MESSAGE FROM FROM JEFF DYER, CEO

Trellis is a dream that was planted last year, and like all seeds, once planted you have to wait and see what emerges. You do what you can to ensure it’s planted in good soil, has the nutrients, water and access to light that’s needed, but you also need time. For us, most of that time was during a pandemic but what has already begun to sprout has far exceeded the initial dream.

Over the past year, we have had the privilege of supporting close to five thousand children, youth and families in our community, helping each person grow towards their full potential through the most unpredictable and challenging year in decades. This deserves to be celebrated and we share in this with the people we serve. The fact is we simply offered support and honoured the courage and resilience of each person while actively becoming the trellis of support behind them.

What you will read in this report are stories of transformation and impact. Each one is a small expression of Trellis’ intentions to: ready little ones for their learning journey and stick with them through to graduation, bring empathy and advocacy to families during their most challenging days so that they can stay together and thrive, be there for young people when they navigate profound crises and encourage them to pursue their dreams and finally, provide shelter from life’s storms so that everyone finds home again. These aspirations have come true for countless lives over the last year and for that, we celebrate.

In the year ahead, we look forward to watching Trellis grow even more. Nourished by our combined 117 years of history, our goal is to shatter programmatic silos, work across generational lines and look beyond the horizon towards generational change. As we stand at the intersection of our societies most challenging and complex problems, we will unearth potential so that everyone grows to reach their dreams. As one agency, Trellis has unmatched potential through efficiency, scale, reach and capacity but what really differentiates us is our ability to act boldly in real time with agility and intention. We will do that by optimizing the impact we make, by being a great place to work and serve and by speaking up for justice and equity with strength and empathy.

As you read this report, please understand it as a story of our collective success. Trellis’ impact reflects the investment entrusted in us by our funders, the generosity given to us by our donors, the connections made with our partners and the time and talent shared with us by our staff and volunteers. It is this collective effort that allows Trellis to flourish. It has helped us grow over this last year and will carry us into the future.

Please accept our wholehearted gratitude for you, as we celebrate what we have accomplished together in the past and anticipate how we will evolve for years to come.

Growing with you,

Jeff Dyer, CEO

MESSAGE FROM KARLEEN BATTY, BOARD CHAIR

We, as a Board, are all extremely proud to help govern an organization focused on doing better for those we serve. Over the past year there were a lot of extra hours put in by people passionate about doing better for all of our stakeholders–our funders, our staff, our program participants and future program participants. Together, we are poised to execute on our goal to support people with complex needs through teams with skill, passion and a range of expertise to make a difference across lifespans and generations.

We would also like to express sincere appreciation for the dedication and talents that the legacy agency Board members brought to the table. They ensured appropriate governance and stewardship were at the forefront not only for the legacy agencies, but throughout the merger, giving us a strong foundation to grow from.

At Trellis we are constantly striving for new and innovative ways to make a real impact on the lives of the vulnerable youth, families and communities that we serve. We remain steadfastly committed to governing this organization in a way that ensures organizational health and provides generational change for those most vulnerable in our community. On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is my privilege to share our first Report to Community celebrating the impact of Trellis’ dedication to help everyone reach their full potential.