India Rainbow Community Services of Peel  

Annual General Report 2012 -2013

excellence 

Transparency 

Mental health 

Informa on 

empowerment 

programs 

children 

Change  Accredita on  Immigrants  Seniors  empowerment 

cultures 

Change 

Change   evalua on   integra on 

guidance 

ethics 

evalua on 

activities 

quality 

elderly 

seniors 

training 

Table of Contents Board of Directors

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President and Executive Director’s Report

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Services for Seniors

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Settlement Services

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Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada

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Violence Against Women Prevention Program

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Child, Youth and Parenting Program .

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Family Court Support Services .

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Supportive Mental Health Services (Housing And Support Peel)

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15

Volunteer Management & Student Placements

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16

Committee Reports

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17, 18

Auditors Report .

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19, 20

Financial Reports .

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21, 22

Job Search Workshops

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Funders

Ministry of Health ‐ Mississauga ‐ Halton LHIN   Ministry of Health ‐ Central West LHIN 

Catholic Family Services of Dufferin Peel 

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Board of Directors    

Sam Malvea

Shivani Sharda

Charanjit Luthra

President

Vice President

Treasurer

Swaroop Dogra Director

Sandeep Atwal Director

Jatinder Pal Singh

Swaroop Dogra

Director

Director

Ferzana Chaze

Manjeet Puri

Secretary

Joint Secretary

Sandeep Atwal

Sunita Malik

Mohit Narang

Director

Director

Director

Our Objectives ■

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To assist the immigrant community to integrate into mainstream Canadian society through education, training, counseling, referral, information and bridging barriers (to integration) To assist and educate the community on healthcare needs To provide family counseling and/or referral services in family crisis situations To identify problems associated with the duality of cultures for children of immigrants and to provide opportunities for resolving them through education To inform the mainstream Canadian community about the value system of first generation Canadians To raise funds for programs and projects related to achieving the objectives of the organization To strive for providing language and culture specific services as appropriate

Membership India Rainbow’s membership is open to any person other than an employee of the organization, who supports the aims and objectives of the organization and abides by its Constitution and By-Laws. Advantages of Membership ■

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Advance information about our programs and events Voting rights at the Annual General Meeting An opportunity to be part of a Board committee and contribute your expertise on specific issues The right to stand for nomination on the IRCS Board of Directors

Annual Membership Fees January to December $10.00 per person or $15.00 per family Membership can be renewed for up to 5 years and membership payment is now available online All memberships are subject to approval by the Board of Directors. To become a member, please contact us or use our online Membership Form available at www.indiarainbow.org ■

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President’s Report As we look forward to the future and continue to grow, we ought to reflect on our past; 2012-13 was a historic year for India Rainbow. Kitty Chadda, our first executive director, having guided the organization for over a quarter century, retired at the end of April 2013. I am sure that you join me and the Board in taking this opportunity to thank Kitty for her contribution to the organization, and wish her well in her retirement. I am pleased to report that with the unstinting support of staff and members of the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), the Transition Committee of the Board successfully completed the recruitment and transition process, and we welcome Gurpreet Malhotra as the new Executive Director. Gurpreet is an experienced professional and the Board is confident that he will ably and competently steer the organization. India Rainbow is a mature organization, but not one that does not strive to improve. Continuing from last year, in addition to quantitative improvements, India Rainbow is on its path to qualitative improvements as well. We have made significant progress in our efforts to obtain accreditation of our Seniors’ Services. It has been a long and strenuous undertaking, and staff and volunteers on the Accreditation Committee have worked diligently to prepare for the goal. Accreditation would be a significant achievement for India Rainbow, the result of many years of hard work and dedication. Having successfully achieved most of the goals of our first strategic plan, we now have a second strategic plan that lays out a broad road map for growth and development over the next three years. Other ongoing efforts for continuous improvement have been the contributions of the various committees of the Board, whose reports are found on pages 18 and 19. Besides community members and staff who have supported the work of these committees, we should also recognize the efforts of the PAC and the Board for their contributions. We continue to engage and work in all earnestness to support the work of India Rainbow. Our committed volunteers, the Policy Advisory Committee and Board members assist in a variety of ways to further the mission of the India Rainbow, and we to look forward to greater membership and community engagement.

Sam Malvea, President  

Executive Director’s Report It is with great humility that I help present this year’s Annual Report to the communities being served by India Rainbow. It is clearly representative of the work Kitty Chadda had dedicated her career towards. Filling her shoes will not be easy, but I have already received tremendous support from IRCS volunteers, staff and the Board. Kitty’s dedication is reflected by the senior staff and is clearly evident to the community which is very well served by the whole India Rainbow Team. This document acts as the closing of one chapter in the book of IRCS and the beginning of the next. With a new Strategic Plan, a fresh operational plan and a number of innovative staff and Board led projects in development; IRCS is already grasping the future with both hands and rededicating itself to its mission to serve the many communities around us. Together with the community and our sibling agencies IRCS has a solid foundation upon which to build and with the support of our members, partners, donors and funders India Rainbow is well positioned for the years ahead. Yours sincerely,

Gurpreet S. Malhotra, Executive Director 

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Services for Seniors A continuum of care through a basket of seamless and timely services is provided to South Asian seniors who are residing in the Mississauga-Halton and Central-West LHIN (Local Health Integration Network) boundaries. The main focus is to promote independence, healthy aging and active lifestyle ensuring the privacy, dignity and safety of our participants at all times. Our program runs from two sites in Mississauga and one site in Brampton. Services are offered in a language and cultural specific manner meeting the seniors’ diverse and unique needs. We have served over 1252 seniors through our Adult Day Programs, nine Seniors Wellness Programs and the Friendly Visiting Program.

Adult Day Program Comprehensive preventative services are provided to cognitively impaired and or frail elderly clients with chronic disability or illness such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson's, and stroke victims to name a few. Our Adult Day Program serves high care need individuals, wanderers with challenging behaviours, restorative feeding and special care for those with Alzheimer’s. Our daily program includes physical exercise, mental stimulating activities according to the client’s cognitive abilities and their level of participation. Social activities are conducted to increase interaction with others and also to develop communication skills. Various therapeutic activities, group discussions, counselling and support, educational presentations etc. are also part of the program. Currently, our program is running five days a week with extended hours.

Expansion of Services: ■

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Behaviour Support Ontario (BSO) project – India Rainbow received funding for the BSO project that was created to enhance services for individuals with responsive and complex behaviours due to dementia, mental health and other neurological conditions. Under this project, a Psychogeriatric Resource Consultant (PRC), a shared position with Punjabi Community Health Services, and a Community Support Worker (CSW) were hired to work closely with clients, caregivers and staff. In addition, both the PRC and CSW provide education and training to staff and caregivers. Caregivers First Strategy – Mississauga Halton LHIN funded this initiative to provide additional respite and relief to caregivers. We have expanded our services to five days at the Hurontario Street location, and now provide evening respite on Wednesdays at the Matheson Boulevard location. Bed In Abeyance (BIA) project - Brampton - In partnership with the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) and the Region of Peel we received additional funding to serve clients with complex care needs who have been diverted from the nursing homes. The focus is to keep South Asian seniors with a multitude of complex care needs in the community, thus delaying institutionalization.

Seniors Wellness Program:

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We have nine Seniors Wellness programs running in Mississauga and Brampton. We also have some clients on the waiting list. The main objective of the program is to educate, engage and empower South Asian seniors over the age of 55 by providing physical, mental, emotionally and social stimulating activities. The program is cultural and language specific thus meeting the diverse needs of our clients. The main focus is to educate seniors on health related topics and provide resources available in the community. Clients also participate in various events and celebrations. In addition, various field trips,

Services for Seniors picnics and outdoor activities are organized. We also encourage seniors to participate in leadership opportunities and assist staff in conducting the program.

Friendly Visiting Program Friendly visiting services is intended to help clients maintain social interaction with the community and relieve loneliness. Screened and trained volunteers visit isolated and homebound seniors who are physically frail and/or cognitively impaired - to engage them in meaningful and therapeutic activities for social interaction. They visit clients at home, hospitals, or in the nursing homes. This service also provides respite and support to the family and caregivers.

Additional Supportive Services: Clinics: Our on-site Registered Nurse on staff conducted foot care, blood pressure and weight clinics at

all three sites. In addition, falls prevention, medication management, hearing aids, mobility and diabetes education clinics were organized.

Caregiver Education, Training, Counselling and Support Group: Information and education

sessions were organized for caregivers and family members on various health related topics on a regular basis in a group setting or one-on-one basis. A Psychogeriatric Resource Consultant designs client-centred techniques to manage responsive behaviour.

Security Reassurance Checks: Regular contact is maintained with clients and caregivers to ensure their safety and well-being.

Crisis Intervention and Assistance Services: Crisis intervention and support is provided to at-risk seniors experiencing different types of crisis such as homelessness, abuse or isolation. Comprehensive assessment is conducted and additional services provided by linking them with community based services until the situation is stabilized, and a follow up plan is in place. Public Education and Health Promotion: We are educating and engaging seniors, caregivers and

the South Asian community by increasing their awareness towards health related disorders, especially Alzheimer’s and related dementia.

Program Evaluation: Quarterly and half-yearly evaluations are conducted with clients, caregivers and participants of the Seniors Wellness program to seek their input to further enhance our program planning and delivery.  

Central West LHIN           Missisissauga‐ Halton LHIN  7

Settlement Services We have provided more than 12000 settlement services to over 4000 new immigrants this year, helping them integrate into Canadian communities. Newcomers were provided with information, referrals and counselling on core settlement issues such as language and literacy, education, employment, finance, health, housing, immigration and citizenship. Clients also received assistance with translations, interpretations, filling out of various government forms, such as applications for Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan, Guaranteed Income Supplement, Child Tax Benefit, HST, non-profit housing, Social Insurance Numbers, health cards, passports, visas, citizenship, name change etc. Guidance was also provided on housing, banking procedures, schools and day care facilities. Settlement counsellors organised a variety of workshops and information sessions for our foreign trained professional clients, in order to familiarize them with licensing/certification procedures and evaluation of their educational degrees and other documents. Various regulatory bodies were invited from different professions, such as nursing, engineering, accounting etc. to conduct these workshops and group information sessions. Meetings were arranged for the purposes of networking, group support and sharing of job leads amongst clients. Newcomers were referred to Job Search Training Workshops, English language training classes and other co-op programs. Group information sessions and workshops were also conducted on general settlement issues to educate new immigrants on the facilities and services available to them at federal, provincial and municipal levels. Some of the topics covered by these sessions were: orientation to Canada, rights and responsibilities of Canadian residents, education system in Canada, Employment Standards Act (ESA), Employment Insurance, income tax and RRSP, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, credit counselling etc. Income tax clinics were conducted by Canada Revenue Agency volunteers to help low income clients file their tax returns. Over 90 group sessions were conducted in all. Monthly legal clinics, conducted by SALCO (South Asian Legal Clinics of Ontario) were organised jointly with the Women’s program for the benefit of our clients to provide information on Family Law and many other legal issues. Our Commissioners of Oath also attested affidavits and other necessary documents for clients. Our new location ‘Services for New Immigrants’ which opened last year in Unit 1 at our Head Office has been instrumental in the growth of our clientele. The centre being at street level has given a ground level face to India Rainbow providing better exposure to our clients and the community. It is as a one stop shop for immigrants and serves as an employment resource centre to meet the employment needs of our clients. We provided similar settlement services under the Newcomer Settlement Program (NSP) and served an additional 382 unique clients under this provincially funded program. 8

Job Search Workshops We have been offering the Job Search Workshop (JSW) program at both our Mississauga and Brampton locations since 1998. This program provides a strong foundation in job search techniques required in Canada. A new structured job search training curriculum, consisting of two modules spread over a period of two weeks, was introduced last year under the JSW program by CIC. The program provides an introduction to the Canadian labour market, identification and presentation of skills required by Canadian employers, resume/cover letter writing and interview techniques. The program also trains new immigrants to become familiar with the employment needs of the city they live in and to research the companies that hire candidates with their specific skills and qualifications. The objective of this program is to provide new immigrants the necessary tools and skills for successful transition into the Canadian labour market. A very important component of our employment services remains our one-on-one counselling which provides new immigrants with much needed motivation, in-depth guidance, information and counselling in planning of their career goals. Our resource centres provide the clients with reference material to facilitate their job search. Up to date resume and cover letter writing books are available to the clients for ready reference. Daily newspapers are also available at the centre. Employment counsellors are available to help and guide the job seekers.

 

Key Features:

   

   

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Career counseling and skills assessment

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Resume and cover letter writing

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Interview preparation

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Networking opportunities

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One-on-one counseling

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Follow-up support

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Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada   Our LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) program is funded by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. LINC provides English language training to participants with   basic to advanced communication and life skills essential to function in Canadian society. In-class instructions address all four aspects of language learning i.e. listening, speaking, reading, and writing.   The Canadian Language Benchmarks which are the national standards to measure language proficiency are used to rate the student’s progress.  

LINC is essentially a component of the Settlement program, and as such, the classroom instructions were specifically tailored based on needs assessment to meet the newcomers’ short term and long-term goals towards integration. It is important to develop a settlement roadmap that integrates their social, cultural, economic, and professional goals in Canada. They learn to communicate in real life situations through specific topics in the national LINC curriculum. Presentations and information sessions on various topics of importance and interest were organized throughout the year in the classes to raise awareness among students. With language proficiency becoming a mandatory requirement to apply for citizenship, we have seen a renewed interest among newcomers to embrace language learning. It has given them a focus and they realize the importance of learning the language of the country they have chosen to live in. In this past year, we served clients from 70 different countries at the Mississauga and Brampton locations. Meeting the needs of our clients - enabling them to meet their goals - be it for language learning, job search or social in nature, our LINC program acts as a platform for newcomers to develop a sense of community and belonging. There is much support provided by teaching them life-skills with the emphasis on helping one another. We got former clients to talk to them and share their success stories, we got MPs and MPPs visiting and encouraging newcomers about the opportunities available in this country. External presentations, on themes and topics of relevance e.g. banking professionals coming to class to offer guidance and support to clients was a huge draw. Issues related to health e.g. education on oral hygiene among children and adults was extremely well received. Childminding is an integral part of the LINC program. We have been in full compliance by meeting the national standards for the Childminding program as required by CMAS (Childminding, Monitoring, Advisory and Support), the monitoring body appointed by CIC. We also offered a school age program in the summer, March break and on PD days. Our well-trained instructors, caring childminders and administrative staff benefitted from several professional development opportunities made available throughout the year. The annual TESL conference with the concurrent Childminding conference is key in keeping the staff up to date with changing learner needs, as well as helping parents with young children. 10

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada In the past year we offered a total of nine part-time classes and two full-time classes in Mississauga and eighteen part-time classes (morning, afternoon and evening) from our Brampton location, ranging from Literacy to Level 7. Between April 2011 - March 2012, 500+ students completed a level and moved on to the next level. Many higher level students achieved success by finding work in various fields such as education, accounting, teaching, health sector, and other fields. Many students were enrolled in different courses and post graduate degrees in reputed colleges and universities. Students went on a field trip to Kortright Conservation Area, partially sponsored by the Toronto Region Conservation Area. This year too, the students participated in various activities and events organized in the community, such as the Community Clean-up (20 Minute Make-over) for Earth Day and fundraising activities for United Way of Peel. ‘Dressing for Success’ workshop was conducted with Level 5/6/7 students. The facilitator presented topics of personal hygiene and how to dress appropriately for the interviews. Mina Yung-Fung, the then Citizenship Judge, conducted an interactive information session for students reviewing the new language requirements for Citizenship, the citizenship application process and the roles and responsibilities of Canadian citizens. Participation in such activities builds confidence and a sense of commitment in students.   Clients served by immigrant categories

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Violence Against Women Prevention Program Service Objectives: We provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to all women, especially South Asian women experiencing abuse. Our staff provides services in several South Asian languages and Multicultural Interpreter Services (MCIS) are used to provide assistance with interpretation for networking appointments. Our services include: Crisis Intervention, safety planning for women and children, short-term and long-term counseling, individual and family counseling, advocacy, empowerment and educational workshops, support groups, women’s wellness group, referrals to appropriate community resources as and when needed, social and recreational activities, positive parenting training for families, interpretation and translation, and help with access to initial legal consultation. We also provide job search and financial counseling to women. We advocate for equality of access for all women, educate them about their legal rights and support them with accessing the system. With the expansion for intake and transitional work, all clients receive assistance with short term goal setting and other transitional supports from crisis to settlement. Other initiatives /accomplishments: Representation at Advisory, Supervisory and Operational Committee meetings Collaboration with Oasis Des Femmes and drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a smooth referral process French language service training for India Rainbow staff Participation in Domestic Violence Advisory Committee meetings Professional development training: Safer Risk Assessment Training Developed a new Program Evaluation summary for the Women’s department Jointly organized free monthly legal clinics with the settlement department through South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) Ongoing training and supervision of student placements and volunteers Participation in networking committee meetings Workshops and presentations to the Women’s Wellness Support groups on topics such as Assertiveness, Emotions, Self-esteem, Nutrition, Parenting, Body Image, Stress and Relaxation, Diabetes Education, Information on Family Justice Advocacy Centre (FJAC), Monitoring Children’s Internet Use, and Second Career Contact with media on current topics such as female infanticide, women abuse in South Asian community & honor killings Implemented a new survey required by the Ministry of Community and Social Services ■

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Child, Youth and Parenting The Child Youth and Parenting program provides short-term and long-term supportive counseling for youth and their families who may be at risk, or are experiencing conflicts, which may be related to duality of cultures, culture shock, transition to a new country, peer to peer and familial conflict, parenting strategies etc. Our program served 500+ clients providing the following services: Supportive One-on-One Counseling Crisis Intervention 24 Hour Crisis Line Family Mediation/Reunification Educational Workshops and Presentations Assistance Navigating the Criminal and Family Court Systems Presence in 22 Peel District School Board (PDSB) schools ■

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Accomplishments ■

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Successfully assisted two families in regaining custody of their children after being apprehended by the Children’s Aid Society and placed with non South Asian foster parents Successfully intervened 14 times with individual youth who had injured himself or attempted suicide Assisted 28 parents navigating the Family Court system as a result of marriage breakdown Successfully facilitated the return to Canada of a deported 17 year old youth forced into a marriage Assisted in facilitating the safe return of a 15 year old girl kidnapped by her parents for the purposes of removal from Canada for forced marriage Delivered 17 workshops on South Asian parenting, duality of cultures and parental engagement for forced marriage, intervention with service providers, health care professionals, police force, and schools Matched 9 youth with mentors thus decreasing their isolation ‘Youth in Action’ project trained 16 youth in job search techniques with half of them successfully finding employment

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Family Court Support Worker Program The Family Court Support Worker program provides direct services and support for victims of domestic violence involved in the Family Court process. This service is provided from the Safe Centre of Peel located at 60 West Drive in Brampton, as well as from our Mississauga location. The service facilitates a victim’s understanding of, and passage through the family court system without providing legal advice, opinion or direction to the clients. The goal is to build core competencies of service providers to support the victims. Support is provided in several South Asian languages. We provide free cultural interpretation services for other language groups through the Multilingual Community Interpreter Services of Ontario. We aim to provide culturally and linguistically sensitive services to all women and men experiencing abuse. The types of services we provide are: Information to the victim about the family court process and their legal rights Information on divorce, separation, financial settlement, Family Responsibility Office (FRO) and child/spousal support Assistance with legal aid, forms, applications and all types of motions Assistance to record the history of abuse for court documentation Safety planning related to court attendances and referrals for risk assessment when appropriate Needs assessment where appropriate Debrief and discuss court outcomes, lawyer appointments, family law information centre meetings, consultations with duty counsel and next steps Referrals for specialized services (both domestic violence specific and culturally relevant services) Referrals to legal clinics, Family Law Service Centre, Family Law Information Centre and lawyers Accompanying the victim to a court proceeding where appropriate Communicating with the criminal court and other family court based services ■

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This new program has successfully served 493 new clients in the past year Staff have attended trainings and workshops on Family Court Support Worker training through Ministry of Attorney General, Serving Immigrant Women and Best Practices/Lessons Learned, B-Safer Risk Assessment Training, Trauma Workshop through Jean Tweed Centre, Addressing Longterm Consequences of Strangulation and Training on the French Language Services Forum/resource building Provided representation on Domestic Violence Court Advisory Committee and Safe Centre of Peel operational, intake task group, and social committees Provided educational presentations about the Family Court Support Services Program to networking partners A Procedure Manual has been developed for the purpose of court accompaniment A Safety Planning Guide and other documents has been created The program flyer is translated in French language

 

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*Other providers: Shelters, Legal Aid, Violence Against Women’s programs in the community, Police, Sexual Assault and Rape Crisis Centre etc. 

Supportive Mental Health Services Housing And Support Peel (HASP) The HASP program aims to provide supportive housing to people with a severe mental illness who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. The program aims to aid in the rehabilitation of the clients by imparting life skills training, provide support mechanisms to enable clients to understand their illness and manage recovery. The program helps clients to navigate the social and community service systems which can provide assistance. Clients are encouraged to set goals for themselves both in the short and long term. Our two full time staff act as facilitators and mentors to help clients accomplish their goals. The program has had varying degrees of success over the years in the matter of rehabilitation of the clients, primarily because consistent efforts are made towards that end. IRCS is one of the partners in the program, with HASP being the nodal agency. The staff are involved at every stage after a client’s file is received from Supportive Housing in Peel (SHIP). Active housing support is provided through effective advocacy of the clients’ cause with various community resources, timely counseling, effective case management, imparting informal education and mentoring on overall physical and mental healthy life style which helps maintain the morale of the clients to work towards achieving their goals. Our staff provide a range of ongoing supportive services and assistance to clients and their families. While the program was designed to accommodate 20 clients, we are currently providing support services to 27 clients in the Region of Peel. Services are provided in a number of South Asian languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Tamil. Staff works collaboratively with other service providers like Mobile Crisis of Peel, Peel Police, family physicians etc. to provide effective case management. In addition to services provided under the core program, we also provide support services to clients who are not registered with HASP program but are still in need of psychological and emotional support. In 2012 we provided short/long term support and information and referral services to 16 clients or families.

Program Objectives: Life skills coaching to improve quality of life Advocacy with services providers and community resources

Supportive counseling Crisis prevention and intervention plans Community orientation 15

Volunteer Management & Student Placements  

India Rainbow is honored to have dedicated volunteers who have been contributing an enormous amount of time with various programs. Volunteers go through an individual interview and a one-onone or group orientation before being matched and placed. Potential volunteers are placed according to their skills and interest. They are provided with a job description and some guidelines. Many high school students have also completed their community placement hours to earn the required credit. Our volunteers receive job training and are encouraged to attend presentations and education sessions on self development and other topics of interest. We are fortunate to have caring and trustworthy friendly visiting volunteers who go through a basic information session and police screening before being placed. Friendly visitors meet clients at their homes, hospitals, or nursing homes. Annual recognition is organized for volunteers based on the number of hours they have contributed. An ‘Outstanding Award’ is given to those who contribute 200 or more hours in a year. This year we had 12 outstanding volunteers. Volunteer’s Satisfaction Surveys are conducted annually. Verbal feedback from staff and volunteers has been positive. Many volunteers have been successful in obtaining employment, as they gain work experience with India Rainbow.

Skills & Self Development Training for Volunteers We offered many educational training and workshops for volunteers on topics such as: ■

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Victoria Order of Nurses (VON) Services Stress management Depression Emergency preparedness Yoga Falls prevention Fire and safety Trillium geriatric services Denture care and oral hygiene Meals on Wheels

Total volunteers contacted - 374 Number of volunteers interviewed and given orientation - 309 Total volunteered hours - 30,843 Equal to total full time positions - 18.5

Committee Reports Strategic Planning/Implementation Committee Members comprised of: Board, PAC, and senior management of India Rainbow. Chair: Sam Malvea Goal of the Committee: To develop the organization’s Strategic Plan for 2013-2016 Accomplishments:

 Board and staff undertook a visioning exercise with the help of consultants, to identify the best possible future for IRCS

 Completed an Environmental Scan to identify significant trends that may impact the organization  Focus groups and on-line surveys were completed, including telephone interviews with some funders and    

other stakeholders. The information was used to identify key issues which needed to be addressed in the strategic directions and goals A smaller working group then finalized the development of three strategic directions and set goals under each direction A new vision statement was created to reflect the potential future of IRCS Developed an operational plan that identifies key indicators of success and prioritizes strategies for each goal These actions and goals will be integrated into IRCS’s annual operational plan The final Strategic Planning Report that outlines the process was produced and submitted to the Board & PAC

Governance Committee Members: Ferzana Chaze (Chair), Nazli Rehman, Renu Minhas, Harish Athale, and staff Goal of the Committee:  To ensure that the board fulfills its legal, ethical, and functional responsibilities through adequate governance policy development, orientation and training programs, monitoring of board activities, and evaluation of board members' performance Accomplishments:  Completed a documented Executive Leadership Succession Plan   Created three key governance polices, which were approved by the Board   Completed the 2nd Annual Board Evaluation

Program Evaluation Committee Members: Sandeep Atwal (Chair), Ferzana Chaze, Swaroop Dogra, Archana Medhekar, and staff Goal of the Committee:

To develop a standardized fillable template that identifies each program’s goals, targets, mechanisms for measurement and suggestions for improvement Accomplishments: The template was populated by each department and tested in a series of conference calls for its usability and practicality A one page overview of each department was created that summarizes the challenges and recommendations, allowing the committee to identify common themes, priority areas and offer recommendations for continuous quality improvement

Membership & Nominations Committee Members: Sheela Joshi (Chair), Sandeep Atwal, Sunita Malik, Irwin Raj and staff Goal of the Committee: To implement a membership recruitment and engagement plan Accomplishments: Enhancements done on the organization’s website allowing for electronically fillable Membership Form Membership renewal can be done for up to 5 years and online payment of fees can be done via PayPal Outreached in the community to increase membership base Working towards creating an email database of all current members 17

Accreditation Committee

Committee Reports

Members: Swaroop Dogra (Chair), Manjeet Puri, Shivani Sharda and staff Goal of the Committee: Guide the organization through the preparation phases for the accreditation of the Seniors Services Accomplishments: Intent to Survey was submitted to CARF Canada along with required documentation Customer Service Plan & Policy required by the Accessibility Ontario Disability Act (AODA) has been shared across the organization Reviewed and updated our existing Accessibility Plan for Seniors services Diversity Plan has been completed and assessment/identification of barriers carried out Approved documents required for accreditation have been filed according to the respective environments IRCS is now equipped with documented plans aimed at reducing risks to the organization, making our programs and services more accessible to a diverse population, and measuring our performances to align with our mission and future directions Processes for best service delivery have been simplified Strengthened our communication strategy by facilitating a weekly 2 hour coaching session for all Senior Services staff 

Risk Management Committee Members: Charanjit Luthra (Chair), Sam Malvea, Sunita Malik, Mohit Narang, Harish Athale and staff Goals of the Committee: To develop a Risk Management Plan for the organization to help manage risk effectively and promote quality services To create a clear, documented Risk Management Model for the review by the Board To develop and implement an appropriate organization-wide risk management strategy Accomplishments: Developed the Risk Management Plan for the organization The Key Risk Events (grid) has been developed to record risk exposures, control mechanisms, responsibility, reporting and monitoring the risks as well as the status. The areas of exposure such as Governance Leadership, Legal, Finance, Health and Safety, Information Technology, Human Resources are tracked through all agency departments Periodically monitored and reviewed the Risk Assessment Inventory model Developed and updated HR and the Finance Policies & Procedures manual Quality Improvement Initiatives - Additional improvement activities are recommended and implemented. Risk Tracking and Reporting - All departments track and report potential risks associated with their programs and services to the Risk Management Committee

Fundraising and Outreach Committee Members: J.P. Singh (Chair), Dinesh Sawhney, Harsh Thakkar and staff Goal of the Committee: To develop an annual fundraising plan and develop short and long-term fundraising goals which will help contribute to the financial well-being of the organization Accomplishments: The Fundraising committee strategized and has developed tentative plans to explore ways to raise funds Developed a cross promotion agreement with mybindi.com wherein they promote India Rainbow on their webpage, Facebook and Twitter accounts and mybindi phone app and newsletter Feature stories were done by local community newspapers on IRCS programs and services Information about our Seniors Services was shared on Rogers TV Participated in 34 community events in the past year  Raised funds through advertisements in the Rainbow Connection newsletter  18

Audtior’s Report  

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Audtior’s Report  

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Financial Statement

Auditor: James E. Horn Almand Chartered Accountants The above financial report has been extracted from India Rainbow’s audited financial statements. Detailed financial statements are available upon request. 21

Financial Statement

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Our Locations

India Rainbow Community Services of Peel   Mississauga Head Office ■

3038 Hurontario Street, Suite 206 Mississauga, ON L5B 3B9 Phone: 905-275-2369 Fax: 905-275-6799 Email: [email protected] Seniors Services: Suite 307 Services for New Immigrants: Unit 1

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415 Matheson Blvd. East Mississauga, ON L4Z 2H2 Phone: 905-507-6099 Fax: 905-507-1787

Brampton ■

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21 Regan Road, Unit H & I Brampton, ON L7A 1C5 Phone: 905-459-4776 Fax: 905-459-4347 245 Queen Street East, Unit 2 Brampton, ON L6W 2B5 Phone: 905-595-1669 Fax: 905-595-1670 Safe Centre of Peel 60 West Drive, Unit 110 Brampton, ON L6T 3T6 Phone: 905-450-4650 Fax: 905-450-5478

www.indiarainbow.org  

Federal Charity Business No. 10750‐5810‐RR0001 

      A  United Way Funded Agency