Red Cross Tor Annual Review WEB

When disaster strikes, the Red Cross works with governments and

other agencies to provide people with basic needs: food, clothing,

shelter, first aid, emotional support and family reunification.

During the evening of August 20, a tornado touched down in

Vaughan leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The Red Cross

immediately responded, setting up community reception centres

and shelters, and organizing the distribution of home repair

materials to the owners of damaged homes. Red Cross also staffed

a call centre providing emergency relief information to Vaughan

residents, collected donations for those affected, and worked

alongside the municipality in creating a long-term recovery plan.

This past summer, Red Cross also provided vital services during

three heat alerts in the city. Volunteers distributed bottles of water

to vulnerable populations and community agencies. They also

staffed a heat information line to provide those in need with tips

on how to stay cool and safe in hot weather.

Red Cross volunteers and staff from Toronto, Peel, York and

Durham regions assisted at H1N1 mass immunization clinics across

the city last fall.

Nearly 140 volunteers donated 1,472 hours of their time at ten

clinics during the six week campaign, providing information to

members of the public as they arrived. The clinics were organized

and run by Toronto Public Health.

The Red Cross also assisted Toronto residents who lost their home

due to fire or flooding. Through the Personal Assistance Program,

the Red Cross provides shelter, food, clothing, personal hygiene

items and other support for 72 hours help families get back on their

feet following a disaster. This past year, 913 people were assisted.

Red Cross volunteers also helped teach Toronto residents about the

importance of emergency preparedness through community events

and workshops. This past year, more than 2,200 people received

training and information.

disaster management

Volunteering with

the program gives

me a sense of

purpose and

pride….

“

”Chris Yatman

Canadian Red Cross

Street Relief Hot Lunch

Program volunteer

TORONTO REGION Annual Review 2009/2010 | 1

Annual Review

20092010T O R O N T O R E G I O N

RC_TorontoAnnualReview.indd 1 26/04/10 10:23 AM

2 | TORONTO REGION Annual Review 2009/2010

The Canadian Red Cross, Toronto Region, is proud of its accomplishments in 2009-2010. Our volunteers and staff have once again shown their commitment to assisting those most vulnerable around the world and right here in Toronto.

Every day, Red Cross volunteers assist whenever or wherever someone is facing disaster, conflict, illness or injury. This year hasn’t been an exception.

Our volunteers dedicated over 71,000 hours of their time to Red Cross. Because of these amazing individuals, we have been able to deliver many important programs and services in our community. Thank you to all of our volunteers!

When several disasters struck around the world this past year, the Red Cross responded quickly. Following the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, staff and volunteers in Toronto provided support to our aid workers, gratefully accepted donations from individuals and worked with corporations and community organizations to support fundraising efforts. So far, Torontonians have donated over $7 million.

Our disaster management team here in Toronto also had a busy year. Volunteers responded after a tornado touched down in Vaughan on August 20. Volunteers also assisted during heat alerts and provided assistance to individuals who lost their homes to fire, including temporary accommodation, clothing and food.

Many of our programs continue to grow to meet a variety of needs. Our homeless services programs (Street Relief, Mobile Food Bank, and Scar-borough Drop-In Centre) have increased service to help respond to the needs of Toronto’s homeless and under-housed populations. Our first aid and violence and abuse prevention programs have reached more Torontonians than ever before.

We would like to thank our community funders for their ongoing sup-port. Without you, we would not be able to carry out our work. Thank you for helping us mobilize the power of humanity to help those in need.

Looking forward, we are excited about the possibilities and strive to have a greater impact in Toronto than ever before. We hope you enjoy reading the 2009-2010 Toronto Region Annual Review.

message from thepresident and director

Cindy Malcolm Director,

Regional Operations

Heather Wilson

Regional Council President

A partner in United Way


The Canadian Red Cross, Toronto Region, provides a variety of programs to assist the city’s homeless and under-housed populations.

Mobile Food Bank

The Mobile Food Bank delivers food bank items to clients who are not able to access their local walk-in food banks due to medical or health issues. Food Bank programs provide a two- to three-day emergency supply of food for clients who do not have sufficient income to stretch their food budgets. Deliveries are made to clients once every two weeks.

The Mobile Food Bank is the only Daily Bread Food Bank partner agency that delivers food to clients in Toronto.

This past year, employees from Canada Bread, Unilever, and Jansen and Moneris volunteered with the Mobile Food Bank. This first-hand involvement also resulted in a donation of 1,000 loaves of bread from Canada Bread and soup from Unilever.

“Makes a difference – provides meals for me and my son. I am so grateful,” – Mobile Food Bank client.

“I always enjoy seeing the happy smiles from the clients who are satisfied with the community services provided by the Canadian Red Cross,” – Eric Lo, Mobile Food Bank volunteer

homeless services

Makes a difference -

provides meals for

me and my son.

I am so grateful.

Mobile Food Bank Client

“”


message from thepresident and director

Number of clients served: 505

Number of hampers delivered: 8857

Number of volunteers: 57

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Scarborough Drop-In Centre

The Scarborough Drop-In Centre assists homeless and under-housed individuals in accessing the basic necessities of shelter, food, clothing and health care. The United Way is the primary funder of this program.

The Centre is committed to providing empathetic, non-judgemental service to its clients. The repeat rate among clients exceeds 95 per cent.

homeless services

Street Relief Hot Lunch Program

The Street Relief Program provides nutritious meals in a safe environment to homeless, under-housed, and vulnerable people who are struggling to overcome poverty, unemployment, isolation and mental health challenges.

The program provides hot lunches and breakfasts on Mondays, and dinners on Wednesdays at St. Andrew’s United Church on Bloor Street and Our Lady of Lourdes church on Jarvis Street. Clients are also given access to medical care and information about social services and other referrals.

This past year, the program remained open on Christmas, New Year’s and Easter. A volunteer classical pianist also

performs every Saturday during the hot lunch program.

Number of clients served: 21,000Meals and Snacks 35,000Number of volunteers: 8Total volunteer hours: 1,200

Continued from page 3

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Clients served: 12,165 Meals Served: 15,534 Volunteer Hours: 2326 Number of volunteers: 35


When disaster strikes, the Red Cross works with governments and

other agencies to provide people with basic needs: food, clothing,

shelter, first aid, emotional support and family reunification.

During the evening of August 20, a tornado touched down in

Vaughan leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The Red Cross

immediately responded, setting up community reception centres

and organizing the initial distribution of donated materials to the

owners of damaged homes. Red Cross also staffed a call centre

providing emergency relief information to Vaughan residents and

collected donations for those affected.

This past summer, Red Cross also provided vital services during

three heat alerts in the city. Volunteers distributed bottles of water

to vulnerable populations and community agencies. They also

staffed a heat information line to provide those in need with

tips on how to stay cool and safe in hot weather.

Red Cross volunteers and staff from Toronto, Peel, York and

Durham regions assisted at H1N1 mass immunization clinics

across the city last fall.

Nearly 140 volunteers donated 1,472 hours of their time at ten

clinics during the six-week campaign, providing information to

members of the public as they arrived. The clinics were organized

and run by Toronto Public Health.

disaster management

Nearly 140 volunteers

donated 1,472 hours

of their time at ten

clinics during the

six-week campaign.

Toronto, Peel, York

and Durham H1N1 mass

immunization clinics


homeless services

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Personal Disaster Assistance: 913 clientsNumber of Volunteers: 120Total Number Volunteer Hours: 536Toronto Residents trained in emergency preparedness: 2235


The Red Cross assisted 913 Toronto residents who lost

their home due to fire or flooding this past year. Through

the Personal Disaster Assistance Program, the Red Cross

provides shelter, food, clothing, personal hygiene items

and other support to help families get back on their feet

following a disaster.

Red Cross volunteers also taught Toronto residents about

the importance of emergency preparedness through

community events and workshops. This past year, more

than 2,200 people received training and information.

Red Cross Responds following

Devastating Earthquake in Haiti

On January 12, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the

western coast of Haiti. Buildings all over the Haitian capital

of Port -au-Prince collapsed, killing tens of thousands and

affecting an estimated three million people.

The Canadian Red Cross, alongside the Haitian Red Cross

and other Red Cross Societies around the world, responded

immediately with relief, providing temporary housing,

clean water, medical services and psychosocial support.

Twenty-one Emergency Response Units (ERUs) were

deployed to the area. These ERUs included water and

sanitation units, logistic units, IT and telecommunications

infrastructure and a field hospital. This was the largest

deployment of ERUs in the history of the Red Cross.

Here in Toronto, volunteers supported fundraising efforts

and delivered blankets to Montreal where teams of Red

Cross volunteers welcomed Haitian-Canadian evacuees

arriving at the airport. The volunteers reconnected

evacuees with their family and friends and addressed

immediate needs including shelter, food and clothing.

disaster management


I got to see how

each volunteer’s

job contributes to

the end mission

of helping those

who need it most.

Jaime Ngugi

disaster management

volunteer on her trip

to the Dominican Republic

“

”



disaster management

The Heart of Red Cross

Volunteers truly make all the difference. Our volunteers

enable us to provide many of our vital programs and

services in Toronto.

This past year, 707 volunteers dedicated 71, 056 hours of

their time to Red Cross. Many of our volunteers are receiving

special awards this year for their work and commitment:

our volunteers


Significant Milestones – 20 year

Disaster Management: Michael Pidzamecky Meals on Wheels: Edda Sterner, Peter McKeown

Transportation: Larry Haigh, Gordon Rands Street Relief: Kirsteen Donachie, Angela Dickie, Kathleen GordonRestoring Family Links: Sandra GillisVolunteer Resources: Amanda KennedyVolunteer Resources Council: Heather Wilson, Jean Lam, Virginia Jones, Dennis Chow Disaster Management: Abdul Bafakih, Amber Panchyshyn, Candace McCool, Timothy Steele, David Johnson, Edgar A. Alvarado, Felipe Medina, Jonathan Glick, Kathleen Nicoll, Lyndsey Bamlett, Shaun Holmes, Sylvia Bereskin

Citations

Transportation: Larry HaighMobile Food Bank: Csaba Jager Administration: Rosemarie Klopfer

Hours of Service

Mobile Food Bank: Geoff Stokes Transportation: George MuellerStreet Relief: Angela Dickie, Kathleen GordonDisaster Management: Jonathan GlickMeals on Wheels: Robert Anderson, Thomas Bradfield, Teodora Francisco, Jacob Krekhovetsky, Jean Larocque, Jean Mosher, Douglas Powell, Adrian Smith, Robert Tress

Certificates of Merit

Service Award

Meals on Wheels: Edda Sterner

Exemplary Service Milestone

Transportation: William Stephenson Restoring Family Links: Rodney Travers-Griffin

Young Volunteer Service Award

Governance - Region: Saachi Sadchatheeswaran


Restoring Family Links

The Restoring Family Links program assists immediate

family members to re-establish contact after separation

due to conflict or disaster. Through our network of 187

National Societies and the International Committee of the

Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross is able to respond to the

needs of separated families and attempt to locate people in

other countries and reunite them with family members.

international andrefugee services


Number of clients served: 701Units of service: 1,145Number of volunteers: 3Total volunteer hours: 357

First Contact

The First Contact program supports refugee claimants

arriving in the Toronto area by providing information on how

to find shelter, health care, language and legal assistance. The

program provides a toll-free number that can be accessed 24

hours a day, seven days a week. During office hours, claimants

can also visit the Toronto Region office for assistance.

“The Canadian Red Cross First Contact program is very

important in that it supports refugee claimants and helps

them to get started in a new country and ensures that they

are not alone. I thank you very much for everything you did

for me and appreciate your kindness and polite assistance.”

– First Contact program client.


The First Contact

program is very

important in that it

supports refugee

claimants and helps

them to get started

in a new country.

First Contact

program client

“

”

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international andrefugee services


Humanitarian Issues Program

The Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian Issues Program (HIP) promotes international humanitarian law

and values to government, the armed forces, media, youth and civil society.

HIP is active in Toronto with clubs at the University of Toronto, St. George and Scarborough campuses,

and York University. The clubs are involved with awareness campaigns such as the annual Sudan Week

of Action in October, and Canadian Landmines Awareness Week in February. They are also involved in

fundraising activities in support of Red Cross campaigns and programs.

On May 4, 2009, two sisters fulfilled the promise

that their father made to a fellow soldier in a Ger-

man POW camp 64 years ago, thanks to the help

of the Canadian Red Cross Restoring Family

Links staff and volunteers in Toronto.

Maureen Manningham and Bernadette Jones trav-

elled from England to the Red Cross branch in Ot-

tawa to give a wartime log book to Marilyn Buttery.

“We did not want to mail the book because it is

one of a kind,” said Bernadette.

Maureen’s and Bernadette’s father, Howard Conway

Jones, served in the Canadian Air Force during

World War II. He was captured and sent to a POW

camp. As the war was ending in 1945, Jones, as a

captive, met Marilyn’s father, George H. Gidney, a

British soldier who was also a POW. Gidney asked

Jones to ensure that his family received his log

book if he were to die.

The last time Jones saw Gidney on the battlefield

was when he was taken away on a stretcher. Jones

assumed that he had died. He tried to find

Gidney’s family, but to no avail.

Many years passed, and the log book ended up

in the hands of Jones’ daughters: New Brunswick

resident, Maureen, and Toronto resident, Bernadette.

The daughters decided that they would do whatever

they could to return the log book to Gidney’s family.

The book contains stories from Gidney and other

soldiers, along with drawings and poetry. There

are also photographs of Gidney’s family.

The sisters turned to the Canadian Red Cross’s Re-

storing Family Links program to help find Gidney’s

family. The Canadian Red Cross, with the help of

the British Red Cross, was able to locate Marilyn.

“This isn’t an ordinary reunion. This is about two

daughters wanting to do what their father did

not have an opportunity to do: Give the book to

the Gidney family,” said Radmila Rokvic-Pilipovic,

Restoring Family Links program coordinator in To-

ronto Region. “We are happy that we were able to

help them do that.”

Red Cross Reunites British Woman with her Father’s War Journal


In 2009, the Canadian Red Cross presented Pictures Talk,

an exhibition featuring a collection of photos taken by

child survivors of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. The

exhibition offered a rare glimpse of post-tsunami recovery

through a child’s eyes.

In 2008, the Canadian Red Cross provided young

Indonesians, aged 8-16 years old, with disposable cameras

and an invitation to photograph what represented their

world today. The photos are a story of hope and renewal

nearly five years after the tsunami.

The exhibit is a collection of 25 striking photographs

selected from more than 1,000 photos taken by 41

Indonesian children.

By providing a glimpse into the lives of these children

today, the exhibit offers a unique perspective on how

life returns for young survivors in disaster-affected

communities. So many Canadians generously donated

to tsunami relief efforts and Pictures Talk provided our

community the opportunity to see the positive effects

of their overwhelming support.

During the year, the exhibition travelled across Ontario,

culminating in Toronto in December, where it was featured

at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia and

the Red Eye Studio Gallery in the Distillery District.

For more information about the Canadian Red Cross tsunami

relief and recovery efforts, visit www.redcross.ca/tsunami.

pictures talk



pictures talk

Canadian Red Cross Community Health Services staff and

volunteers work together to help people remain living

independently in their homes with comfort and dignity,

despite injury, illness and other circumstances.

Red Cross is one of the largest not-for-profit providers of

homemaking/personal support services in Ontario. The

program provides clients with personal care, home

management and companion care.

Last fall, the Red Cross Health Equipment Loan Program (HELP),

Transportation and Meals on Wheels programs moved to new

locations. HELP and Transportation programs are now located

at the Toronto Region office at 21 Randolph Ave. Meals on Wheels

has a new home at St. James United Church in Etobicoke.

Transportation

Transportation Services provides pre-arranged rides to seniors

and persons unable to use public transit throughout Toronto.

Volunteers provide 90 per cent of the services offered.

communityhealth services


Thanks to all

volunteer drivers

who have been

patient to drive

us to all of our

destinations.

Transportation client

“

”Number of clients served: 847Units of service: 20,070Number of volunteers: 34Total volunteer hours: 9,040

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Health Equipment Loan Program (HELP)

HELP is a community—and volunteer—supported program

that offers quality health equipment for a nominal fee.



Meals on Wheels

The Meals on Wheels program delivers hot and frozen

nutritious meals to individuals unable to prepare their own

food. The program provides the service five days a week for

a nominal fee. Red Cross is the sole provider of the program

in Etobicoke.

Last December, Meals on Wheels volunteers were featured

on the CTS program Real Life delivering meals to clients and

discussing their volunteer experience with Red Cross.

This year, Shell Canada provided funds to purchase a chest

freezer through its volunteer involvement program. Nissan

Canada also provided funds for the Meals on Wheels client

subsidy program. We are thankful for their support.

The program has also received crucial financial support

from the United Way and the City of Toronto’s Community

Service Grants program.



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Number of clients served: 762Units of service: 81,853Number of meals delivered: 81,853Number of volunteers: 194Total volunteer hours: 16,763S

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The Canadian Red Cross has been educating Canadians in first aid

and CPR for more than 50 years and remains one of the leading

training providers across the country. More than 472,000 Canadians

train with the Red Cross every year.

The Red Cross continues to work with the Toronto Transit Commission

(TTC) in providing first aid and CPR training to TTC staff. On average,

100 TTC staff members are trained by Red Cross every month.

injury prevention

We support

programs that

have an impact on

youth and the Red

Cross Babysitting

program fits well

with the goals of

our funding.

Johnnie-Mike Irving

interim chair, TELUS

Toronto Community Board

“

”


Number of courses delivered: 348Number of people trained: 4,328

TELUS Supports Red Cross Babysitting

Program in Toronto

The TELUS Toronto and Ottawa Community Boards donated

$33,050 to the Canadian Red Cross in support of the babysitting

program in Toronto and Ottawa this past year.

TELUS established their board strategy in 2005 with the goal to work

collaboratively with the community to identify and address key issues.

“Our funding is focused on three pillars: arts and culture, education

and sport, and health and well-being,” says Johnnie-Mike Irving,

interim chair, TELUS Toronto Community Board. “We support

programs that have an impact on youth and the Red Cross

Babysitting program fits well with the goals of our funding.”

The funding allows the Red Cross in Toronto and Ottawa to deliver

the babysitting program to 950 at-risk youth. Participants will

learn how to care for children in a safe environment, how to handle

emergency situations and prevent injuries as well as gain valuable

skills and experience.

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“The nature of the Red Cross Babysitting program resonates

with us,” says Irving. “It highlights our youth component and

has a sustainable factor to it. The program trains leaders

who will continue on - this initiative will have a life long after

the initial training is complete.”

Over the next year, the four phases of this project will

be completed: establishing partnerships in the target

communities, training babysitting facilitators, purchasing

required first aid equipment to run the courses and, finally,

delivering the babysitting course to community youth.

“TELUS believes in the ‘give where we live’ philosophy,”

said Janet Yale, chair of the TELUS Ottawa Community

Board. “We provide resources to respond to the needs of

the community. Our board unanimously agreed that this

program meets a defined need within our city.”

The Red Cross Babysitting program teaches youth 11 years

and older how to be prepared and responsive caregivers.

Participants are given the confidence and skills to care for

themselves when they are home alone, as well as care for

their siblings and other children.

“Thanks to this funding, we can reach youth in Toronto

and Ottawa communities with our important safety

and injury prevention messages,” said Lorraine Davies,

provincial director of first aid and water safety services

for the Canadian Red Cross. “Our goal is to empower

youth to become leaders and promote health and safety

in their communities.”

Thank you to the TELUS Toronto and Ottawa Community

Boards for your generous support of the Canadian

Red Cross!

injury prevention


TELUS believes

in the ‘give

where we

live’ philosophy

Janet Yale

Chair of the TELUS

Ottawa Community Board

“”

Continued on page 13Continued from page 13


RespectED: Violence and Abuse PreventionRespectED: Violence and Abuse Prevention is a volunteer-driven

program that aims to stop the hurt before it starts. Our nationally

recognized, award-winning programs teach kids and adults what a

healthy relationship is, how to recognize the signs of abuse, dating

violence and harassment, and how to get help.

This past year, RespectED delivered several workshops on bullying

and healthy dating relationships to several area high schools and

the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies.

Beyond the Hurt peer training sessions happened at RH King

Academy and Sir Robert Borden schools in Scarborough. Ten youth

peer facilitators and two adult school advisors were trained from

each school. The training was made possible through funding from

BMO. The peer facilitation workshops train high school students in

bullying and harassment prevention strategies to make their school

and community safer and more secure.

RespectEd presented six simultaneous Walking the Prevention

Circle workshops at the National Indian and Inuit Community

Conference which took place May 27-30 in Toronto. Walking

the Prevention Circle is a comprehensive three-day workshop,

developed in close collaboration with Aboriginal communities. It

acknowledges the history, challenges and potential of Aboriginal

individuals and communities as it explores issues relating to abuse,

neglect and interpersonal violence. Over 250 health representatives

attended the conference.

respectED

If I see someone

being bullied,

I will know who

to tell.

RespectED

workshop participant.


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Youth reached: 720Adults reached: 142

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The Canadian Red Cross is able to help people around the

world and here in Toronto thanks to the generous financial

support of Toronto residents, schools, businesses and various

organizations and agencies.

Highlights 2009-2010

Haiti Earthquake AppealFollowing the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, Toronto residents,

schools, businesses, churches and various other community

agencies organized special events, collection drives, galas and

other fundraising initiatives, generously contributing both their

time and money in support of this appeal. The funds will be used

by the Canadian Red Cross to support Haiti for many years to

come. To date over $122 million has been raised across Canada.

Special thanks to the following for their support:

• Toronto District School Board

• Toronto Transit Commission

• Merix Financial

• GO Transit

• Korea Times Daily

• Aecon Canada

• Seneca Student Federation

With the generous support of Toronto residents, the Canadian

Red Cross was also able to support efforts following several disas-

ters including the earthquakes in Italy and Chile, and the typhoons

in South Asia. For more information visit www.redcross.ca.

Walmart Campaign 2009In August, Walmart Canada held its annual in-store bar-scan

event in support of local Red Cross disaster management

programs across the country. The month-long campaign

raised $77,088 in Toronto and $2.5 million in Canada,

including matching dollars from Walmart.

fund development

CONTACT Canadian Red Cross, Toronto Region

21 Randolph Ave. Toronto, Ontario M6P 4G4

Telephone: 416.480.2500 Fax: 416.480.2777

www.redcross.ca


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