Villa Charities 2018 Annual Report VC19_AnnualReport_Interiors_Apr29_FNL2 | Page 6

villa charities
message
with whom I have discussed our shared
passion for this organization. For those
who I have not yet had the pleasure of
meeting, let me briefly introduce myself.
FROM THE CHAIR
On behalf of Villa Charities Inc. (VCI),
I am pleased to present our Annual
Report for 2018. The pages following
contain highlights of our many major
initiatives undertaken during the year,
including key activities and programming
updates at each VCI department and
Affiliate organization, as well as the
financials of each organization. You will
also find several feature stories, which
go far beyond the facts and numbers to
demonstrate the unique qualities that
make Villa Charities such a special part
of the Italian-Canadian and local
communities.
Since being elected as Chair of Villa
Charities’ Board of Governors in June
2018, I have met many of the passionate
people in our community who live in,
work at, and use our campus facilities,
Having grown up in the Dufferin-
Lawrence area, I have been part of the
Villa Charities community since my youth.
Starting in 2002, I have volunteered as a
Board member with Villa Colombo Homes
for the Aged Inc. (Villa Colombo Toronto
or VCT), becoming Chair of the VCT
Board in 2016. Now, as Chair of the VCI
Board, I am delighted to help our
organization navigate new opportunities
to meet the needs of our community now
and in the future.
After 16 years at VCT, it is no surprise
that I am deeply committed to ensuring
we provide excellent care to our seniors
through long-term care and community
support services. As part of the Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care’s mandate
to upgrade long-term care beds province-
wide, government-set standards require
larger rooms with improved amenities and
a more home-like environment, and
enhanced accommodations for residents
with dementia and other complex health
care needs.
To meet those standards, in 2018 we
continued work on the major project
to revitalize VCT’s Fusco wing, which
accommodates 266 beds (of VCT’s
total 391 beds) that fall within this
Ministry mandate. Once complete,
these upgrades will result in enhanced
facilities and services for our residents
and will improve their quality of life.
Through the Villa Charities Visioning
Project, we completed the first step in
developing a campus-wide strategy for
the Dufferin-Lawrence campus. The
findings of the Visioning Project will be
incorporated by VCI’s Strategic Planning
Committee into an updated Strategic
Plan for Villa Charities. increasingly diverse local community. The
project sought to address key issues and
needs, leverage VCI’s current resources
and identify the resources needed to
provide enhanced services and facilities
in the future. The comprehensive final
report from the Visioning Project is now
available on the Villa Charities website.
We continue to strengthen our
partnerships with other Toronto-area
Italian and cultural organizations, who
have exhibited strong interest in
becoming more active on our campus. Another key initiative focused on repairing
and upgrading our facilities. We engaged
an external consultant to assess all
buildings on our campus and identify and
prioritize the work required. Their report
indicated that over the next decade, an
investment of approximately $20 million
will be needed. The repairs began almost
immediately, and I am glad to report that
significant progress was made during the
year, with just over $2 million approved in
2018 for repairing and replacing aging
facilities and infrastructure. This included
improvements to our parking facilities,
replacement of aging HVAC equipment,
information technology upgrades, and
much more.
And, outlined in this report, are many
other steps we have taken to better
serve our community in the decades
to come. As we move forward in 2019,
I look forward to sharing these exciting
new developments with you.
I would also like to take this opportunity
to thank Aldo Cundari, my predecessor
as Chair, for his long and extraordinary
service to our organization. And I also
express my thanks to my colleagues on
the VCI Board and on all of the Affiliate
Boards, as well as to Villa Charities
President and CEO Anthony DiCaita, his
leadership team and VCI staff for their
hard work and dedication. And finally, to
all the members of our wider community,
thank you for your passionate and
ongoing support of Villa Charities.
2018 was a year of significant change for
Villa Charities as we refocused our efforts
to meet the needs and preferences of the
communities we serve.
This process began early in the year,
when the plans to redevelop the
Columbus Centre into a joint-use facility
with the Toronto Catholic District School
Board ended and our partnership was
dissolved. Our attention turned
immediately to keeping the Columbus
Centre fully operational and ensuring a
sustainable and prosperous future.
A key initiative on this path was the Villa
Charities Visioning Project, an extensive
community-wide consultation toward the
development of a Dufferin/Lawrence
campus-wide strategy. The ultimate
objective was to gather broad
stakeholder input so we can best meet
the needs of Italian-Canadians and an
Sincerely,
Villa Charities Inc.
Santo Veltri
CHAIR
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FROM THE
PRESIDENT & CEO
VILLA CHARITIES
ANNUAL REPORT
Separately, VCI invested more than
$180,000 in new cardio equipment and
facility improvements to the Athletic Club.
Another area of investment was in
Cultural Programming as VCI re-
established the Columbus Centre as a
destination to explore Italian heritage,
music, culture and lifestyle. Programming
included the World Premiere theatrical
production of “If on a Christmas Night...,”
our inaugural Porte Aperte community
open house, Italian Heritage Month
events, the Diaspora Series, Cultural
Tuesdays and various special events.
Cultural programming was a major focus of
VCI’s communications outreach during the
year, drawing significant positive attention
to our organization. This included a social
media strategy that generated a stronger
presence for VCI on Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram, and media campaigns that
generated almost 31 million impressions,
with coverage in the Ottawa Citizen and
Toronto Life, and on CBC, TLN, OMNI
Television and other outlets.
At Villa Colombo Homes for the Aged Inc.
(Villa Colombo Toronto or VCT), we
continued planning for mandatory
upgrades to the facility. VCT is one of
300 long-term care facilities province-
wide requiring renovations to meet new
provincial standards by 2025.
These and numerous other projects,
programs and events are made possible
through the enormous commitment and
work of our valued staff, management
and Boards, and through the active
support of our patrons and residents. On
behalf of Villa Charities, I offer all of them
a huge thanks.
I look forward to further enhancing our
services and facilities with all members of
the VCI community, as we continue to
build a strong and sustainable future for
our organization.
Sincerely,
Villa Charities Inc.
Anthony DiCaita
PRESIDENT AND CEO
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