Staff, board members, stakeholders, and special guests gathered together on Sept. 25th, to review and celebrate another year of excellence at Ranch Ehrlo Society.
Highlights of outgoing board chair Laurel Garven’s message included the expansion and consolidations the agency has seen over the year, including the expansion of Ranch Ehrlo’s Family Treatment Program to allow nine additional families to access the program in Regina as well as in the neighbouring communities of Fort Qu’Appelle and Moose Jaw.
“This program continues to be in high demand as both government and Indigenous communities strive to better support families,” Laurel explained.
Ranch Ehrlo CEO Andrea Brittin’s speech highlighted the triumphs Ranch Ehrlo’s children, youth, adults, and families have experienced, in the face of trauma and other obstacles.
“In addition to talented staff, we also have some very talented residents in our program. Everyone who comes to the Ranch for help is working to overcome past trauma or other challenges that have impacted their life, sometimes in very dramatic and significant ways. Nonetheless, there are so many examples each and every year of resilience amongst those who come to us for help.”
“This past spring, we had five residents from our Programs for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) who visited the Yukon and participated in an invitational Special Olympic Soccer tournament – and this team took home the gold!”
“We also celebrated three young people graduating from mainstream high school this year. This is really another example of how resilient some of the young people are in overcoming the adversity that they face.”
“Moving into next year, I look forward to our agency continuing to focus on service excellence – that’s what we’re all about – and I look forward to our continued work on addressing the needs of children, youth, adults, and families in the communities.”
Vice-president of finance and administration Lori Mann presented a review of the agency’s financial statements, noting that the agency had a 2-million-dollar net surplus in 2018-19.
“It’s important to note that the agency does have a multi-year capital plan,” Lori cautioned. “Considerable investment will be required in the next few years. We manage 109 properties across the province, many with aging infrastructure that will need to be addressed in the coming years. In addition, there is a need for new homes for individuals in our PDD program. We also need to continue to ensure we have safe and appropriate vehicles to transport our clients. The agency does need to set aside funds for these purposes.”
She finished her report by stating, “Overall, the agency continues to be in a strong financial position.”
(and former board chair) Debbie McKague, and Andrea
As a wrap-up, exiting board members Annette Revet, Debbie McKague, Gwen Kennedy, Bev Betteridge, and Dr. Judy White were thanked for their contributions, while new members Deb Pacholka, Amy Groothius, and Frank Regel were welcomed to their positions. Incoming board chair Greg Fieger was also recognized.
