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Letter From Sonshine's Executive Director and Board Chair
(from the 2021-22 Annual Report)
You hear it everywhere, but we’ll say it again here. The past two and a half years working and coping with COVID-19 have been some of the most challenging that Sonshine has faced.
The good news is that we have made it this far, and hopefully through, the pandemic. The dedication of our staff to our mission and our work through this challenging time is awe inspiring. The same can be said for our volunteers, our board members, our funders, and our donors. The pandemic has been exhausting for all of us, and Sonshine has come through it stronger.
And now we transition and change to the world ahead. A big part of that for Sonshine has been saying farewell (not goodbye!) to our visionary leader, Dr. Joy Johnson-Green, who after 18 years of shepherding Sonshine has transitioned to a new line of work. Godspeed Joy! We owe you so much for your love and leadership of Sonshine. And it means welcoming Susan Herman earlier this year as our new Executive Director. A skilled and ambitious leader, Susan comes to us from a strong background in the non-profit, social service sector and is bringing a new vitality to Sonshine. We thank you for your support of Susan and the important work she is leading.
While this past year was marked with many challenges of leading and working in the face of a pandemic, the team stepped up. Sonshine staff continued to innovate to ensure our programs remained accessible and responsive to meet the community’s needs. Services remained online whenever possible, and many staff continued to engage in frontline service delivery to provide an essential service to our community. Demand for service remained strong this past year and we saw an increase in the severity of violence in families who sought shelter at Sonshine Centre.
As needs change in our community, we continue to adapt. We remain committed to innovate our services and engage our partners to help prevent family violence and meet the needs of children. The pandemic has taught us the value of innovation and agility and that there is great capacity for change within each one of us. We bring these learnings forward.
If you reached out to Sonshine for support, thank you. We are honoured to be part of your story and know it truly takes a community to do life.
Sonshine is well positioned to continue to lead the sector in helping women and children transform their lives. We have an invigorated board of directors, strong executive leadership, and stable finances.
We face this coming year with optimism and are inspired by the resilience of our clients and our community. We could not have come through this year so strong without your unwavering support. Thank you for your continued support, in whatever capacity you support Sonshine.
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