I wish I had good news for you today about re-opening but once again, to everyone’s frustration, current Alberta Health measures are preventing us from setting a re-opening date.

Meanwhile, let’s continue being careful. We do encourage saving vaccination documentation in case it is needed in the future.

BUILDING TOMORROW TODAY

Over the next few months we will be hosting a number of ZOOM sessions to help us all feel inspired, engaged and confident about building our future – by first understanding our past.

These sessions will focus on understanding four key aspects of SEESA’s brand:
• SEESA’s history
• what sets SEESA apart from its competitors
• what is the personality of SEESA
• what does SEESA believe in

Participants will be drawn from the SEESA membership as well as a few members of our community who know SEESA but who have never joined. You will be kept informed as things progress and there will be a variety of ways for members to engage in this process.

QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT

The first quarter financial report will be posted at the end of April or early May.

RENEWAL AND GIFT MEMBERSHIP DONATIONS

• 801 members have renewed their membership
• 216 gift memberships have been donated
• Total current membership: 1,017

Hat’s off to all the members who have donated Gift Memberships! These memberships will be awarded to 55+ members of the community who otherwise might not consider joining SEESA.

The Board has recently received information from members who are worried that everything at SEESA is changing. I will address this in the following paragraphs.

Everything at SEESA is not changing. We will be adding to the scope of programs and services and we will be learning how to diversify membership and moving forward with that initiative. Programs and activities that SEESA members love will continue to be offered as SEESA did in the past.

All organizations reach a point where they must evolve to remain relevant. SEESA is at this point. While SEESA is working to ensure everything is in place for when we are allowed to re-open, SEESA also needs to be thinking long term.

Over the next six months SEESA’s focus will be doing just that, through a new project entitled Building Tomorrow Today. SEESA will be reviewing relevant research and reaching out to members and other seniors within the surrounding area to understand the challenges and opportunities that SEESA needs to consider as we chart our future.

Building Tomorrow Today is about envisioning our future and building our capacity to get there. Everyone will have the opportunity to participate in this exciting process.

The work begins by acknowledging, respecting and building on the past. SEESA is a highly regarded organization built over 40 years by committed volunteers and staff all doing their best to create a community setting where seniors join together to learn, laugh, exercise, sing, play music, create visual art, produce plays, be creative and be themselves.

Members will receive a project overview and work plan mid March, including a schedule of when and how the communication activities will happen. We look forward to working with you!

ADDRESSING MEMBER’S CONCERNS
Several members have asked me to clarify what happened with staff in 2020 I appreciate the
opportunity to explain.

No staff members were fired in 2020. Some staff were laid off and then permanently let go. In July, SEESA paid $98.286.00 in severance to staff who were let go. This was in keeping with each employee’s employment contract and Alberta Employment Standards.

Severance paid to staff will be shown in the 2020 audited financial statements which will be published on the SEESA website.

2020 ANNUAL REPORT
You will receive SEESA’s 2020 Annual Report in mid March which will include 2020 audited financial statements.

Two virtual ZOOM sessions will be held for members who have questions or wish to discuss information related to the Annual Report. Dates and zoom invitations will be included in my next message.

OUTREACH SERVICES
Outreach is a wonderful service provided for seniors who are in need of help, often with more than one area of life. Maybe you are having financial difficulties or problems with housing. Perhaps you have health issues, problems with your family, or feelings of loneliness. Social workers can help you deal with all areas of your life so you can be happier, healthier, and better connected with the support that is available.

Outreach services can help you in many ways:
1. Identifying your needs: financial, housing, legal, abuse, income tax, physical health, mental health, mobility, transportation, family dynamics, home service and repair, food, and more.

2. Connect you with resources: Social workers are knowledgeable on senior specific resources and will connect you with other programs and services that may be of help to you.

3. Emotional support: Social workers value and support you without judgment.

SEESA is partnering with Sage to deliver outreach services to SEESA members. Your key contact is social work manager Colleen Derksen Colleen was providing outreach services to SEESA members while Leslie Amundson was away from work. Colleen is now providing this service full time for SEESA members. Please feel welcome to contact Colleen at 780-701-9005

MEMBERSHIP
Membership at SEESA brings much joy to our lives and for many of us, has proven to be a lifeline. Whether it’s participating in programs and services or simply enjoying a snack with friends in our cafeteria, members’ lives are enriched when they are at SEESA.

We are asking members to renew their membership and donate one gift membership to help ensure that SEESA fixed building costs ( heat, insurance, general maintenance) are covered as we await permission to re-open.

Membership Sales Update:

• 900 membership renewals gift memberships purchased
• 696 out of 1,600 members have renewed their membership (904 current members have not yet renewed)
• 204 out of 1,600 gift memberships have been donated (1,396 gift memberships still to be donated)
• 55 NEW members have joined SEESA in 2021 compared to the 2020 numbers of members.

QUESTIONS? SUGGESTIONS?
Please consider joining me for a coffee chat on Friday March 5th at 10AM-11AM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81679294773?pwd=NkZHd2xkZ2Z6TThWVzRpZEtZWlpDZz09

Thank you,
JudyLynn Archer, A/president on behalf of the SEESA Board of Directors

• The cost of keeping SEESA’s facility heated, lit and insured (with no staff in it) is roughly $100,000 per year.
• If all 1,600 members were to renew their membership and purchase one gift membership, the facility costs would be covered for one year. Without having to touch our savings.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 1,100 individuals (out of 1,600 members) have not renewed their SEESA membership.
• SEESA’s financial situation has been going downhill unnoticed since 2018, when SEESA started using its savings to cover operating expenses.
• SEESA!s financial situation is dire with expenses far exceeding income each week. If this is not reversed, our beloved organization will be in danger of closing.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
AND
PURCHASE ONE GIFT MEMBERSHIP (donation)

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT

Due to current social distancing protocols, the March 15th Annual General Meeting and elections are postponed until further notice.

OUTREACH SERVICES

Outreach Services is being provided by Colleen Derksen (at Sage) until Leslie Amundson is back to work. Contact Colleen at (780) 691 0561.

With this letter I am pleased to inform you that SEESA’s 2021 Budget has been posted on our website, along with some background information about key factors that went into its preparation. 
Link to Budget
Link to Financial Notes

Background

Like many other not-for-profit organizations right now, SEESA is experiencing challenging times.   In 2021 this means that we will operate under a deficit budget with funds being transferred from our reserves, so that we can open the doors as planned in January. 

Rest assured that all hands are on deck, working to ensure that we will have a future without running a deficit.  Our new five-year Strategic Plan sets the stage for this transformation, as does the 2021 Budget.

What we know now

Following this year’s comprehensive financial review, it became evident that government funding was subsidizing a year-over-year $224,000 deficit associated with rising staffing costs, un-sustainable membership and program fees, and operating a facility without fully understanding the cost (heat, lights, insurance, etc.) for a total of $105,000 per year or $8,700 per month on average.)

Funding realities

All not-for-profit organizations including SEESA need to acknowledge the reality that funding from governments can no longer be assumed and that we need to move towards being self-sustaining.  We believe strongly that government does have an important role to play in supporting seniors and we will continue advocating for this support.  But this should not, in any way, relieve organizations such as ours of the responsibility to raise a significant portion of our own operating funds.     

Moving forward

Board and staff are working hard to improve our organization’s infrastructure by building on the past while recognizing the financial realities that we, and all other not-for-profit organizations, must overcome in order to survive.  This means that we will have to seek new sources of income on the one hand but be efficient with our expenses on the other. 

The Board of Directors believes this is absolutely doable and that it is the right move for the organization at this time.

We will host Town Hall ZOOM sessions on December 17, 2020 at 9:00 am and again on December 22, 2020 at 1:00 pm to provide opportunity for discussion and questions, with regards to the year ahead.  Your participation is important and encouraged.

On behalf of the Board of Directors thank you for your patience and understanding as we work toward making sure that SEESA continues to be an important and vital part of all our lives.

Merry Christmas,

JudyLynn Archer, Acting President