SPC Monthly Meeting Mins (draft) - Jan 22, 2018

Location: Community Futures Office

In attendance (from sign-in sheet): Larry Stranberg, Anne Burrill, Vanesssa Moberg, Diane Wright, Kathie Vilkas, Janice Breck, George Atamanenko, Shannon Thom, Leah Selk, Margaret-Anne Enders, Rosanna McGregor, LeRae Haynes, Carla Bullinger and Jessica Dunn

Accept Minutes & Agenda

During lunch we:

·   Reviewed meeting agenda for Jan 22, 2018

Motion to accept agenda as presented - MFSC

·   Reviewed meeting minutes from Oct 23, 2017

Motion to accept minutes as presented - MFSC

Special Resolution - Adopt New Bylaws

Special Resolution vote to adopt new bylaws in accordance with the new Societies Act. These Bylaws have been previously reviewed at the SPC Monthly table, and presented at the Annual General Meeting with all requested changes made. The final draft was sent to each individual SPC member in December 2017 (with more than 30 days notice).

Motion to adopt new bylaws - MFSC

THRIVE Williams Lake Project - Anne Burrill

THRIVE Williams Lake, Community Poverty Reduction project - funded by Vancouver Foundation in partnership with the CCPL over the next three years.

Broad work had been done.

Defined process with three distinct phases.

21% (or more) of children in our community live under the poverty line.

Poverty affects everyone, and the larger community.

Dive into strategic action oriented initiatives (more than a "band-aid" approach)

See one pager for more information.

First pieces are underway - literature review, local poverty profile.

Comments:

-University of Calgary - stats (money spent is money saved)

-Economic deprivation huge risk factor for kids

-From a business perspective, the children of today are our future workforce.

-Clear definition of poverty is needed (long standing issue)

-Timing for this is timely - BC is the last province to develop a Poverty Reduction strategy (currently underway with our new Govt).

-How do community level strategies merge with provincial and federal strategies & policies?

-Lots of opportunities with an innovative approach.

-Broader issue - Tim Hortons and minimum wage discussions lately.

-Recalculating the Living Wage is also part of this project.

One pager provided read:

"Poverty in our community is connected to many of the other social concerns our community has been working collectively to address over a number of years. The goal of the Thrive project is to bring all stakeholders together to tackle poverty at its foundation, using innovative approaches that get us beyond the generosity of charity to the fundamental changes needed to ensure all community members have the opportunity to thrive.

Poverty is about income levels, but it is so much more. People who experience poverty do not have the resources needed to meet their physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs and these circumstances exclude them from full and meaningful participation in our community. This is even more critical given the challenges we’ve faced over the past year. People living below the poverty line, who had limited resources, really struggled with the financial impacts of the wildfires and continue to do so.

Over the next three years, we will work together in our community to design and implement a poverty reduction strategy with innovative solutions.  We will take a look at how poverty is spread across the population of our community and what direct and indirect impacts it has on both individuals and our community. We will explore the specific needs and opportunities that will have the greatest and most lasting impact. We will be inspired by the work being done in other communities, such as the Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative in Saint John New Brunswick, who have made significant progress toward reducing poverty in their neighbourhoods. And we will create new and innovative solutions on the ground, to lift people out of poverty so that they can live fully and thrive in our community. Our community’s future success is rooted in the health and prosperity of every citizen.

Thrive has three phases:

• Identifying the key challenges related to poverty through a Poverty Profile of our community and an exploration of what is working in other communities
• Designing innovative, actionable strategies that will make the most impact in our community
• Initiating and implementing strategic actions to make change in our community

Across Canada, communities are tackling this challenge and working together to make changes at individual, community infrastructure, services and systems levels. We are joining them, and we intend to be an example of rural success in this work.

We don’t have all the answers, but we have incredible people, a strong collaborative approach to tackling tough challenges, and with the right people on board we can create a more equitable and prosperous community for all.

Watch for your opportunity to participate in this initiative. If you’d like to know more, please contact our Project Facilitator:

Anne Burrill, Thrive Project Facilitator

anne@changemakerconsulting.ca

250-267-7211"

Post Wildfire Social Impact Network

Update on the discussions and developments taking place.

Participants - City, CRD, Red Cross, United Way, SPC, Mental Health Working Group (Province), and Community Futures.

Consensus - Gaps in communication, data, etc.

Direct "causal" lines are blurry often (e.g. direct result of the fire versus indirect).

Many different "silos" - need to be woven together.

CTC meeting - at the last meeting, the impact of the wildfires on adults, specifically the care providers was brought up. Next meeting is Feb 20th from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm at the Pioneer Complex.

Womens Spirituality Circle - Mar 10th - theme - Rising from the Ashes, sparks of hope. All day gathering. Food, workshops, multi faith event for everyone. Day of connection for all women.

ACTION - invite Emergency management BC to a SPC meeting.

United Way is in the process of hiring a Recovery Manager for the Williams Lake Area (as well as 100 Mile House and Ashcroft).

Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy

Community Meeting is taking place on Feb 2nd from 5 - 7:30 pm - World Cafe Model with tables (facilitated)

Rosanna also sits on the Minister's Committee (Minister of Social Development).

Looking for: definition of poverty (more than those on income assistance - includes working poor, single parent families, etc.).

Minster Shane Simpson plans on re-writing legislation of the Social Assistance Act - currently taking committee through the steps required.

Feedback collected should drive the changes advocated for.

Comment - timing for this might be too quick (proper advertising with enough notice has not been completed). Cariboo time is in effect in this region.

Anne will contact SPARK regarding utilizing the information collected locally by the Province at this event for future use within the THRIVE project data.

Roundtable Updates - more details were sent out via community updates.

Carla Bullinger (CCPL) -Literacy Week ending with the annual event Family Fest,  Sunday from 10 - 2 pm in the Gibraltar Room.

LeRae Haynes (Success by Six) - looking for a legacy project to fund (for Children o - 6 and their families). Sustainable project that can be ongoing.

Rosanna McGregor (Cariboo Friendship Society)- looking for a sign language teacher - to teach basics in a workshop setting. Renovations at the Friendship Centre are underway (Mar 31 is completion date). Saturday Feb 3rd is the Polar Bear Swim - taking pledges.

Margaret Anne Enders  (CMHA) - Women's Spirituality Circle Event on Mar 10th, theme is "Rising from the Ashes - Sparks of hope." All day gathering. Food, workshops, multi faith event for everyone. Day of connection for all women.

Leah Selk (CCACS) - Arts & Culture grant deadline is Jan 31st. New intake for grants begins in June. March event - "Spring into Art" workshops (full or half days).

George Atamanenko - Museum update - moved buildings. Meeting next week to discuss options moving forward. Fed up with negative publicity - the Cowboy exhibit will be better! Accessibility committee update - TRU, SD and construction contractors (Phil Harrison designer) are developing table top models for accessible accommodation units. We can be the rural accessibility capital if we want!

Janice Breck (CMHA ) - Cash raffle draw tickets are available at Walmart over the weekends (Jan 31 draw date). Valentines MCHA-CCB Strawberry Fundraiser

Kathie Vilkas (Hospice) - Journey Through Greif workshop.

Vanessa Moberg (WLCBIA) - Strategic planning process is underway at the BIA. Struggling with social connection - living wage and poverty reduction are two areas of mutual interest.

Anne Burrill - Housing First - response to homelessness in our community (25 people have been housed in the last year), assisting with rent supplements. Renewal of funding for another year. Many locals are struggling for many different reasons. Note - if you have extra furniture, Housing First is accepting donations (contact Anne or CMHA's Wayne Lucier)

Larry Stranberg (Community Futures) - Social Enterprises are the largest sector experiencing growth in Canada right now. The Red Cross is at Community Futures this week. Over 200 businesses have already received assistance, and they are encouraging small businesses to apply.

Big Brothers Big Sister (via Carla Bullinger) - Feb 10th Big Night Out - prom night for adults. Gowns are available to rent from the Glass Slippers boutique.

Meeting was adjourned at 12:59 pm - MFSC

                       Funding support for the Social Planning Council is provided by the United Way & City of Williams Lake