The following report is by Cathy Woodbeck, Program Director:

I am pleased to report that it has been another year of growth and development for TBMA.  Each year we look forward with the commitment to quality services and meeting newcomer needs, and each year we find new and exciting projects and partnerships that do just that.  This past year has been our year to bridge gaps and to nurture partnerships within settlement and community development.

The Newcomer Settlement Program partnership pilot with DOORS to New Life was approved for a full year after a short evaluation period in the beginning of the calendar year, the end of the fiscal year.  This has worked out well from the perspective of all involved.  We have become the one-stop-shop for newcomer settlement and support services.  Having all of the services under one roof has been beneficial to the newcomers.  We feel a sense of accomplishment for having made the transition smoothly and developed a workable partnership that has caught the eye of the funder.

Our other partnership in progress is the project with Thunder Bay Police. Building com-munity capacity together has been incredibly challenging as well as rewarding. Building partnerships and supporting each other in diversity work in our city is an extremely important part of the work we do.  By involving the community on organizational and individual bases we help create a community of acceptance and understanding.  The sphere of networking and influence is ever increasing and we find that momentum is building within the community for this project and the results of it.  I will leave any other comment on the project to our guest speaker this evening.

We value our partnerships with other agencies in the North.  These partnerships enable us to respond to issues in a unified manner, often getting results because of our solidarity.  We work towards making our association a welcoming, responsive and responsible service provider to newcomers in the region.  The emphasis on quality service and on meeting newcomer needs in whatever form they request remains the TBMA standard.  Our programs as outlined further in the Annual Report, have served the newcomer community in many ways and provided for community participation in the process.

I would like to thank our staff, volunteers, committee members and board of directors for their continued commitment to TBMA.  We continue to be successful  because of everyone who is involved in this Association from Board to staff to volunteers and newcomers. Our impact is being felt within the community, and with your assistance over the coming year this can only increase.

Back to Annual Report 2004/2005