1978

NNUAL

ANNUAL REPORT

April 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018

Celebrating 40 Years of Caring

www.spec.ab.ca

SPEC - your local children’s charity

REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

On behalf of our Board, staff and volunteers, we are very pleased to present our 40th Annual Report for the year ending March 31, 2018. SPEC’s programs and activities, provided to 5,335 recorded unique children and families, are the result of the dedicated efforts of 30 full time, 7 part time and casual staff along with 213 volunteers who devoted time to SPEC over the last year. Our volunteers donated 1,562 recorded hours as program, casual and board volunteers – a major gift of time which we rely on and for which we are very thankful. 2017 – 2018 was a year of growth and development. SPEC’s programs realized strong growth as the community became more and more aware of the programs and services that SPEC offers. SPEC is dedicated to serving all members of the community and as a result, launched a “Makerspace” program focused on youth and teens. The purpose of this program is to build a sense of belonging and purpose and support social skill development and innovative thought and creativity in youth. The 2017/18 fiscal year also saw SPEC heavily involved in building out a community-based mental health navigation program alongside Grasslands School Division and AHS Mental Health and Addictions. This program is expected to launch in 2019. SPEC is focused on the positive development of children and youth. In order to achieve this outcome, SPEC is committed to providing a continuum of services including early intervention (prevention) so children and youth and their families have access to the right kind of support at the right time, no matter what their situation. Our PLC program continues to grow and is extremely popular with waiting lists existing in most of the PLC programming. LINKS Newcomer Services continues to offer services that support integration in the community and as with the other SPEC programs, continues to grow including its HIPPY Program which is a very popular program in Brooks. The LINKS Community Services is also a growing program and will be the intended seat of the expanded Mental Health Navigation program to be launched in 2019. SPEC is truly a preventive program. Several well-recognized studies prove that the prevention work done by SPEC (and other agencies like it) will save the Community as much as a half million dollars per individual over their lifetime in costs such as those associated with justice, health, addictions and mental wellness. For members of the community that truly want to leave it better than when they lived in it, there is no better way than to leave a legacy to SPEC that will be invested solely in Brooks Citizens. Sincerely, Scott Berry Executive Director Board Chair

Child/Youth

SPEC VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS 2017-2018

Brian Jaman Terry Melnychuk Tracy Kaczanowski Lynn Pye-Matheson Leanne Mandeville

VISION MISSION

A strong and resilient community Engaging families and community in the well-being of children and youth

Values and Beliefs

WE VALUE: WE BELIEVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES… - honesty and respect - have a right to: - self-reliance and resilience - well-being - people - be safe - excellence in our service delivery - be heard - confidentiality - have hope - being a vital part of the local, regional, - have the capacity to change provincial and national communities - need positive relationships

STRATEGIC GOALS 1. SPEC provides a continuum of services for children and families and members of the community in a positive and welcoming

environment through dynamic programming that builds capacity of participants to reach their full potential. 2. SPEC ensures program sustainability through a fund development philosophy that supports ongoing development of human and

support resource and infrastructure 3. SPEC provides information and navigational services for the community. SPEC is the social services hub connecting all agencies. 4. Educational and play activities for children and their families engage and involve the community. 5. SPEC provides resiliency building programs for children, youth and families:

a. Kids programs promote positive development and community involvement, while building coping skills and resiliency. b. Family intervention programs develop skills, educate, enhance parenting practices, reduce risks to children and support families

in the midst of crisis. c. Youth programs provide opportunities to build social skills and practical skills, helping to set them up for success in the adult life

thereby increasing confidence and resilience.

Deb Larocque Felix Vaughan Pamela Hauser Amy Dyck Roberta Rogers

Retired Board Members 2017-2018

Terry Melnychuk Rowena N. Bazan Anna M. Bara

Community Committee Members 2017-2018

2016-17

2,851

5,335

25

32 5

9,407

1,562

213

6,678

6,678

1,562

2,022

5,335

9,407

25

2017-2018

3,809 1,667

M

o

r

o

c

c

o

286 7,897

2016-17

19

LINKS Newcomer Services, offers various settlement services to newcomer individuals, children and families to support their settlement, integration and participation in Canada society. Activities include individual and group orientations, needs assessments and referrals, school

support services, and community awareness and education.

2017-2018

1,325 697

Philippines

Somalia

Ethiopia

Syria

China

Eritrea

Mexico

Colombia

Congo

Honduras

El Salvador

Cambodia

NEWCOMER SERVICES

NEWCOMER SERVICES

2017-2018 COMMUNITY SERVICES

LINKS Community Services is the point of entry for all community services. Anyone can be helped - children, parents, families, adults, agencies and businesses. COMMUNITY SERVICES

In addition to our major funders, Children’s Services and Grasslands Regional FCSS, the LINKS Community Services

program at SPEC is supported by individuals, businesses and fundraising activities.

634 1996 CLIENTS TOTAL SERVICES

Services include information,

referral, advocacy,

transportation, collaborative

services and other early

intervention/prevention

types of services.

LINKS Community Services team works with the following committees to be responsive to community needs:

Brooks Child & Family Services Council Brooks & District Resiliency

Committee Brooks & District Drug Task Force Community Collaborative Network (CCN) Community Response Committee Family Violence Prevention Newell Regional EXPO Safe Communities (until Oct) Set for School

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS LINKING COMMUNITY AGENCIES

LINKS Community Services printed and distributed 1000 Local LINKS booklets, the community resource guides.

The monthly LINK Letter was emailed to over 100 contact representing agencies, organizations, schools, etc.

LINKS CS distributes approximately 10 emails per month regarding training, community resources, program updates and collaborative opportunities through the Brooks Child & Family Services Council.

2017-2018

1,256 3,024 6,742

TOTAL KIDS TOTAL ADULTS

24 7 2

12

19

30

25

10 - 15 150

ASQ ASQ SE

Committee Involvement Early Childhood coalition ECD Resiliency Committee Choose Well Committee

Rural Communities Cessford Bassano Duchess

Rosemary Alcoma

New

Additions

* Evening programs * Dads club house * Tiny tots * Brining Baby Home

2

187

7 114

7

Aboriginal Families

Unique Immigrant Children Unique Immigrant Parents

2017-2018

4,609

30

22

78,775

35%

19%

23%

19%

4%

Family Intervention (youth work inclueded) Supervised Visits Drives First Steps Fee for Service

MAKERSPACE

Makerspace It is traditionally defined as a place in which people with shared interests,

especially in computing or technology, can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas,

equipment, and knowledge. To put it simply a MakerSpace is a place where anyone is free to

make virtually anything.

MAKERSPACE

48

3 3D Fabrication

Digital Production

Programming / Coding

980 VOLUNTEER HOURS

PROGRAMS

Mentorship

Supervision

Steering committee

Where anyone, can make anything!

Board game night

Robotics

Electro assembly

Container Gardening

Ice cream Bike

Video Game design

Project design

Artificial Intelligent (AI)

Virtual Reality (VR)

Happenings at SPEC

2017 – 2018

Special Events & Fundraising

50/50 for KIDS Cash Draw

Brooks & District Chamber of Commerce Trade Show

Brooks Kinsmen Rodeo Parade

Casino by VanShaw

Dress for SPEC Week

#Junedresses

Rotary Dinosaur Pump-it-Up Run BBQ

Set 4 School

Bake Sale for Food Truck

Tim Horton’s Camp Days

REVENUE >

OPERATING EXPENSES >

OPERATING NET >

AMORTIZATION >

NET >

$2,024,598

$2,095,718

<$71,120>

$25,250

<$96,370>

$2,085,579

$2,032,937

$52,642

$17,703

$34,939

$2,207,395

$2,197,100

$10,295

$20,316

<$10,021>

2017

2018

2016

2017

2015

2016

$2,153,696

$44,095

2017-2018 2017-2018

$2.2

53.9% Provincial Government $1,190,483 81.7% Personnel Costs

$1,794,256

33.9% Federal Government

748,168 7.8% Other Operating Expenses

170,391

2.0% Fundraising and Donations

44,095 4.5% Direct Program Costs

99,473

9.7% Municipal and Other Grants

215,045 3.4% Building Rent & Maintenance

73,625

0.4% Interest and Sundry

9,604 2.7%

Administration Costs and Amortization

59,355

$2,207,395 $2,197,100

SPEC thanks the following financial and in-kind donors, and all those who wish to remain anonymous, who

have contributed to our programs and special events between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018.

2016

2017 2015

2016

2014

2015

$ 2,025,598

$ 2,121,968

$ (96,370)

$ 2,086,579

$ 2,051,640

$ 34,939

$ 2,022,636

$ 1,999,234

$ 23,402

$2.1 37 $1,959,311

$50,831