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Home My WebLink AboutCSD-10-046 - 2010 Community Resource Centre HighlightsREPORT REPORT TO: Community Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: June 21, 2010 SUBMITTED BY: Mark Hildebrand, Director, Community Programs and Services (ext 2687) PREPARED BY: Debbie Campbell, Manager, Community Resource Centres (ext 3382) WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: June 10, 2010 REPORT NO.: CSD-10-046 SUBJECT: COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE HIGHLIGHTS 2010 RECOMMENDATION: For information only. BACKGROUND: The Community Resource Centre staff team has a key role in: the operation and program and service delivery in 13 Community Resource Centres and one dedicated Older Adult Centre; support to 29 Neighbourhood Associations, offering a wide range of community programming, special events and social networks responding to a variety of neighbourhood issues; and collaboration and partnership with community agencies and organizations to respond to identified needs on a neighbourhood and broader community level. REPORT: Community Resource Centres and Neighbourhood Associations and volunteers play a vital role in the health, well-being and vitality of neighbourhoods in the City of Kitchener. It is timely to share this information with Council as another successful season comes to a close. Community Resource Centres The period of 1970 – 2010 has seen dramatic growth in the provision of community facilities to respond to recreational and social needs of residents in the City of Kitchener. In 1970, three community centres, Breithaupt, Bridgeport and Charles Street Senior Centre, served the City of Kitchener population of 107,500 residents. Since that time, Charles Street Centre has been closed, and an additional twelve Community Centres have been developed to serve the City’s 224,500 residents. Community Centres have beenrepositioned from a purely recreational focus, to a resourcefocus, recognizing the holistic needs of communities, and supporting the integration of social and recreational programming in meeting these needs. The multipurpose focus of the Community Resource Centre establishes them as neighbourhood hubs, and the programs, services and social networking that occurs in these facilities contributes to: ïí ó ï the health of neighbourhoods and the City as a whole; grass roots leadership; community participation; the leveraging of resources, services and programs through creative collaborations; and increased access to programs and services for diverse populations. Community Resource Centre Highlights of 2009-10 Partnerships: Long standing, well developed working relationships with community organizations continue to be reflected in the number and range of programs and services across the community. Building on this history, new partnerships have also been formed, providing additional opportunities for residents in a familiar, neighbourhood based setting. In all, more than 43 community partnerships resulted in increased programs and services to residents at Community Resource Centres in 2009-10. Following is a short selection of some of the long time and newer partnerships that continue to enrich the community: House of Friendship offers social programs at Kingsdale and Chandler Mowat Community Centres; Community Outreach Workers, in conjunction with KW Counselling, House of Friendship and Region of Waterloo, provide service to residents at 7 Community Resource Centres; Strong Start and Pathways to Education continue to support the educational success of students in the Kingsdale and Chandler Mowat neighbourhoods; A third successful year of Winter COPS with involvement of the Centreville Chicopee Community Association, Centreville Chicopee Community Centre, Police, Fire, and Ski Chicopee; Williamsburg Community Association and Centre staff have developed a new partnership with RBJ Schlegel and Williamsburg Towne Centre Vendors to support community special events; Forest Heights Youth Collaborative partnership supports local youth with the involvement of local schools, police, local businesses, Forest Heights Community Association and Centre staff; St. Mary’s Alternative Education program supports youth at Country Hills Community Centre; Learn English, Make Friends program is a partnership initiative involving Victoria Hills Neighbourhood Association, The Dwelling Place and Victoria Hills Community Centre staff; and Lutherwood 55 + Employment Service retired from Rockway Centre in April 2010. Programs, Services and Initiatives: Stanley Park Community Centre and Victoria Hills Community Centre hosted H1N1 flu clinics where approximately 4000 residents received their flu shots; Year round Youth Drop In at Downtown Community Centre continues to draw increased numbers of youth; Grant money from the Elderly Persons Centres supported a dietician at Rockway and Downtown Community Centres, contributing to the provision of balanced meals through the meal program for Day Program and Centre participants; ïí ó î Trend in programming for older adults shifts from passive to active programming, evidenced through growth in cycling, pickle-ball and fitness programs; Installation of new playground equipment at Country Hills Community Centre, May 2010; Youth Outreach (YO) programming has been enhanced at Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre; Older Adult Strategy is accepted by Council; and Caryndale Neighbourhood Association initiates plant sale at Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre. Facility Development Williamsburg Community Centre opened in fall 2009; Kingsdale Community Centre construction begins with anticipated completion March 2011 ; Infrastructure funding enables full renovation of Bridgeport Community Centre, with anticipated completion in March 2011; Infrastructure funding supports new splash pad development at Centreville Chicopee and Kingsdale Community Centres, fall 2010 ; th The 40 anniversary of the Bridgeport Community Centre was celebrated on June 12, 2010; and th 2010 marks the 35 anniversary of Rockway Centre. Looking to the Future: 2010/2011 The rapid pace of growth and development continues into the next year with facility openings, business plans, and new programming and partnership opportunities on the horizon. Below is a small selection of focus areas for the year ahead: Kingsdale Community Centre and Bridgeport Community Centre openings: April, 2011; Business Case development for the Doon Pioneer Park Community and Centre to begin fall, 2010; Partnership proposal with Multicultural Centre for settlement workers in select Community Centres. Neighbourhood Associations The City of Kitchener has a rich history of citizen involvement and volunteerism. The emergence of Neighbourhood Associations began as early as 1953, and since that time more than 35 neighbourhoods have benefitted from the involvement of resident volunteers who have initiated events and activities and responded to local needs. Cumulatively, these Neighbourhood Associations have been active and contributed more than 739 years of service. There are currently 29 active Neighbourhood Associations in the City of Kitchener. Volunteers from these Associations contribute countless hours to enhance the quality of their neighbourhoods through the planning and implementation of recreational programming in Community Centres, schools and churches across the City; offering special event programming which reflects resident interests and celebrates significant milestones; and responding to neighbourhood issues in areas such as planning, heritage, safety and social needs. Collaborations of neighbourhood associations, such as Mill Courtland, Highland Stirling and Cedar Hills, and Downtown Neighbourhood Alliance, are occurring as Associations recognize and respond to opportunities to work together to achieve mutual goals. ïí ó í Neighbourhood Association Highlights of 2009-10 Williamsburg Community Association became affiliated with City of Kitchener in 2009; th Mount Hope Breithaupt Park Neighbourhood Association will host the 10 annual Lippert Park Picnic on July 10, 2010; rd Cherry Park Neighbourhood Association hosts the 3 annual Cherry Festival, July 2010; Mill Courtland Neighbourhood Association initiates a new special event, Gearing Up for Summer, to encourage bike safety. This event is offered in partnership with the Waterloo Regional Police, Recycle Cycle and the Head Injury Association; Family Fun Days, hosted at numerous locations, by Stanley Park Community Association, Forest Heights Community Association, Country Hills Recreation Association, Chandler Mowat Neighbourhood Association and others; Doon Pioneer Park Community Association continues the seasonal tradition of providing food hampers to local residents through the Christmas Miracle program; Alpine Neighbourhood Association fall food drive; Forest Hill Park Renewal project completion and opening celebration, September 2009; and Milestone Anniversaries in 2010 including: Pinegrove Community Association - 50 years; o Victoria Park Neighbourhood and Forest Heights Community Associations - 35 o years; Auditorium Neighbourhood Association - 20 years; o Cherry Park Neighbourhood Association -15 years; o Deer Ridge Estates Social Club and Downtown Neighbourhood Alliance - 5 years. o Volunteering with Older Adult Centres/Programs Senior clubs were initiated in the City of Kitchener in 1956, and with this began a movement of volunteering for and with older adult programs. The first senior club, the Kitchener Club, moved to the Charles Street Centre in 1964, where older adult programming expanded. There are currently 9 Senior Clubs in Kitchener, as well as significant older adult programming through Rockway, Downtown and Breithaupt Community Centres. Additional adult programming is growing incrementally at other community centres throughout the City. Much of the growth of this programming is the result of the dedication of more than 600 community volunteers who contributed in excess of 75,000 hours of service in the past year. Older Adult Centres/Programs Highlights of 2009-10 Marmo Travel Club will retire in summer 2010 after offering 40 years of service, day trips and travel opportunities to community seniors; and Seniors Tuck Shop at Downtown Community Centre expands service of light lunches and snacks to local community. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, General Manager Community Services ïí ó ì