Holiday Reflections From PLEA’s CEO, Tim Veresh
For me and many others, the holiday season is a meaningful time to pause and appreciate the connections that enrich our lives; within our families, our communities and in the work we do. As I have done in previous years, I’m going to take a minute or two of your time to share a few of my most memorable moments of 2024. Each moment speaks to the strong connections and relationships that make PLEA the agency it is today, and that enable us to help those we serve to grow, thrive and live fulfilling lives.
1. Celebrating Marvel’s #1 Fan’s Birthday
Henry* has been a participant with PLEA (and Marvel’s #1 fan) for many years. During this time, I have had the pleasure of getting to know him and seeing the impact our support has had on his quality of life. Earlier this year, I was invited to attend his 20th birthday party, which we hosted in our Port Coquitlam ‘warehouse’. What a pleasure it was to see Henry surrounded by so many people who love and care for him on his special day. It left me feeling so proud of the work that our staff do every day to make the lives of so many happier and healthier.
2. Investing in Providing More Homes for Youth
Caregiving, both for youth and adults, is a key service that PLEA offers throughout Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. For youth, in particular, we provide services and supports to those who are unable to live at home with their own families. Earlier this year, we made the conscious decision to sell an aging residential property in Vancouver and purchase a new caregiver home in Maple Ridge. This new 3100 sq ft house is now home to one youth, who we’ll call Sara*. It has been a joy seeing this new house become a home, and a place Sara can call her own.
3. Joining Forces with Asante
Earlier this year, we joined forces with the Asante Centre, an organization based in Maple Ridge that provides services and support to individuals and families with complex developmental needs. I am humbled that the team at Asante trusted their future to PLEA, and I look forward to strengthening our long-standing partnership as they continue to deliver support and services for people with FASD and other developmental diversities in Maple Ridge and beyond.
4. Appreciating our Many Caregivers
At PLEA, we work alongside a dedicated group of 160 caregivers who generously open their homes to the youth and adults we serve. Each year, we host several events where PLEA staff join me to express our appreciation for them! Recently, we hosted two such events. The first celebrated our youth caregivers at the Golden Eagle Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, followed the very next day by an event honoring our adult caregivers at the Riverway Clubhouse in Burnaby.
5. Acknowledging National Day for Truth & Reconciliation and Pride
Over the last several years, PLEA has proudly hosted two community-based events in Maple Ridge. The first, PRIDE in the Park, coincides with Pride Month in June and is an opportunity for us to support, learn, and stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ community. PLEA’s Culture, Diversity and Accessibility staff committee have played the lead role in the planning and hosting of this event for many years. Their dedication to this important agenda does not go unnoticed, and I thank them for showing the world that PLEA is a place where you can safely be yourself.
The second is in commemoration of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and sees PLEA’s Indigenous Matters staff committee work alongside our other co-hosts to bring this day to the Maple Ridge community. It was a privilege to attend this year and to be asked to speak. Throughout the day, I witnessed people having quiet moments of reflection and embracing opportunities to learn. Together, we watched as Indigenous artists, drummers and dancers shared their cultural artistry. Many painted orange shirts and helped to create a community art piece; a large circular wooden canvas that featured a raven. Others participated in the healing tent and listened to elders share their stories.
It was a day filled with mixed emotions for me. As thoughts of the atrocities that were inflicted on so many children filled my mind, I was also touched by the sight of so many people actively engaged in their own journeys towards Truth and Reconciliation. We have a long way to go, but these steps we take together inspire me to keep going.
6. Recognizing Children of the Street’s Awareness Campaigns and Creative Partner, WILL
Our Children of the Street program works to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and youth in BC and beyond. As part of this, each year the program launches a public awareness campaign aimed at keeping kids safe from sexual exploitation.
Since 2019, we have partnered with WILL who have provided their professional creative design services free of charge. WILL is a full-service creative agency that inspires bravery in its clients. This year’s campaign is a shining example of that. Titled “Don’t Put Your D*ck Here”, the campaign is aimed at educating teen boys about the dangers of sending and sharing intimate images.
The campaign landing page has so far been visited by more than 30,000 people, and the ads have been seen more than a 1,000,000 times. The campaign was featured in a televised article by CBC’s The National and the campaign posters have been selected to be included in the BC Gay and Lesbian Archives!
Most recently, WILL was selected to receive a Giving Hearts Award for Outstanding Small Business from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Vancouver for their pro bono work on our campaigns. I am so grateful for WILL’s support over the past six years. The bold, brash and brave messaging definitely hits the mark! I can’t wait to see what they come up with for next year.
7. Taking Time to Understand the True Impact of Our Efforts
In recent months, PLEA staff have been focused on determining how best to measure the impact we have on the lives of those we serve. As a quick explanation of this, outputs refer to the result of an activity. For example, the number of hours a worker spends with a participant is an output. They are typically easy to count, and while they are important in making sure we are doing what we say we will do, they don’t help determine the effect we have had on our participants.
Outcomes, on the other hand, represent the changes or benefits that result from our service. These are often less tangible and more complex to measure, as they focus on the lasting impact on participants’ lives. Examples of outcomes our participants might hope to achieve include improved mental health, better financial independence, increased self-confidence or strengthened family relationships. Outcomes are about transformation, capturing the deeper value of social services and their ability to foster personal growth and resilience.
Measuring outcomes can be challenging because they often depend on external factors beyond our control. However, despite this we must find a way. Focusing on them ensures that our services remain client-centered, aiming not just to deliver assistance but to make a meaningful and lasting difference to our participant’s lives while they are with us.
I am so appreciative of our staff who have embraced this shift in focus. It’s another example of what we can achieve when we work together and I’m confident that this outcome-based focus from our staff will provide amazing results for those we serve.
8. Attending the KidStart Mentor Appreciation Luncheon
Our KidStart mentoring program provides support to children and youth who are at risk of experiencing difficulties in their lives with the one-on-one support of a caring volunteer mentor. This program relies on an outstanding group of volunteers who step up to mentor kids and teens who would benefit from regular, quality time spent with a friend and mentor. Each year, we honour and thank them at an event where we meet and mingle while sharing a meal.
This year our volunteer mentors and a plus one, PLEA staff, alumni and PLEA Board members were invited to lunch on a paddle wheeler that took those onboard on a tour around the Fraser River near Westminster Quay. As well as lunch, we had an opportunity to celebrate some of our longest serving mentors with awards for two, five and ten years of service.
I’d like to thank our good friends and partners at Nucleus Networks, who sponsored the entire event. A few Nucleus staff were able to join us, so we were able to thank them for making this important volunteer appreciation event come to life. This is yet another example of the value of strong partnerships and our collective commitment to support the greater good.
9. Witnessing the Awakening of the PLEA Canoe Ceremony
Earlier this spring, I was honoured to spend time with some of our staff from the Adult Services program and our valued Indigenous partners as we gathered to witness the awakening of our canoe, named ‘Spirit of the North’.
Canoe Awakening ceremonies hold deep cultural, spiritual, and communal significance, and are rooted in the traditions of the coastal Indigenous Peoples, including the Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth, Haida, and others, who have used canoes for transportation, trade, and cultural exchange for thousands of years.
Canoes are viewed in these Indigenous cultures as living entities with spirits. The awakening ceremony “awakens” the spirit of the canoe, making it ready for use in cultural and spiritual journeys. The ceremony involves prayers, songs and blessings to honour the canoe’s role as a vessel for both physical and spiritual journeys.
The ceremony also underscores the interconnectedness of humans, the environment, and all living beings. It is a way to honour the waters, which are central to the lives and livelihoods of coastal communities.
In witnessing the ceremony, talking, learning, and sharing food with all who attended, I see how attending such ceremonies helps to build stronger relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
We at PLEA see the canoe as a symbol of resilience and connection, and as a catalyst for reconciliation.
10. Witnessing the Dedication of PLEA’s Staff
My final, memorable moment actually comprises many moments; those I have seen while watching our talented and dedicated staff carry out the vital and meaningful work they do each and every day!
I spend a lot of time in each of our offices and attending our various events. While I am at each, I witness first-hand the amazing things going on throughout the organization supporting children, youth, families and adults. It inspires me to see the way our staff collaborate, engaging with one another to provide effective and inclusive support for our participants. I am amazed at their creativity, and the way they network and partner with each other to seek workable solutions for issues that may arise in the delivery of services and supports. I’m thankful every day for all that they accomplish for so many.
In closing, during this holiday season, I encourage you to celebrate the bonds that connect you to those you love and care about, and the collective strength that comes when we do so. As we look forward to the new year, we at PLEA remain committed to nurturing these important connections and relationships that help create opportunities for everyone to succeed.
From all of us at PLEA, happy holidays and all the best for the year ahead.
