Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours (SIGN) has a new strategic plan.
Monday at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council SIGN鈥檚 plan was shared with the City.
This strategic plan has been developed to assist Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours (SIGN) in focusing its efforts to achieve its vision and to meet the needs of the community and the individuals and families the organization serves.
This plan encourages and promotes a pro-active, results oriented approach, balances short-term pressures with long-term thinking, and permits flexibility to adapt to change.
This plan will enhance SIGN鈥檚 organizational capacity to generate new ideas and options, encourages a team approach to strategic decisions, and provides a systematic approach to decision-making, accountability and evaluation, detailed material circulated to Council.
Andrew Sedley, executive director with SIGN also made a verbal presentation backgrounding the organization in the city.
鈥淲e are a very unique and distinct Community Based Organization in Saskatchewan,鈥� he said. 鈥淣o other Community Based Organization in the province offers a vast array of programming based on the distinct needs of its community. Funding to offer programming and supports come through the Ministry of Social Services, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, the City of Yorkton, donations, fundraising and user fees. Needs are continually evaluated with community partners to ensure supports are in place for all in our community.
鈥淥ur Organization鈥檚 name, Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours, comes from the belief that the Organization is able to assist community members as any good neighbour in our community would. In Saskatchewan, we are all known as being able to support and assist those in need. Stories of local farmers coming to help out a neighbouring farm during the harvest, individuals collecting items for families devastated by fire, etc. are all tightly woven into our values and beliefs of what a good neighbour does. Each and every day, SIGN strives to support those in need in our community and live up to our name.鈥�
The City of Yorkton and SIGN have worked together on many different initiatives throughout the years including the Senior Mobility Program, assisting those displaced by the flood in 2010, providing dispatch for public transportation, amongst others, said Sedley, who then expanded on the flood effort as an example of SIGN鈥檚 contribution to the city.
鈥淎s mentioned earlier, the Canada Day flood was devastating for many of our community members. Many individuals and families were displaced from their homes, and SIGN worked closely with the city and the province to provide accommodations and meals at their SIGN on Broadway facility for those that could not move back home. Some of these supports continued for some individuals and families for up to a year.鈥�
The collaborative actions reflect SIGN鈥檚 Vision, said Sedley where: 鈥榳e see citizens of Yorkton and area who are caring and self-reliant, residing in safe and stable communities where all citizens can participate. We see a community initiating and supporting social, economic, cultural and recreational opportunities for all.鈥�
鈥淪IGN services have shown to provide an economic savings to the community and the province long term. As an organization, we have seen thousands of success stories throughout the years for individuals, families and our community,鈥� said Sedley.
One recent example of a family accessing SIGN services is:
A single mother of five entered SIGN with inadequate housing, experiencing parenting difficulties, fleeing domestic violence, and behavioural issues of children and mental health issues. Utilizing a collaborative approach over an intensive 12 week period, skills were taught, supports were given and appropriate medical referrals were made. After following the family for a year post discharge, improvements were made in many aspects of their life, with an estimated cost savings of over $400,000 to the community and province, he explained.
鈥淭he work that was done with this one family really speaks to SIGN鈥檚 Mission Statement: Empowering children, families, and individuals to achieve lifelong success through programs and services that build strong children, strong families and strong communities.鈥�
There are six interrelated and mutually supportive strategic priorities that are at the heart of SIGN鈥檚 new Strategic Plan moving forward. These six Strategic Priorities are:
鈥� Partnerships and Alliances 鈥� working with others in the community to build capacity
鈥� People Power 鈥� developing our human resources
鈥� Organizational Excellence 鈥� governing effectively
鈥� Sustainability 鈥� growing our resources
鈥� Facility 鈥� developing our facility infrastructure
鈥� Branding and Public Awareness 鈥� defining who we are and our promise to the public
鈥淎s an organization, we see the value in focusing on our branding and raising awareness of our services throughout the community,鈥� said Sedley. 鈥淢any have heard about SIGN, but unless you have accessed services, you may not know of all that we offer in the community. With 22 different programs that are offered, employing over 100 individuals and providing service to thousands each year, we provide supports to the very young to the elderly and everyone in between. We鈥檝e finally entered the age of social media and utilizing technology to communicate with our community and we have developed a consistent brand and consistent messaging. This work will continually prepare and assist us moving forward in our community.
鈥淎s in the past, SIGN will continue to respond to the needs of the community to support individuals and families. By focusing on those six strategies, we will ensure that the work that we are doing will be deliberate, collaborative, and sustainable and provide the best possible supports for those in need. As our community continues to grow, SIGN is positioning itself to continue to provide programs, services, supports and assistance to everyone in our community.鈥�
Moving forward Sedley said he sees the City continuing to be a welcome partner with SIGN.
鈥淭he City of Yorkton has always had a vested interest in SIGN,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he collaborative approach that SIGN utilizes in program development and delivery ensures best possible outcomes for individuals and families in our community.聽 The much needed services that SIGN provides, assists not only those in need but plays a major role in building our overall community. By supporting SIGN and continuing with current and new partnerships, you will ensure that you are playing a major role in the continued development of a safe and healthy community for all of us to live and work in and to ensure Yorkton lives up to its motto 鈥榃here Good Things Happen鈥�.鈥�
