Board & Committees

MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & BOARD OF DIRECTORS CO-CHAIRS

“2018 has been a year of striking growth and maturation for PARC. We have made substantial progress towards our strategic aims with numerous activities specifically undertaken to strengthen our organization. Most importantly we have acted to slow the loss from Parkdale of the affordable supportive housing so many of our members depend upon: the management team and the Board came together to formally adopt the goal of growing our housing operation to at least 100 supportive housing units by 2020. We have made considerable investments in pillars 3 & 4 while our continued incubation of the Parkdale People’s Economy has created a fertile environment for pillar 5. Under pillar 2 PARC has experienced the beginnings of a renaissance by exploring different ways of engaging members, staff, management, and the Board so that a more nuanced understanding of the concerns of our stakeholders can lead to greater accommodation of needs and alignment of goals. We intend to continue this transformative journey, and look forward to tangible results.

None of these plans and activities could have been advanced without explicit support from our core funders. We are indebted to the TC-LHIN for expanding our supportive Housing; the United Way’s Anchor Agency funding for organizational improvements; the Ontario Trillium Foundation for capital improvements; and the city of Toronto’s Shelter Support & Housing Administration for greatly enlarging our Money Matters program.

But we are first and foremost a charity that provides immediate support to people in need. Even in a year of exciting organizational growth, our long term relationships with the Boulevard Club, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and our countless community and staff donors are absolutely crucial to our ability to deliver our core services. Speaking of contributing, we cannot consider this Annual Report complete without recognising our sadness at having said goodbye to Sheila Koffman, a long-time board member, co-chair, and indefatigable supporter of PARC and its members who passed away this year. Nonetheless, Sheila has the last word, as we recognize with profound gratitude her legacy gift. The endowment in her name will have an impact on the lives of PARC’s members for whom she cared so very deeply for many years to come.

In every annual report we extol the virtues of the members and staff who are the heart and soul of PARC: no less so this year.”

Victor Willis Executive Director
Peter Hoag & james Partanen. Co-chairs, Board of Directors