2017

Dear Friends and supporters of the Trust;

As mentioned in our 2016 report, the Because of Jenna Respite Centre opened at the beginning of October, 2017 with four children being registered as participants therefore making this an historical event for us approximately 15 years after the Trust was founded. A year later we are up to six participants and working towards expanding this number relative to the size of the facility. The benefits derived from the Respite for these children cannot be measured. Our team of care-givers and physiotherapist led by Joanne, our Administrator, are doing an awesome job every day caring for, and enhancing the lives of these children who would otherwise be at home. We have shared a few photos here which provide a little view into their activities at the Respite.It’s their “happy place” each and every day.

On the financial side, disbursements during 2017 were $362 K including operating expenses of $74K for the Respite Centre from October to December. Our pamper drive continues to be our largest single disbursement annually, followed by our special projects such as orthopedic surgeries, equipment etc.The Home Therapy program continues to positively impact those children who are unable to attend therapy clinics and with some of these children transitioning to the Respite Centre, we have been able to reach out and offer this support to others. Our vision continues to be for us to grow, and to increase the help that we are able to give to our needy children. In order to achieve this we need to augment our annual income and to this end we have been working closely with the Aspire group to achieve accreditation which will allow us to access funding from international agencies. We have completed all of the required Pillars, and Aspire are very happy with the Trust’s organizational structure and protocols for disbursement of funds. Although we continue to have a healthy cash flow when we combine our operational account with the bank and our other local investment, we need to look to the future and plan for special projects such as our own vehicle for transporting the children, finding ways to help even more children take advantage of the Respite Centre, more wheelchair clinics and surgeries etc. All of which, you can appreciate, will necessitate significant funding, hence our commitment to working closely with Aspire.

On behalf of the Trustees and myself, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your faith in our work and for your ongoing support. We take this opportunity to wish you and yours a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful Christmas.

As always,

Anna Clarke
Founder & Trustee