Serving More Kids and Serving Kids More! ED’s Report – Fall 2018

Serving More Kids and Serving Kids More!

That’s our job, first and foremost.

In partnership with our Board of Directors, Moorelands Staff has worked hard this year to deliver on our promise to “Empower Kids to Transform their Lives.” That promise – our new vision – has set the tone and pace for leadership, innovation and change at Moorelands.So, how have we done so far this year? What inroads have we made? And, how do these inroads impact the kids we serve?

First and foremost, the direction to “serve more kids” and to also “serve kids more” has been a welcome challenge for our small and nimble organization; it takes time, money and great effort to make it all happen.

So, how have we done so far this year? 

• 30% Increase in Kids at Camp. This summer we witnessed an incredible 30% increase in overnight campers at  Moorelands Camp on Kawagama Lake resulting in 659 kids enjoying fun and safe leadership and life-skills building experiences.
• Two New Youth LED Programs Launched in Schools. This September, we partnered with and expanded into two new priority communities with our exciting and unique Youth LED after-school leadership programs (for grades 6-8). We are grateful to partner with the west end’s Humber Summit Middle School and Gulf Stream Public School and look forward to meeting needs in their school and communities.

What inroads have we made?

• Ramped-Up Outreach and Community Building. To increase public recognition, adoption of our programs and to support expansion into other neighborhoods of Toronto, we reached across the city and shared Moorelands program opportunities with the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Employment and Social Services, Toronto Community Housing, Toronto Parks and Recreation and many other community-based groups from the east end to the west side of the city.
• We Partnered with the Starry Summer Night cottage community to raise more money for Moorelands Kids. As you will read in this newsletter, we have supported and worked with an incredible and wonderfully giving community of cottagers enjoying the same Kawagama Lake, where we have our 101-year old camp. This partnership has resulted in four years of substantive funds being raised for Moorelands. This year, we are grateful to receive over $91,000 from this volunteer-driven, one-night event called the Starry Summer Night Bash. Huge thanks go to the SSN organizing committee for their vision and hard work.

How do all of these accomplishments impact the kids we serve?

• Growth is the Lifeblood of Moorelands. Our vision and mandate is to empower kids to transform their lives. We can’t do this without making huge investments in our programs, services and support that we have and receive. If we don’t, we will stagnate and become irrelevant. That’s why we’ve recently made important changes to our brand and to how we grow. We can’t do it alone. We need your continued help to make this happen.
• Continued Focus on Leadership Habits and Qualities. At every Moorelands Kids’ program – our after-school programs and our summer camp – we teach the same Leadership Habits and Qualities (H&Q). These unique leadership skills-building programs and activities strengthen kids, supporting them to make good choices and choose positive directions for themselves. Through connections at programs, we provide opportunities for kids to gain confidence, competence, and develop character; we call those the Moorelands Kids 4Cs. Our staff members are trained to identify strengths in children and youth and to help them build on those strengths. Giving kids the tools to make changes in their lives is empowerment. Time spent teaching kids to get along and work well with others, to work through conflict in a positive way and to set goals for themselves, is time well invested.

There are exciting days ahead at Moorelands Kids! We are growing! We will be making some changes, AND we will always stay true to our purpose and continue to meet the needs of kids who cannot access the life and leadership programming that we excel at delivering. We are serving more youth and serving youth more by ‘Empowering Kids to Transform their Lives.’

Lynda Tilley

Executive Director  

Moorelands Kids