2023 Annual Report
In Review
Fostering Financial Connections Financials 1 2 3 5 8 10 12
Message from the Board Chair
Demonstrating Capacity
Building Skills for Life
Nourishing & Nurturing in Schools
Mission & Vision
At e4c, our core values and mission guide our daily practice, and influence our work.
Our vision is the elimination of poverty; an aspiration that requires the collective support of our community at large.
We take steps towards this vision by reaffirming our mission of changing lives and growing communities:
To be a supportive and empowering presence in times of individual, family, and community need.
To create opportunities for people to become self-supporting, and to lead in the growth of inclusive and caring communities.
Treaty Acknowledgement
e4c respectfully acknowledges that the land on which we gather is situated on Treaty Six Territory, and the North Saskatchewan River Territory of the Metis people. For thousands of years, Edmonton’s river valley has been a traditional meeting and gathering place for Indigenous Peoples. We honour and respect the history, languages, ceremonies, and culture of the First Nations, Metis, Inuit, and Non-Status Aboriginal Peoples whose presence and culture enrich our vibrant communities and the space which we call home. We are all beneficiaries of the longtime Indigenous philosophy of peaceful cohabitation, between the earth, animals, and all humankind. We have a responsibility to one another, and to the land.
To be dedicated to program and service excellence, placing high priority on collaborative partnerships, inclusive transparent operations, promoting public awareness and building broad community support.
To be responsive to emergent needs, continuously seeking new and creative opportunities to improve and develop services in our areas of expertise.
2023 in Review
162 people were housed in their own homes.
44 people moved out of transitional housing to more stable homes.
136 people called e4c their home.
5,525 people increased their financial security through Make Tax Time Pay, or Financial Empowerment programs.
1,422 more people filed their taxes with Make Tax Time Pay compared to 2022.
11,545 people increased their food security through e4c programs and supports.
948,951 healthy and nutritious meals were consumed by Edmonton students in the School Nutrition Program.
80 youth obtained employment.
12 youth graduated high school.
34 youth and adults obtained employment.
19,450 Edmontonians served by e4c programs and services.
Message from the Board Chair
As I reflect on the past year, I am filled with pride at the collective accomplishments, resilience, and success of e4c’s team and those connected to their programs and services. These successes illustrate the strong position of e4c’s programs and services to the community, and as a testament to our organization’s commitment to our mission. These accomplishments showcase the significant strides that e4c continues to make in changing lives and growing communities.
Throughout the past year, Edmontonians have continued to face unprecedented challenges – the rising costs of living, increasingly stretched finances, housing shortages, and the continuing impacts of pandemic recovery. We are honoured that our staff continue to be relentless advocates for the people we serve, and supporting so many individuals to their personal success. Over the course of 2023, 19,450 individuals connected to e4c’s programs and services, ranging from the School Nutrition Program to the housing spectrum of supports. That’s an increase of 3,400 individuals served compared to 2022, which speaks to e4c’s capacity to respond to the need in the community.
e4c’s work continues to be grounded in the fiduciary measures developed in the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. Significant progress indicates that e4c continues to change lives, grow communities, and reduce poverty within our city. We know that it is not their work to be all things to all people, but rather, to develop, enhance, and continue to resource the programs and services working towards lasting change.
An overwhelming feeling throughout this year has been one of optimism, despite challenging circumstances. Optimism for the future, for families in Early Learning, as they work towards building strategies that will set their children up for success in their school careers. Optimism for the workforce, seen each day in the Hallway Cafe program, where 62 young people graduated from the 17-week program with skills in customer service, hospitality, and baking, to name a few. Optimism for increased connection, as programs reopen to in-person programming, and we began to see friendly faces frequent meetings and spaces. Optimism for what’s to come, as the tax filing team works with inmates at Correctional facilities throughout the city, setting them up with access to financial support and benefits as they are released from incarceration. As a board, we are inspired by the remarkable and transformative work being done by teams across e4c’s core focus areas, and the insight, thoughtfulness, and resourcefulness that they demonstrate each day.
I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated Board of Directors, whose guidance, expertise, and inquisitiveness have challenged our thought processes, supported our work, and allowed us to continue to be nimble as we navigate the post-pandemic environment.
Looking ahead to 2024, we continue to embrace this optimism, for the future and opportunities that lie ahead. I am continuously inspired by the people and progress that I see within the organization on a regular basis. It is their resilience that assures us that we can limit, alleviate and eliminate poverty in Edmonton. Thank you for being a part of e4c’s journey.
Gord Johnston Board Chair, e4c
Capacity Building
The Shift to 800 Hour Programming
Children and families experiencing poverty face increased stresses – from food insecurity, health impacts, and inequitable social supports. These factors are known to disrupt healthy child development and can impede a child’s ability to learn. In 2023, e4c’s Early Learning Program shifted to an 800-hour programming model, a 325 hour increase from 2022. This increased our program delivery to five half-days each week, and as a result, we have seen a remarkable increase in children meeting their kindergarten-readiness milestones.
As a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Early Learning teams have seen both an increase in children’s complex behaviours stemming from a lack of socialization amongst peers, and new parents struggling to form connections with communities and supports.
Based on their individual learning needs, some students will receive an additional 20 hours of in-home engagement, offered in one-on-one sessions with the parents and their child’s teacher. This time is spent working intentionally with parents, coaching them on their child’s learning goals, providing resources for them to continue to develop their child’s learning plans outside of school, and supporting them to become advocates as their children move through the school system. These wraparound supports place the children at the centre of the approach.
As a result, 97 percent of parents have reported learning about community resources for themselves and their families.
“Socialization is a fundamental part of development that happens from birth to four years old. It frames their whole development. When you’re missing parts of this development, like social interaction, it impacts the way that their brains develop – from communication, to learning how to play with peers, sharing toys, language ... everything. We’ve never seen children with the acuity of need that we’ve seen over these past couple of years.”
Jennifer Aromin, Site Manager, Early Learning
Jamie’s Story
Jamie* has been with e4c’s Early Learning program for two years, and was recently diagnosed with autism. When he began the program, he had never been exposed to adults other than his parents due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was terrified of everything, and would spend hours crying in the fetal position because he was so terrified of the classroom and the overwhelming environment. His parents, newcomers to Canada, were unaware of autism and were struggling to navigate understanding Jamie’s behavior and his needs as a result. Working intentionally with our teachers, family support workers, and Speech Language Pathologists, Jamie was formally diagnosed and was able to have a learning plan developed and adapted to his individual needs. Today, Jamie can write at a second-grade level heading into Kindergarten. He’s happy, he plays with other students, and is just so happy to be in the program. While his speech is limited, Jamie shares his thoughts intentionally and effectively, something that wasn’t possible a year ago. He’s an amazing child that is going on to do amazing things.
As part of a four-year project between Edmonton Head Start and Community University Partnership, the "Understanding and Supporting Complex Behaviours in Early Learning Classroom” report was published. The report sought to understand and find solutions for children’s persistent complex behaviors.
2023 Annual Report
99% of preschool children in Early Learning attained their Kindergarten Readiness Goals.
For Life Building Skills
e4c’s work has always been driven by a fundamental belief in the strengths and resilience of the people and families that we serve. Life skills are foundational building blocks in which individuals and families become dynamic citizens, empowered to cope with future challenges and thrive in today’s society. Many individuals experiencing poverty experience barriers to life skills that impede their ability to remain successfully housed – from cleaning, cooking, home maintenance, and conflict resolution. The range of life skills required to navigate society and housing stabilization are complex, and we know that the more life skills that people are equipped with, the more successfully they will be able to navigate their future.
Life skills are at the forefront of our programs, from Youth Housing to Permanent Supportive Housing, helping to support and expand the toolkits that the people we serve can draw upon to increase their self-reliance, employment opportunities, and socioeconomic success.
3,368 people gained skills and knowledge to better themselves and their families.
391 people practiced gardening, food planning, or food preparation.
When one thinks about life skills and what it means, it encompasses anything from personal hygiene to doing your taxes. For many people in e4c’s programs, it can be overwhelming to move from a position of surviving each day, to one of future-planning and skill building. This was the case in e4c’s Inner Ways program, a transitional housing program that works with people with complex mental health. “It makes sense to help folks that are working with us to transition into permanent homes to simultaneously focus on building transferable skills that will empower them to flourish,” shares Brandie, Manager of Transitional Housing.
Often, skills that we take for granted, like basic hygiene and laundry, have been challenging for individuals who have experienced houselessness or extended stays in hospital. The approach employed by our staff Inner Ways team, and across e4c programs works in a SMART model (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based), empowering individuals to build on their skills gradually, and reducing the frustration that comes with overwhelming expectations. Individuals are given a binder to track personal progress, and the team works with residents to develop those skills. The goal? Supporting individuals to leave the program equipped with more skills and knowledge than when they entered it.
“ The food that I eat at school teaches me how to be healthy, how to make me eat vegetables, and also how to make sure that I am not hungry,”
–
Student, Age 10
Life skills education is an effective strategy that promotes positive social and mental health, playing an important role in things like strengthening coping strategies, developing self-confidence, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking. Sharing skills that they have learned has helped to empower residents to foster a sense of pride in their skill advancement, foster connections, and build a natural community amongst their peers.
Brandie shares that she had a resident return to Inner Ways because he wasn’t flourishing in the environment he had move to. “When he returned to the program, he immediately engaged, and loved spending time with the staff and in the kitchen, cooking, baking cookies, and cleaning. He identified that he really loved to sew, and worked at increasing his skill set to fix his own clothing.”
The resident crafted hats and mittens for other residents, and once they saw what he was able to create, he inspired others to learn the skill, too.
“He was so proud to be able to share what he knew with others, to help them repair their clothes and make their resources stretch just a little bit further. If you were to meet him, you wouldn’t assume that sewing is within his skill set, but he’s doing so well.”
383 people completed employment readiness training, community wellness programming, or recovery college courses.
203 people deepened their conections to their cultural or spiritual community.
“Something as small as building a hygiene routine can have a tremendous impact on the way the people that we serve can present and build relationships with others. We’ve seen this firsthand with residents – it makes them feel good about themselves.”
Outcomes Creating
WEAC implemented the Outcomes Star, to co-create and measure personal change. Each woman entering WEAC completes a Star with their case worker which helps to empower them to take agency over their own progress and lives.
The Outcomes Star mirrors the person-centred approach e4c takes in our work, measures personal changes across ten areas of life, including money management, living situations, personal understanding
of health, trust, emotions, and relationships, amongst others. The goal of the Star is to break down larger goals, such as housing or reconnecting with family, into tangible and personalized steps that build upon and celebrate gradual successes.
“Sometimes it’s the smallest things that create the biggest celebrations. Like calling your mom after three years.”
- Jenna, WEAC
Nourishing and Nurturing
in Schools
Across Canada, individuals and families are reporting on increasing levels of food insecurity, and grocery price increases. Food affordability remained a top concern for many of our program participants, and was echoed everywhere from families accessing Early Learning programming, to individuals supported by our housing teams while grocery shopping on a limited budget.
Food Bank Canada’s 2023 Hunger Count report shared that there were nearly 2 million visits to food banks in Canada, with one in four Albertans, or 25 percent reporting food insecurity. This is the highest level of food bank use in Canada on record.
e4c’s School Nutrition Program regrounded its menu offerings in early 2023 to stabilize and combat pressures felt by both supply chain management, which was still in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising food costs. These menu offerings continued to be grounded in both the cultural needs of the school community, and the nutritional needs outlined in both Canada’s Food Guide and the Alberta Nutritional Guidelines for Children and Youth.
In total, the program served 948,951 meals to students across 43 Edmonton area schools.
With $500,000 in additional funding from Alberta Education, the School Nutrition Program successfully expanded into three additional pilot schools in 2023, allowing us to support more socially vulnerable students through the provision of healthy morning meals. In total, an additional 1,215 students had access to nutrition as a result of the pilot program.
The program received an additional $100,000 in funding from the Alberta Government by way of Family and Community Support Services Association of Alberta (FCSSAA) to offset rising food prices.
As part of our work, e4c continued to be a strong voice of support and engagement at the National Coalition for Healthy School Food community of practice table, advocating for the consideration of a nationally funded National School Food Policy in Canada.
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53 persons served participated in the WECAN Food Basket Society co-operative, which provides families and individuals the opportunity to strengthen their food security by purchasing nutritious food at an affordable price.
“The nutrition I get knocks out the sleepiness I feel when I’m at school. It really makes me know I’m getting healthy and fueling my body.”
– Student, Age 11, John A. MacDougall School
Fostering Financial
Connection
The economic challenges facing many Edmontonians have brought the importance of financial literacy and empowerment to the forefront of conversations, and notably, the importance of filing taxes as a means of retaining access to social benefits. According to the Auditor General’s report, $1.7 billion dollars in credits and benefits go unclaimed in Canada each year.
In 2023, Make Tax Time Pay launched a virtual “Tax Tip Tuesday” newsletter to volunteers, helping them to remain connected, inspired, and engaged in the work that they were participating in.
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vounteers donated their time and efforts to file taxes over the phone and in person during tax season.
Our partnership with Prosper Canada has allowed us to continue to support the implementation and development of the Benefits Wayfinder, an online tool that simplifies the search for government benefits, for people seeking ways to reduce their expenses, boost their income, or apply for benefits that are available to them. The personalized pathway allows the tool to identify customized benefit recommendations based on each unique individual.
Remand Expansion
In 2022, e4c’s Make Tax Time Pay program expanded into the Edmonton Remand Centre, and in 2023, expanded to support other correctional facilities across the city. The program is currently partnered with Edmonton Remand, Elizabeth Fry Society, the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre, the Edmonton Women’s Institute, and the Edmonton Young Offenders Centre. Due to the high turnover in inmate population, the tax program files a high volume of taxes throughout the year.
The program works to set inmates up for success post-release, by providing them with an up-to-date Notice of Assessment that allows them to apply for benefits, and/or have funds accessible in their bank account post-release.
“I’m broke, I’ve had everything taken from me. With the help of Make Tax Time Pay, I’m able to get back on my feet when I’m released without getting help. With my tax return, I have enough to get a place, food, and clothing. I feel like I don’t have to do crime when I’m released to get things going for me. Thank you very much.”
As far as we know, our Make Tax Time Pay program is the only tax filing program being offered at correctional centres in Canada.
Pearl attended a workshop held with e4c and other partners in the community, and shared that her family’s income had drastically reduced due to an injury suffered by her husband that prevented him from working for over a year. Working alongside a member of e4c’s Financial Empowerment team, she reviewed the outcomes of her benefits navigation journey, and was surprised to see that she qualified for multiple benefits. Pearl shared that she felt bad applying for benefits,
as her family was making things work despite the hardship. After further exploration, Pearl shared that although her bills and rent were paid up, her children hadn’t been able to go to the dentist in over a year as her husband’s benefits had also been cut when he became unemployed. Pearl shared that she would apply for the child dental benefit and childcare subsidies to increase her family’s household income and reduce financial stresses on the household.
Make Tax Time Pay returned over $20 million in credits and benefits to 4,620 people who filed their taxes with the program.
e4c STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
Ended December 31, 2023
Financials FPO
e4c STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31, 2023
or listed on our website.
Thank You
Thank You
Despite economic challenges, e4c’s stakeholders, board members, supporters, and donors continued to rally around the important work that our programs and services are offering our community. This year was one filled with smoke-filled summer days, and cold harsh winter nights. You have continued to provide essentials to protect the people that we serve and support our community – from the provision of flats of water, to the outpouring of support in the form of warm clothing, toques, and mittens.
Thanks to you, our community felt supported and strengthened to continue moving forward. Because of you, we can change lives and grow communities.
247 new donors
$920,862 donations received
$44,869 in Gift-In-Kind donations received $654 Average gift size
57 flats of water donated to community members during the heat wave.
136 holiday packages supplied to the women at WEAC
“Taking this course has helped me to leave my house and go to my appointment at the University of Alberta on a bus. I used deep breathing, I used positive self talk and I actually made it there and then back home again.”
- Dean*, Participant, Wellness Network’s Mental Wellness Recovery Group
e4c Board of Directors 2022-2023:
Gord Johnston
Board Chair
Michael Ferber
Vice-Chair
Vik Khullar
Treasurer
May Han
Secretary
Supporting Partners
Amanda Bueley
Ashley Yang
Cal Jungwirth
Chantal Kassongo
Dave Anderson
Elizabeth Hyndman
Kim Simmonds
Max Frank
Natalie McMurtry
@e4calberta
www.e4calberta.org
Nicole Whitaker
Rabena Bacchus