Sharing our 2023-24 Annual Report

Finding New Ways to Meet the Needs of our Communities

My Home Place – Supportive Housing in Dawson Creek

In late 2023, Connective was proud to assume operation of an existing program in Dawson Creek, BC, marking our first time offering services in the community.

When the program’s previous operator decided to step away, Connective was selected by BC Housing to fill the impending gap and avoid service disruption. Throughout the transition we worked closely with the former operator and are excited to continue building on the strong foundation they established.

We are grateful for the chance to leverage our expertise in service to Dawson Creek, and to continue providing this essential service at a time when housing instability is at an all-time high.

In May of this year, Connective Nanaimo was so excited and proud to welcome the first residents to Cornerstone, a 51-unit supportive housing building on Prideaux Street. While this project was just over two years in the making, its completion marks the realization of a much longer-held goal for Connective Nanaimo.

“We are deeply honoured to assist in ensuring people experiencing homelessness in our community have access to safe and secure housing.”

– Susan Clift, Board Chair, Connective Nanaimo

Alongside a permanent place to live, residents will receive a range of 24/7 support services, including two meals per day, life and employment skills training, health and wellness support, and referrals to addiction recovery services.

Multi-Barrier Program

This past year, Connective Kamloops began offering a new opportunity to individuals facing multiple barriers to employment. Responding to an urgent, identified need, participants completed specialized training with BC Ambulance.

The Multi-Barrier Program supported 10 individuals through training and testing, helping them cover fees, acquire their Class 4 license (a common barrier for many), and more. Five of the trainees were hired to work as ambulance technicians, while the other five took adjacent work paths, including as medics for fire response.

Most trainees will be working in remote Indigenous communities, bridging a gap in existing levels of critical emergency response care.

ACES Training in Kwadacha First Nation

Bedford Manor

Though art mostly took a back seat to life during his early-adult years, Lorne began to feel its pull once more. In his 40’s, Lorne tentatively began to paint. He had no formal instruction and was worried he’d “never be able to paint anything that was half decent.” Putting his reservations aside, Lorne persevered. With the help of instructional books and the sagely wisdom of TV artist Bob Ross, he quickly found his groove and has never looked back. 43 years later, now living at Bedford Manor, Lorne is still going strong.

Every month, Lorne contributes a painting to Bedford Manor’s monthly newsletter. The residents look forward to seeing his work, and it makes Lorne feel good, too. It’s a nice way to contribute to the place he calls home. Lorne is deeply appreciative of program staff, who “help him with anything he needs,” and of the building’s location, which provides easy access to local essentials. For Lorne, Bedford Manor is “a good fit” – staff and residents are inclined to agree.

At Connective, we believe that the diverse characteristics of individuals enrich our communities, and strive to create spaces where those differences are welcomed, valued, and celebrated. We recognize this process is ongoing, and we are committed to continuously improving.

This past year, we were excited to continue our DEI journey:

• Enhanced our recruitment process by updating job  postings with inclusive language to improve accessibility,  remove barriers, and add the physical requirements of each position.

• Reformulated Connective’s DEI team/department leads group and worked to develop strategic goals aimed at  embedding DEI principles across the organization.

• Posted regularly to Workvivo, our internal communication  platform, highlighting relevant DEI observances such as Ramadan, Pride, and Earth Day. These aimed to promote inclusivity and celebrate diversity within our workplace.

• Elmbrook Supportive Housing: Secured an Indigenous Elder to visit on a bi-monthly basis. This has been a goal since the program’s opening, but one that was challenging to achieve.

• Miyáqˈelhá:wetawt: Successfully completed the process to become a Section 84 destination for Indigenous service users applying for Section 84 releases. Service users also regularly attended local cultural nights and provided  donations of traditional crafts, including regalia, to families.

• Tri-cities Outreach: Identified and addressed a gap in  providing a safe space for women by starting a monthly life skill and relationship building group.

• Home Share: Enrolled several managers into American Sign Language classes to better understand and connect with persons served.