ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: October 15, 1998
Author/Local: A. Kloppenborg/6031
RTS No. 00180
CC File No. 2151

TO:	Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM:	Director of Community Services, Social Planning
SUBJECT:	Transfer of Community Services Grant from HispaSeniors to South Granville Seniors Centre

RECOMMENDATION

THAT responsibility for the administration of the 1998 Community Services Grant to the Hispano American Seniors Society be transferred to the South Granville Seniors Society, together with the funding for the final two quarters of the 1998 grant, amounting to $6,120.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services submits the foregoing for Council's CONSIDERATION.

COUNCIL POLICY

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

This report recommends that administrative responsibility for the part-time staff position funded by this grant be transferred to South Granville Seniors Centre, which has always hosted the HispaSeniors program, to ensure the continuity of program delivery to Spanish-speaking seniors.

BACKGROUND

The City has supported the Hispano-American Seniors program at South Granville Seniors Centre since 1995. Funding was approved to the Hispano-American Seniors Society on the condition that it meet at South Granville and work in partnership with South Granville to develop cooperative programing. HispaSeniors has provided useful services such as an information and referral service for Spanish-speaking seniors and various program activities at South Granville, but the Society has been unable to provide effective administration or staff supervision. South Granville Seniors Centre Society has been very supportive of HispaSeniors' efforts and is willing to continue supporting programs for Spanish-speaking seniors.

DISCUSSION

With the proposed transfer of the grant, South Granville Seniors Centre will take on the administration of the grant, including responsibility for hiring and supervising staff, and managing the grant funding. In discussing this change with the South Granville and HispaSeniors boards, the original proposal was that the two groups work together on the hiring of a new staff person and the development and evaluation of programs. The Board of HispaSeniors has now advised us that they will not participate.

Social Planning staff are of the view that Spanish speaking seniors have established a relationship with the South Granville Seniors Centre and will continue to be interested in and attend programs, whether or not HispaSeniors is formally involved. We are recommending that the grant be transferred to South Granville and we will monitor the development of the program over the next few months. (Appendix I - Letter of Understanding from South Granville; letter from HispaSeniors.)

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS DOCUMENT THAT DO NOT HAVE ELECTRONIC COPY ARE AVAILABLE ON FILE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

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