Vision:

Modelling a culture that instills independence, self-worth and a sense of agency in young people in a welcoming, secure and respectful environment.

Fiscal 2023 was a year of renewal for NYSA. As an organization, we revisited our mission, involving staff and youth clients in the process. The new vision and mission statements came out of a comprehensive strategic planning process undertaken over 2022-2023. The new Strategic Plan clarifies our mission, and sets out operational goals for staff to tackle. These agency-wide goals are to:

1. Work to effectively address the demand for transitional and affordable housing for youth.
2. Continue to develop a full-spectrum skills training capability for young people who don’t go on to post-secondary education.
3. Expand NYSA’s base of financial support from government, other social service agencies, volunteers, the corporate sector and the community-at-large.
4. Generate diversified revenue streams to support growth of support programs and programming options while enhancing the agency’s overall strength.
5. Actively help our team to develop and grow professionally and personally by supporting a flexible work life, providing intellectually engaging work, and fair compensation.

As part of the strategic plan, we increased our focus on pushing harder for affordable accommodation options for young people in the mid-Island region. We heard from a substantial number of youth that they were thinking of leaving Nanaimo to find work elsewhere because they could not afford to pay the rents that were being demanded in the marketplace.

From an organizational perspective, our programs operated with similar intakes as the previous year and the financial picture remained stable. Last year, we noted that the DiverseFutures funding program was ending but that the government had not announced anything to replace it. At the close of that fiscal year, the federal government extended the program for another year, so we are once again facing the end of that employment assistance initiative. And like last year, we have not heard whether there is a new program planned to replace it. The program continues to be popular with young people who have challenges getting into the workforce.

Operationally, our financials show that revenues were down slightly but our staff adjusted their budgets and lowered expenses. Overall, the organization showed a modest surplus, which helps it to maintain a suitable reserve to cover operating expenses if, for any reason, revenues decline significantly. There is no reason to believe that this will occur – it is simply good management to prepare for a worst case scenario.

As always, the success of NYSA in achieving its mission lies with the people who work in the agency. It is a pleasure to help our staff carry out their work and see the successes that they achieve. The organization works with very little financial leeway, so everyone does their job without extra frills – they are to be recognized and thanked for their dedication and commitment to the mission. Thank you all!

Keith Wilson
Chief Administrative Officer

Allan Beaudry
President & Chair