Grant Erickson Honourable Laurie Hawn PC, CD Donna Ludvigsen Susan Christine Matheson Khalid Tarabain Ben Weinlick Dr. Kristopher Wells Ben Whynot
STAFF
Robert Philp Q.C. Jay Aggarwal Mark Davis Marilyn Gray Holly Hallborg Michelle Harvey
ADVISORS
Kelly Holland Sarah Hamilton, Edmonton City Councillor
Lisa Langston
Brian Simpson, Edmonton Police Service Deputy Chief
Jodie Mandick
Lyall Brenneis, City of Edmonton
Arthemon Rurangwa
Brittany Lewchuk Jill McGinn Helen Rusich Madeleine Smith Matthew Taylor Katherine Tracy
We acknowledge that REACH does its work on traditional land that is Territory of the Treaty 6 First Nations and the Métis Nation of Alberta Zone 4. We acknowledge and thank the diverse Indigenous peoples whose ancestors’ footsteps have marked this territory for centuries. This is a welcoming place for all people who come from around the world to share Edmonton as a home. Together we call upon all our collective honoured traditions and spirits to work in building a great city for both present and future generations.
Suite 901, Baker Centre 10025 - 106 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5J 1G4 Telephone 780-498-1231 info@reachedmonton.ca
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www.reachedmonton.ca @REACHEdmonton @REACHEdmonton
IMPACT
Through collective impact; a collaborative approach that brings partners together to tackle deeply entrenched and complex social problems.
REACH is a backbone organization We work behind the frontlines: n creating, incubating and co-ordinating new initiatives that will increase community safety and crime prevention;
2017
A safer Edmonton in one generation
n convening people, community groups, agencies and larger organizations to work collaboratively on new and innovative approaches; n communicating the work that’s being done and the impact its having, through ongoing evaluation and sharing of results.
Collective impact at work The REACH Neighborhoods Initiative is one example of this. In 2017, two REACH community coordinators, in McCauley and Central McDougall, began working with individuals, frontline agencies, city and provincial officials from those two neighborhoods. In Central McDougall, they’re developing a community safety action plan and organizing events and programs for young people and a community garden. The McCauley group held a Community Gathering and Resource Fair that almost 200 people attended, to share information and ideas on crime prevention.
IMPACT
Our work at REACH is possible through generous support from the City of Edmonton, the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada. REACH does not compete for funding with direct service providers. REACH is a backbone organization helping its collaborative partner organizations, who provide frontline services, to mobilize needed resources.
McCauley Community Gathering and Resource Fair
How do we do this?
Each community is working with its community coordinator in its own way and with its own ideas, on a preventative approach to community safety.
Long-term sustainability Our objective is to build enough capacity that communities and partners can sustain their projects, at which point REACH can move onto new initiatives.
STORIES OF
Allison Downey-Damato
Adele Towns, Director of Finance & Corporate Services
COLLECTIVE
Dr. Gabrielle Betts
Lindsay Daniller, Director of Community Initiatives & Strategic Development
EMPOWER
Tim Adams
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Brad Jesson, Secretary/Treasurer
At REACH, we work to empower people and front-line organizations to create and implement transformational change: change that will prevent marginalized Edmontonians – people who experience risk factors like poverty, discrimination or homelessness – from falling into crisis.
EMPOWERMENT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pilar Martinez, Vice Chair
Jan Fox, Executive Director
TRANSF RM
REACH
Linda McConnan, Chair
The success of our REACH initiatives is demonstrated in numbers, but more importantly by the people REACH and our partners do this work for; people who’ve been EMPOWERED TO MAKE CHANGE and are now HELPING TRANSFORM our city. Five years ago, I was a young teenage girl, new to Canada. It was hard to adjust. The jokes were different, the games were different, and I was trying to find a balance with my own culture. But at the Police and Youth Engagement Program (PYEP) I learned I wasn’t alone. I made friends and I learned to become a leader. Today I’m going to university and I’m a PYEP Youth Coordinator. I’m passionate about helping youth who are new to Canada. I love seeing kids learn they’re in a safe place. I’m changing my community little by little, and then it just gets bigger. Luna Ghebermicael, PYEP Youth Coordinator
I was 16, pregnant and didn’t have many supports in my life when I moved to Edmonton. Staying in school was hard and I didn’t know where to go for help. In 2015, I joined WrapED. It helped me use my strengths to change my life. I set four big goals: finding work, finding daycare for my son, getting my driver’s license and going back to school. I’ve accomplished all four. And now I want to get a nursing degree. WrapED gave me the help and support to keep me going and encouraged me to be the person I need to be for my son. Without WrapED I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be where I am today. Patricia (not her real name) WrapED youth
My name is Naol Tasissa. I’m 19, upgrading my high school, and I have a job. This year, I won a Canada 150 Leadership Award. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished since we immigrated here from Ethiopia in 2014. PYEP helped me learn about my new country and services I could access. We talked about things like consent, racism and discrimination, and how not to get caught up in gangs and drugs. We met police officers and even did beat walks with them, so I have a better understanding of how police work in our communities. As a PYEP youth leader now I’m giving back. It feels good. Naol Tasissa, PYEP Youth Leader
Change isn’t easy, and often happens incrementally. It takes confidence, resolve and trust to create new, interconnected working relationships that are the foundation of long-term systems change. Thank you to the REACH team for helping lay these foundations, which will make our city a safer place for everyone. Don Iveson, Mayor, City of Edmonton
Edmontonians experiencing homelessness, poverty, colonialism and its legacies, racism, and oppression, simply cannot feel safe. REACH works with multiple partners to tackle these complex social challenges with creative, community-driven, and evidence-based approaches. We strive in all we do to advance the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and the EndPovertyEdmonton recommendations. This year, our partners offered more out-of-school time programs for immigrant/refugee children and youth, and more training workshops for front-line service providers. REACH joined and convened several new initiatives including the City of Edmonton’s Ambassador Program which expanded to provide more ambassador teams on the streets of our city’s core every day, engaging with people who live, work, and visit the area. Looking forward, REACH will increasingly focus on our work partnering with diverse community groups and organizations. Internally, in 2017, we welcomed five new members to our Board of Directors who each bring different backgrounds, ideas and experience to our work. As ambassadors for REACH, our board members explore opportunities for new relationships and collaborations, facilitating REACH to develop sustainable strategies for crime prevention and community safety.
Linda McConnan, Board Chair Jan Fox, Executive Director REACH Edmonton
Summer camps for children and youth who are vulnerable because of poverty, racism, social isolation and other risk factors.
Raising awareness about the risks of grow-ops and how we can deal with any challenges after the legalization of cannabis.
A gang prevention program for youth 12 to 17 years old, that empowers them to recognize their needs and set their own goals and build a support team to help them succeed and thrive.
A summer program for immigrant and refugee youth, aimed at helping with integration into Canadian society and building leadership skills.
Front-line service providers
Edmontonians
n 1,267 people attended 69 training sessions coordinated by REACH to learn about working with vulnerable and diverse peoples.
n 1,298 children and youth participated in OST programs.
n 150+ front-line workers attended REACH’s annual Out of School Time (OST) conference to learn about new approaches for working with children and youth. n The Ambassador Project increased from one to two teams who walk through the city’s core every day, connecting people and businesses to services and resources.
n 91% of WrapED youth have made positive changes like going back to school, finding housing or getting a job n 10 cultural navigators and 9 youth leaders are working with Oromo, Syrian, LGBTQ2+, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Ugandan, Sudanese and Somali community members. n 85% of PYEP youth plan to start volunteering in their community.
Collaboration isn’t easy. The easy road is to try and do it yourself. But you realize quickly when you’re working with more people just how effective you can be in achieving goals you’ve set out. 24/7 Crisis Diversion has definitely been an example of being more effective and efficient as a program. Ryan Harding, Hope Mission
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WrapED
Social systems n Edmonton Public Schools joined the PYEP partnership to offer youth the chance earn two high school credits. n Edmonton Police Service now transfers non-emergency calls directly to 211 at CMHA Edmonton. This new way of working means 24/7 Crisis Diversion teams can respond to more calls, preventing situations from becoming emergencies. n REACH, the City of Edmonton and the University of Alberta are working together to understand more about integrated service planning for the most vulnerable people in our city.
As WrapED youth facilitators we share information and listen to each other; learning from our different backgrounds, knowledge and skills. Because of our collaboration we’re able to bring so much more to each WrapED youth. Emmanuel Onah, Africa Centre WrapED youth facilitator
Family Violence Prevention in a Cultural Context Part of the REACH Immigrant and Refugee Initiative, this prevention project uses cultural navigators and youth leaders to engage with their ethno-cultural communities and work together to reduce domestic violence and build healthy families.
How partners work together n 29 Edmonton Public and Catholic schools partnered with 25 community groups to provide summer camps for 2,600 children and youth at risk of becoming vulnerable. n 24/7 Crisis Diversion Teams began using the 24/7 app, which informs them of previous client contacts and what happened, and collects real-time data.
n Youth participants in PYEP can become youth leaders, and then youth coordinators; paid positions to help plan and coordinate the next PYEP summer camp.
2017 Actual
2016 Actual
4,274,781 1,808,814 17,000 10,000 10,000 5,500
4,181,665 1,761,537 29,321 16,806 19,720 5,225
4,279,374 1,736,415 17,080 13,217 20,287 5,245
6,126,095
6,014,274
6,071,618
4,369,418 1,842,041 267,250 20,000
4,422,024 1,882,910 199,403 22,322
3,892,278 1,634,293 151,980 20,453
6,498,709
6,526,659
5,699,004
( 372,614 )
( 512,385 )
372,614
524,165 151,551
1,036,550 524,165
663,936 1,036,550
REVENUES: City of Edmonton operating contribution Other grants and contributions Training Investment income Other income and recoveries Membership sales EXPENDITURES: Program expenses Finance, operations and information technology Community impact and investment Amortization of capital assets
Excess (deficiency) of revenues over expenditures Net assets, beginning of year Net assets, end of year
REVENUES 2017 n City of Edmonton operating contribution n Other grants and contributions n Training n Investment income n Other income and recoveries n Membership sales
EXPENDITURES 2017 n Program expenses n Finance, operations and information technology n Community impact and investment n Amortization of capital assets
Edmontonians’ role in making our city a safer place for everyone n An increasing number of requests for a 24/7 Crisis Diversion team are coming from Edmontonians calling 211 directly, as opposed to calling police or EMS first and then being transferred to 211.
Budget 2017
A city we are proud of, in a region that is harmonious, where all people, including the first people on whose lands we reside, are included, feel safe and are safe.
MISSION
A sincere thank you to our partners, REACH team members, our funders and all Edmontonians – together we’re making notable progress every year towards making Edmonton a safer city in one generation.
Edmontonians can call 211 to report a person in non-emergency crisis on city streets.
Police and Youth Engagement Program (PYEP)
Edmonton Cannabis Coalition
Year Ended December 31, 2017, with comparative figures for 2016.
VISION
The ongoing data collection and evaluation REACH undertakes with all its initiatives provides insight into service needs and gaps in our city, and is being used to inform other initiatives, including Recover: Edmonton’s Urban Wellness Plan. REACH is also taking Edmonton’s voice to the national front, playing a lead role on the Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention and in 2017 hosting a national training session.
Teams respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to people in crisis on our streets, who don’t need police or emergency services, but do need to get to a safe place.
Out-of-School Time (OST)
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
This year, the 24/7 Crisis Diversion team responded to almost 12,000 calls – that’s thousands that were diverted from police and emergency services, freeing them up to deal with emergency situations. And it’s thousands of examples where someone in crisis on our streets was taken to a safe place.
24/7 Crisis Diversion
EMPOWERING
REACH embodies our made-in-Edmonton approach to tackling challenges: we share expertise and ideas, and together hammer out the best solutions. As a backbone organization, REACH is convening partners and coordinating collaborations. It’s building capacity in front-line service organizations, fostering innovative solutions which result in more Edmontonians feeling safer.
TRANSFORMING
LEADERS’ MESSAGES
REACH initiatives involve many partners: community members and organizations; front-line service providers; municipal, provincial and federal governments; police and other emergency responders; post-secondary institutions; as well as public and Catholic schools.
To strengthen community safety in our city and region through innovative ideas, building relationships and inspiring action.