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604-800-4783

2021

annual report

2021

annual report

Contents

Our Philosophy

Our Why

Theory of Change

Abby’s Story

Where Kids Can Just Be Kids

The Year in Programs

Looking Back at 2021

Financial Stewardship

Executive Director’s Letter

Support Promise

Contents

Our Philosophy

Our Why

Theory of Change

Abby’s Story

Where Kids Can Just Be Kids

The Year in Programs

Looking Back at 2021

Financial Stewardship

Executive Director’s Letter

Support Promise

Each child is precious and deserving of love. For a child to experience the healthiest growth, they need to be secure in this truth. This priority underlies everything we do here at Promise Vancouver.

Each child is precious and deserving of love. For a child to experience the healthiest growth, they need to be secure in this truth. This priority underlies everything we do here at Promise Vancouver.

There is a real need among children and youth in the Downtown Eastside.

Kids around the world have experienced dramatically higher rates of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic¹. That’s on top of the already rampant social isolation in our society.

Compounding this problem for nearly all the kids we work with is the reality that they are growing up in low-income and/or single-parent families. These factors, combined with witnessing suffering and violence in our neighbourhood, put these children at a higher risk of having Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)².

The good news is that interventions can lighten the effects of ACEs, especially when introduced sooner rather than later³. In fact, after-school programs have been identified as a key supporter for children’s healthy development⁴.

Despite this great need in the Downtown Eastside, though, there’s still a shortage of quality, affordable, accessible childcare here⁵. That’s why we at Promise are committed to providing kids with safe spaces to play and grow, intentional time with leaders and friends, and opportunities to take on responsibility.

We have a unique opportunity to help these kids thrive.

¹Source: JAMA Pediatrics, 2021; ²Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021; ³Source: Registered counsellor on Promise payroll, 2021; ⁴Source: Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 2007; ⁵Source: Anecdotal feedback from local parents and school staff, 2021

Our Theory of Change

Abby’s Story*

*A fictionalized account, inspired by real-life situations at Promise

Abby* loves watching Disney movies, solving Rubik’s cubes and playing on the swings with her grade 3 classmates. She sometimes has a hard time putting her emotions into words and feeling like she belongs. Abby was recently reunited with her mom after spending two years in foster care, and they live together in a subsidized apartment in the Downtown Eastside. Her mom works as a cashier at a nearby grocery store and was delighted to learn about Promise’s accessible programs from the school family worker.

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“My daughter seemed so happy after her first day, and that’s not always the case. Often she finds new things very overwhelming, but she loves it here.”

Promise Parent

Summer 2021

“My daughter seemed so happy after her first day, and that’s not always the case. Often she finds new things very overwhelming, but she loves it here.”

Promise Parent

Summer 2021

A little bit about our programs in 2021

A little bit about our programs in 2021

School Year Programs

After-School Care

Pro-D Day Camps

Spring Break Camp

A consistent place during the school year where kids can feel safe, find belonging, and have fun

School Year Programs

A consistent place during the school year where kids can feel safe, find belonging, and have fun

After-School Care

Pro-D Day Camps

Spring Break Camp

Summer Day Camps

Six weeks full of play, discovery, and bonding with friends and leaders

Summer Day Camps

Six weeks full of play, discovery, and bonding with friends and leaders

 BLOG ARTICLE 

Searching for Significance

Young Leaders Program

Building up compassionate leaders from within the Downtown Eastside

Young Leaders Program

Building up compassionate leaders from within the Downtown Eastside

 BLOG ARTICLE 

Searching for Significance

See the Young Leaders in action!

See the Young Leaders in action!

Looking back at

2021

Looking back at

2021

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Financial Stewardship

Generous supporters entrust Promise Vancouver with funds to sustain our programs and invest in children in the Downtown Eastside. We’re committed to stewarding those funds with both integrity and efficiency. Transparency is our priority and we welcome requests for more detailed financial figures.

In 2021, you gave

$479,520

to help kids know
they matter

In 2021, you gave

$479,520

to help kids know
they matter

Thoughts
from our
Executive
Director

2021 Core Staff

Dear friends,

Sometimes it’s hard to see the good.

For most families in the Downtown Eastside last year was hard – pandemic stress, financial strain, and ongoing uncertainty wore people down – and often it is children and youth who suffer silently. At Promise Vancouver we remain committed to establishing a safe place, an oasis where kids encounter friends and leaders who remind them, “You are valuable and loved!” We could not be doing this without you, our partners and friends. 

I’m excited to share with you our 2021 Annual Report. In it, you’ll find a snapshot of a year in which our focus was to build foundations: as we poured into kids and youth on a day-to-day basis, we also took steps behind the scenes to ensure that

this important work can continue for years to come.

Now, in 2022, we are deepening our roots in the Downtown Eastside – we know there are still children and youth suffering silently, neighbours who aren’t being reached by us or any other program here. We want Promise to be a place where more and more of these families can feel welcomed to belong and grow. This year, we’re ready to reach more children who don’t have a place to belong; to raise up new leaders who are representative of the kids in our programs; and to form flourishing relationships with others working to bring restoration to our community.

We are proud of our work and the relationships we’ve forged here. We will continue this work to help bring transformation in our world, one child at a time. Thank you for partnering with us!

Ricky Lee

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

2021 Staff Team

Bold = Active          Underlined = Summer Staff          Italics = Young Leader

Madi Baek
Micah Baek
Daniel Breedveld
Rachel Buell
Peace Buntu
Charlie C.
Rachel Chiu
Beatrice Doll
Edward D.
Jael E.
Zoe E.
Graeme Fowler
Liam Fowler
Chantal Gallant
Sophie K.
Linda Kowalenko
Reya L.
Ricky Lee
Elijah O.
Eva O.
Paula Sintermann
Olivia Stephen
Aydan T.
Luke Tweed
Dominic W.
Noah W.
Sebastian Wingfield

2021 Board of Directors

Daniel deRegt
Ruth Fluevog
Drew Kowalenko
Phillip Lee
Helga Schmidtke
Neil Singh (Chair)

Thoughts from our Executive Director

Dear friends,

Sometimes it’s hard to see the good.

For most families in the Downtown Eastside last year was hard – pandemic stress, financial strain, and ongoing uncertainty wore people down – and often it is children and youth who suffer silently. At Promise Vancouver we remain committed to establishing a safe place, an oasis where kids encounter friends and leaders who remind them, “You are valuable and loved!” We could not be doing this without you, our partners and friends. 

I’m excited to share with you our 2021 Annual Report. In it, you’ll find a snapshot of a year in which our focus was to build foundations: as we poured into kids and youth on a day-to-day basis, we also took steps behind the scenes to ensure that this important work can continue for years to come.

Now, in 2022, we are deepening our roots in the Downtown Eastside – we know there are still children and youth suffering silently, neighbours who aren’t being reached by us or any other program here. We want Promise to be a place where more and more of these families can feel welcomed to belong and grow. This year, we’re ready to reach more children who don’t have a place to belong; to raise up new leaders who are representative of the kids in our programs; and to form flourishing relationships with others working to bring restoration to our community.

We are proud of our work and the relationships we’ve forged here. We will continue this work to help bring transformation in our world, one child at a time. Thank you for partnering with us!

Ricky Lee

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

2021 Core Staff

2021 Staff Team

Bold = Active          Underlined = Summer Staff          Italics = Young Leader

Madi Baek
Micah Baek
Daniel Breedveld
Rachel Buell
Peace Buntu
Charlie C.
Rachel Chiu
Beatrice Doll
Edward D.
Jael E.
Zoe E.
Graeme Fowler
Liam Fowler
Chantal Gallant
Sophie K.
Linda Kowalenko
Reya L.
Ricky Lee
Elijah O.
Eva O.
Paula Sintermann
Olivia Stephen
Aydan T.
Luke Tweed
Dominic W.
Noah W.
Sebastian Wingfield

2021 Board of Directors

Daniel deRegt
Ruth Fluevog
Drew Kowalenko
Phillip Lee
Helga Schmidtke
Neil Singh (Chair)

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this Annual Report! What did you enjoy? What do you still have questions about?

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