right direction in order to fill gaps in service—gapsarticulated by the youth we serve.While we move forward with new initiatives andevaluations, let’s not forget the stellar work currentlybeing done in our various departments.In the Basic Needs Department, Drop-In Manager,Erica Chatelain, coordinates and managesthe frequently chaotic drop-in centre, andis often the first point of contact for many youthlooking for support. Our drop-in workers buildtrusting and healthy relationships with youthwho often lack a healthy support system. Theyouth who access RaY’s services are everchanging, and keeping up with their individualneeds while responding in an appropriate andeffective way is the ongoing challenge of RaY’sfrontline workers. Our Basic Needs Coordinator,Steve Mazur, ensures that youth have thebasics they need in order to stabilize and thinkabout the future. Scott McNicol, our StreetOutreach Coordinator, along with the outreachteam (which includes new staff Chantille Tonnand Rick Moorlag) hit the streets at night providingsupport and resources to the city’s mostvulnerable population. Without the difficultfrontline work being done in the Basic NeedsDepartment, RaY does not work as an agency.Kerri Scott, Housing Coordinator, leads ahousing team that includes Kylee Tremblay,Homeless Outreach Mentor and Tim Laughlin,REST Case Manager. While the housingteam continues to do everything it has alwaysdone—connecting young people to safe, appropriate,and affordable housing—due to extremelylow vacancy rates in the city, no nationalhousing strategy on the horizon, andyouth who have not been taught the basiclife skills necessary to live independently, theteam has lately concentrated heavily on evictionprevention, offering supported living arrangementsand life-skills training for our youth.Stephanie Reid, Mental Health Outreach Worker,and Samara Prystenski, Addiction SupportWorker, head up RaY’s Health and WellnessDepartment along with Nurse PractitionerAmanda Hopps (a partnership with WRHA)and new addition Lyndsay Hersikorn, Counsellor(a partnership with Klinic). They continueto build supportive relationships with vulnerableyouth, helping stabilize young people intheir time of need, and referring youth to professionaltreatment opportunities when necessary.Mental health programming is a recognizedgap not only at RaY, but nation-widewith youth struggling to cope with an overabundanceof stigmatizing issues—often issues that14 ANNUAL REPORT 2011

are difficult to understand and that strike at themost inopportune times. RaY recognizes thatyouth are not always keen on discussing issuesrelated to their mental health, and as anagency, RaY hopes to develop progressiveand effective programming that directly respondsto the myriad needs of our participants.Brie Henderson, Growing Opportunities Coordinator,has her hands full with the very popularpre-employment program. Along with newaddition Leah Gareau and Kitchen TrainingProgram Coordinator John Finkbeiner, RaY isoffering youth who experience multiple barriersto employment the opportunity to gain valuableon-the-job experience while learning necessarylife-skills. Many participants are exhausted withstreet-life and looking to find a way to supportthemselves in a healthier way. RaY hopes thatby participating in this program, these youthmay live vibrant and independent lives and thattheir full potentials’ are realized. As part of theGrowing Opportunities program, RaY employstwo youth workers, currently Custodian DmytroKushneryk and Receptionist Jonathan Thomas,both valuable additions to the RaY team.And because RaY is not “all crisis all the time”,the agency offers our Arts and Recreation Departmentfor those youth who are interestedin expanding their horizons. Cam Forbes coordinatesRaY’s new art drop-in centre at 195Young Street. The Gutter Art Space was developedas part of the With Art project fundedby the Winnipeg Art Council, partnering localartist Leah Decter with participants from RaY.This project resulted in a dedicated art spacefor young people interested in expressingthemselves through artistic endeavours. Additionally,RaY’s Urban Adventures Program,facilitated by local group MOMENTA, offersrecreational field trips to RaY participants. Ahighlight of this program saw a number of youthgo on a three day canoe trip last summer.RaY continues to respond to the needs of theyouth. This is one of the agency’s main tenets.While many of the youth have comparable storiesand are struggling with similar circumstances,RaY does not treat them as one large homogenousgroup. Programming is developedto be flexible and responsive to the youth’s individualneeds. And as trends change on thestreets, so too does RaY’s programming—measuredgrowth in response to need. We know thatyouth are hungry, so we feed them. We knowthat they are struggling, so we support them.We know that they are hated, so we love them.These youth need help now, and RaY is in the“now” business. All they are asking for is an opportunity—Idon’t think that is asking too much.Jason NeufeldProgram DirectorRESOURCE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH 15

Erica ChatelainDrop-In ManagerKerri ScottHousing CoordinatorKylee TremblayHomeless Outreach MentorSteve MazurBasic Needs CoordinatorBrie HendersonGrowing Opps. CoordinatorTim LaughlinREST Case ManagerLyndsay HersikornDrop-In CounsellorSean CloseIT ManagerJohn FinkbeinerLife Skills Support WorkerScott McNicolStreet Outreach Coordinator16 ANNUAL REPORT 2011Leah GareauGrowing Opps. WorkerRick MoorlagOutreach Worker

one great teamSamara PrystenskiAddictions Support WorkerChantille TonnOutreach WorkerCam ForbesG.A.S CoordinatorEric SchweigOutreach WorkerStephanie ReidMental Health Outreach WorkerDymtro KushnerykCustodianJonathan ThomasReceptionistAmanda HoppsNurse PractitionerMegan PrydunDrop-In workerRESOURCE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH 17

2011 program statisticsService typeAdvocacy 1272Clothing Bank 745Meals 4746Food Bank (under 18) 196Laundry 199Shower 204Hygiene Bank 322External Referrals 206Referral to Treatment 29Home Visit 779Internal Workshops 100Outreach Food 853Outreach Harm Reduction Kit 388Youth who found long–term housing 36Youth who found employment 5818 ANNUAL REPORT 2011

RaY participantsUnique Individuals 1179Unique New Individuals 618Total Contacts 9736Female 45.8%Male 53.8%Transgender 0.4%Under 18 7.8%18 to 29 85.4%Over 29 6.8%Aboriginal 30.7%Caucasian 30.5%Metis 3.8%Black 1.1%Other/undeclared 33.9%CFS 6.2%Family 14.7%Friends/Couch Surfing 22.7%Hotel/Motel 0.5%Incarcerated 0.8%Long Term Housing 28.1%Shelter 8.9%RESOURCE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH 19

the gutter artspace

missing youthKerry Klyne also known as “Darren” was a 28-year-old Aboriginamanwho would come to RaY to access the computers, clothing bankand eat lunch. He would frequently come in with his sister. His smilewould light up the room and his larger frame would mimic a gentlegiant. He liked to hang around with his sister and friends around theOsborne area, and he always kept in contact with his family, via telephoneor Facebook. He was reported missing December 20, 2010but it wasn’t until mid January 2011 his case was assigned to aninvestigator. Family believes his case was treated differently becausehe was male. He was last seen on Nov. 26, 2010 on the corner ofBroadway and Maryland. He has not been heard from or seen since.Amber Guiboche was 20 years old when she went missing.She was one of RaY’s Growing Opportunities participantsand would frequently work in our kitchen, prepping and servingfood to the youth. Her quiet gentle demeanor, showed a lotof promise. She had dreams she wanted to fulfill and was on herway to achieve them. On the Evening of Nov. 10, 2010 Amberwas last seen getting into a red pickup truck in the back lane ofWilliam and Isabel. She has not been heard from or seen since.22 ANNUAL REPORT 2011

lest we forgetNorman Anderson, also known as “DJ Lawless”, was 22 years ofage when he perished in a house fire along with four other individualsin July of 2011. As a long time participant at the Broadway NeighbourhoodCentre’s Just TV program, Norman befriended staff and youthalike with his affable and creative personality. His connections to theBroadway Neighbourhood Centre extended to RaY, where he becamea participant in the Growing Opportunities program in December of2010. His death was tragic and left many friends and family in shock, asNorman possessed much musical talent and hoped to pursue his musicalinterests further... He was a gentle soul and will truly be missed.David Vincett was tragically gunned down September 25 2011.David suffered for years with a severe developmental disorderthat hampered his decision making skills, though all he ever wantedwas wanted to fit in socially. David was always willing to lend ahand, and he was great with kids. He was always at risk of dangerand vulnerable to exploitation and harassment. He was walkinghome alone when a 14 year old shot him at point blank rangein the face. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends.RESOURCE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH 23

2011 youth awardsYouth Ambassador AwardAdam LambertAwarded to a deserving individual who has continuallyshared their story to shed light on the issue of youthhomelessness for the benefit of future generations.There are a lot of people in Winnipeg who know Adam’s story.This is because he has humbly offered it up countless times tostudents throughout the city. Adam has inspired a generation,and for this, he deserves recognition. Congratulations Adam.The Lynn Thomson Pay It Forward AwardSamara PrystenskiAwarded to a deserving individual who has benefited fromsupports in the past and ensures that these good deedsare repaid by providing much needed support to others.Samara was one of Lynn Thomson’s success stories. Sam committedherself to school, obtained a B.A in Psychology, and eventuallyfound her way back to RaY—this time as a staff member. Itis fitting that Sam now holds the position that Lynn held for so long.Way to go Sam.Phoenix AwardCasey WallAwarded to a deserving individual who has shown incredibleresilience through difficult circumstances and not onlysurvived, but emerged stronger and more vital as a result.Casey, while experiencing several pitfalls in her life, has alwaysstrived to improve her circumstances. Her determinationhas paid off, having recently graduated from hairstylingand esthetics school and finding full-time work in her field.Well deserved, Casey!24 ANNUAL REPORT 2011

founders awardIan MarcilRaY was started by the Kinsmen Club in Winnipeg in 1994/95 as a local chapter of Operation GoHome (“OGH”). One of the first recruits to the newly formed OGH Board of Directors was Ian Marcil.With a budget of $35,000 and a newly hired Executive Director, Ian became the Chairman andtook charge. Recognizing that the Kinsmen’s role and funding was time limited, Ian set about recruitingnew Board members and securing the funding that was so desperately needed to help Winnipeg’sforgotten street kids. Driven by passion and a strong Christian commitment to the less fortunate,Ian persevered and overcame many serious challenges to OGH’s future. At one point in theorganization’s early years and temporarily without a competent Executive Director, Ian could befound most days at the OGH office. It was at this time that he personally raised the $350,000 neededto keep the doors open. His favorite saying was “you gotta have faith”; and Ian certainly did.Things never seemed to get easier; the agency went from one crisis to another. Money was alwaysa major issue but staff turnover, board dysfunction and politics all consumed Ian. Finally in2003, Ian successfully merged OGH with Powerhouse; an organization with a similar vision but targetingan older demographic. While a difficult marriage at first, time proved the wisdom of combiningthe two organizations as the expanded Board, budget and staff resulted in a more stable operation.In 2004 Ian led the rebranding strategy for OGH and it became Resource Assistance for Youth;a more accurate description of the all-encompassing services that were now being provided to Winnipeg’syouth. The need for service continued to grow which meant Ian, the board and Kelly Holmes(Executive Director hired by Ian in 2002) had to continue to seek increased funding. Then therewas the successful capital campaign that resulted in the wonderful site that RaY occupies today.Through the entire growth struggle Ian was the one constant. Although he must have had doubtsabout the organizations ability to survive, he never wavered and always persevered. RaY has beenbuilt on Ian’s personal sacrifice and dedication. The street kids of Winnipeg are the real beneficiariesof his vision and hard work. Ian, from all Ray stakeholders, and indeed the entire Winnipegcommunity, congratulations on this well-deserved award and thank you for “keeping the faith”.RESOURCE ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH 25

Capital Campaign FundersRichardson FoundationMcGarry FoundationWinnipeg FoundationPower CorporationMurphy FoundationHealthy Child ManitobaInvestors GroupRobert LaFreniereBCG CommunicationsThe WeakerthansHartley + Heather RichardsonJames + Lenny RichardsonRoy ParkerInnerscape DesignJ. McDonaldCibinel ArchitectsJilmark ConstructionWest Broadway Development CorporationRobert Puchniak

“...You told me I was smart, and I’d growto be bold.And when I screwed up, you pulled meout of the cold.”- excerpt from poem by Gabe,RaY participant

125 Sherbrook St.(p) 204.783.5617(f) 204.775.4988www.rayinc.ca