Writers' Exchange Annual Report 2019-2020

Annual Report 2019–2020 MAGIC

by Brooklyn, age 10

Everyone says that magic isn’t real. But the truth is that magic is very real, without a doubt it is. If anyone knows, it’s me!

I've seen magic everywhere! It’s been helpful, it’s been kind, it’s been full-on smart. It’s helped a lot of people and souls. So, if you’ve seen some, you know your stuff. Keep a look out for some purple sparkles, or sparks and flashes. It’s also a sign of… shhhh, be very, very, VERY quiet. It’s a sign of fairies.

MISSION

VISION

The Writers’ Exchange is a community that supports under-resourced kids and youth to build their confidence and get excited about reading, writing and their own potential!

All kids grow up with the power to make their own choices, achieve anything and be happy.

PROGR AMS 241 unique kids 4

locations

3

books

(1 anthology)

136 unique kids 7

classes

7

books

AFTER SCHOOL Consistency during Covid-19 was key! Our fun and wacky programs went uninterrupted. They just looked a little different.

144

41 2

unique youth locations

IN SCHOOL We had so much fun working with amazing teachers and their classes this year! All the books we created are super enjoyable and free to read at issuu.com/writers_exchange

VOLUNTEERS volunteer mentors

HIGH SCHOOL

Wow! We knew they were committed, but this year showed us just how amazing all our volunteers really are. We stayed connected and they have answered every call for support we’ve sent out to them.

Our new after-school program at Van Tech and our Strathcona neighbourhood evening program allowed us to continue working with youth we’ve been connected to for many years and build new connections with others.

SUMMER

113 unique kids 2

Thank you to all the kids and youth who trusted our Health and Safety plan and returned to programs this summer ready to have fun and learn the new rules!

Our staff had fun delivering new locations activities and having weekly chats across the sidewalk with the kids and youth who decided to stay in our remote programs.

YEAR HIGHLIGHTS

360

UNIQUE KIDS

$256,904.88 R AISED FOR OUR COVID KINDNESS FUND

144

3

VOLUNTEERS WHO GAVE

NEW SPACES

4179 HOURS

We haven’t had to turn away any kids who need our programs and we can still socially distance in all of our programs!

COMPLETED GOALS 1

2

3

4

Open an after-school program at Van Tech High School.

Create a three-year strategic plan.

Create a legacy giving plan.

With the school’s Indigenous Enhancement Teacher as our champion, our staff and three mentors supported 28 youth.

Over 50% previously attended Writers’ Exchange programs in elementary school and were excited to be able to continue!

Did you see our new mission and vision on page 1? Our short term plans have been changed by the pandemic, but we’re still ready to tackle the years to come!

You can now give a gift that will last a lifetime . . . and beyond.

Your legacy will be that your kindness, generosity and belief in the kids’ potential gets carried long into the future.

Ensure our volunteer mentors have a meaningful experience and a sense of belonging.

94% of mentors said they felt like they belong at Writers’ Exchange and 98% felt they have built a positive connection with a kid.

FINANCIALS <1%

20%

5% 7%

60%

24%

16%

56% 12% REVENUES

EXPENSES

$107,338 $291,940 $123,521

$1,589

$307,361

$27,120

$36,160

Government Grants

Other Revenue

After-School Programs

In-School Programs

High School Programs

Foundation & Corporate Grants

Individual Donors

Total Revenues = $ 524,388

Plus! $80,981 of in-kind support, including book printing, program food and materials, and 4,179 hours of volunteer time.

$81,360

$64,390

Summer Programs

Admin

Total Expenses = $516,391

ADJUSTING TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONNECTIONS

WHAT WE DID Communication and Connection with Families

Since March our team has been staying connected to all of the families we worked with throughout the year. Weekly phone calls to chat and share challenges and successes with kids and parents were a highlight.

“I connected with a kid each week who answered the phone by excitedly saying, ‘ANOTHER DELIVERY!?’ We’d chat, and they’d update me on how the previous week’s activity went, and how good the snacks in the Backpack Buddies food bag were.

This kid loved beef jerky, so I made sure to always include some in the delivery.

Activity Deliveries

Our amazing team loaded up their wagons each week with fun activity packs and delivered them to every kid and youth who wanted a bit of wackiness dropped at their front door.

I knew the family wasn’t leaving the house much, so I asked if there was anything else I could include that could be done at home. The kid’s parents suggested the Wings of Fire series—those were the kid’s favourite books to read at Writers’ Exchange!

So each week, I’d safely drop off a book from the series outside their door, along with the activity and a food bag for the week. The kid kept the book to read for the week, then left it out for me the next delivery day in exchange for the next. The kid would ALWAYS be inside, waving at me from the window, whenever I arrived.”

Food Deliveries

Weekly deliveries of food to families were possible because of our friends at Backpack Buddies, Fresh Roots, Growing Chefs, Premium Brand Foods, Seymour Mountain and Ono Vancouver.

Changed Programs

In June we created a Health and Safety Plan to share with families so that they would know how we were all going to work together to keep their kids and our staff safe. Clear communication of 2 metres social distancing, hand-washing, extra cleaning, maximum numbers depending on the size of the space and masks for all staff have kept everyone safe. Our mentors adapted quickly to connecting virtually on our new tablets during program time. It has kept them connected to the kids who they’ve worked very hard to build strong relationships with!

—Sarah, Programs Manager

LOOKING FORWARD 2020–2021 Our Strategic Plan Directives

1

2

3

4

Support kids longer, and during critical times in their lives, by expanding high school programs. This year youth will be outside of the classroom more than 50% of the time due to COVID restrictions, and this will be especially hard on those making the transition to high school.

Invest in people and technology to build a team of virtual mentors!

Now beaming into programs by magic (AKA virtually) to maintain physical distancing but also keep the kids connected to the positive adults in their lives.

Expand our relationship with the Vancouver School Board to provide new programs to kids in GrandviewWoodlands and Killarney—two neighbourhoods in Vancouver where we have been asked to deepen support for under-resoured kids and their families.

Give you an insider look at the Writers’ Exchange—like how and why our wacky programs lead to long-term choice and happiness (find out by reading our Theory of Change at vancouverWE.com/ theoryofchange) plus more sharing of the kids’ stories and successes throughout the year.

CONNECT

@writers_ex

thewriters.exchange

5 Continue along the path of building an antioppression organization by committing to:

another equity-seeking group, into positions with decision-making authority across our organization;

Revisit our values, policies Continue removing and procedures with an barriers to participation, anti-oppression lens and examine why Put people who represent those barriers exist in the communities we the first place; serve, including BIPOC, Question, listen, learn, LGBTTIQQ2SA folks, grow, and repeat. immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities or

vancouverWE.com