Our Team | Grandview Kids
Happy Staff member teaching class

Our Team

#TeamGrandview includes volunteers, committee and board members alongside clients and families.

 

They are the best of the best and always ensure Grandview children and youth are a top priority.

 

Our Staff

#TeamGrandview has stepped up to deliver high quality programming and services to children, youth, parents, and caregivers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 to 2021, our team grew about nine per cent. We’ve always been proud of our small and mighty team, this year more than ever. Thank you to our staff. We value and appreciate everything you do each and every day. 

Volunteers

We are fortunate to have such a warm and committed team of volunteers at Grandview Kids, which is comprised of students, retirees and working professionals. Our volunteers are a prime example of how collaboration and generosity can inspire the magic that happens when we work together towards a common purpose. During the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteer Screener and Greeters played a critical role in our enhanced safety protocols. As the first point of contact with clients, parents, caregivers, staff and visitors, Screener and Greeters became the friendly faces of keeping everyone safe.

Volunteer Spotlight : Aditya Pandya

Volunteer since October 2020

In October 2020, Aditya Pandya was looking for a way to dedicate his time toward a good cause.

After researching Grandview Kids, it was the values and “Child Stories” that inspired Aditya to apply for a volunteer position. As a Screener and Greeter at our Ajax site, Aditya developed new relationships with co-workers, parents, and caregivers to help the site run efficiently. “I helped the incredible clinicians perform their duties with less to worry about and allowed the clients to receive the services they need” Aditya shared. 

Aditya hopes to continue to volunteer post-pandemic and is looking to attend medical school in the future. “My work here at Grandview gives me the opportunity to have a bit of insight into the healthcare field. This provides me with an additional force and drive to achieve my goal.” Aditya has been a valuable contributor to the Grandview Kids culture over the past few months and his passion to improve the lives of children and youth with communication, physical and intellectual disabilities has led to further opportunities, such as becoming a volunteer research assistant with #TeamGrandview. 

Thank you, Aditya for dedicating your time and energy to Grandview Kids. We are so honoured to have volunteers like you as part of our team. 

Volunteer Vicki Caume

I felt that Grandview was the best way to invest my time, as it would provide me with a sense of gratification and fulfillment knowing that I was helping to relieve some of the stress off of the incredible staff, who were working toward bettering the lives of children.

Aditya Pandya

Volunteer

Grandview Children’s Centre Board of Trustees 2020-2021

Denise Jones, Chair
Board of Trustees

Andra Duff-Woskosky
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees and Chair of Priorities and Performance Committee

Chris Chadwick
Secretary, Chair of Governance Excellence Committee and Trustee

Jeremy Harness
Chair of Finance and Facilities Committee, Treasurer and Trustee

Natalie Sims
Trustee

Terry Caputo
Trustee

Leo Plue
Trustee

Catherine Switzer
Trustee

Erin Watson
Trustee

Maria Grant
Trustee

Bryan Yetman
Chair,Board of Directors, Foundation

Finance & Facilities Committee

Jeremy Harness
Chair & Treasurer

Natalie Sims
Trustee

Denise Jones
Board Chair

Leo Plue
Trustee

Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann
CEO

Harry Deeg
Director Finance & Administration

Kelly O’Connor
Recorder & Executive Assistant

Governance Excellence Committee

Chris Chadwick
Chair

Erin Watson
Trustee

Maria Grant
Trustee

Lindsay Coolidge
Community Representative

Carolyn Treadgold
Community Representative

Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann
CEO

Kelly O’Connor
Recorder & Executive Assistant

Priorities and Performance Committee

Andra Duff Woskosky
Chair

Terry Caputo
Trustee

Catherine Switzer
Trustee

Audrey Andrews
Community Representative

Lorraine Sunstrum Mann
CEO

Leslie Suite
Director of Clinical Services

Andrew Marsden
Performance Evaluation Specialist

Kelly O’Connor
Recorder &  Executive Assistant

Grandview Children’s Foundation Board of Directors 2019-2020

Executive
Bryan Yetman
Chair

Steve Leslie
Secretary, Treasurer

David Toswell
Director

Directors
Mike Forman

Steve Curry

Marina Hunt

Brad Phillips
Grandview Children’s Centre – Chair

Finance Committee
Steve Leslie
Chair

Steve Curry
Director

Sean Donaldson
Community Member

Steve Rowlands
Community Member 

Governance Excellence Committee
David Toswell
Chair

Steve Leslie
Director

Bryan Yetman
Director

Mike Forman
Director

All these efforts clearly prove that the love of a child knows no bounds… and often helps build a community.

Family Advisory Committee

Grandview’s Family Advisory Committee (FAC) continued to support families in engaging with Grandview Kids despite COVID-19 restrictions. Meetings were moved online to allow working groups to continue their projects. 

The FAC acts as a resource to the Centre Board of Trustees and the CEO, enabling families to have a voice regarding strategic decisions. In 2020/21, the FAC offered several virtual opportunities for families of Grandview Kids, including scavenger hunts, an online pumpkin and costume contest for Halloween, and even Santa went virtual visiting families via Zoom. 

Family Advisory Committee

Andrea Belanger
Jacki Nemisz
Beth McBarnett
Annette Neufeld
Barbara Sparkes
Claudia Nossier
Marilyn Robitaille
Kola Kadiri
Sacha Ghent
Fadia Omer
Omer Halim
Amanda Wallace-Gallant
Leanne Osborne-Floyd
Vickie Derby
Krista Ormsby

Amanda Wallace-Gallant
Secretary

Melodie Muir
Subcommittee Chair

Leanne Osborne-Floyd
Subcommittee Chair

Vickie Derby
Subcommittee Chair

Krista Ormsby
Subcommittee Chair

Youth Advisory Committee

Grandview Kids’ Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) consists of clients, siblings and Grandview Kids grads aged 12 to 25 years. The YAC has been busy over the past year. They successfully made the shift from a community event-based group to completely virtual throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the YAC provided feedback on what features they would like to see with Grandview Kids’ New Build. They were excited to share a firsthand view of a client’s vision and their unique perspective.

The YAC participated in two virtual cooking demonstrations with local Chef Alex Page, learning to make healthy nachos, mug cake, naan bread pizzas and banana popsicles. It was great to see YAC members participating with their families. They look forward to continuing to learn from Chef Alex in the coming year.

The YAC also participated in a project conducted by the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS). Members provided feedback on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected youth mental health and strategies to cope. Their open and honest feedback was received with great appreciation, and their stories will be shared on the OACAS website next year.

This group continues to flourish, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds. The sky is truly the limit!

YAC members also did their part for their local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members completed “acts of kindness” by volunteering their time in respite care, mowing the lawns, and helping out their neighbours. While strengthening a sense of support within their communities, the YAC members also earned secondary school volunteer hours. 

 

Youth Advisory Committee

Nicholas Barry
Mia Belanger
Emily Petrik
Sam Keane
Uwais Mirza
Andrew Neufeld
Kurt Snow
Elliott Smith
Darren Thorogood
Adam Whittick
Taylor Willis

Family Engagement Program Assistant
Brad Sexton

YAC support
Shaeleigh Beaudry
Andrea Belanger

THANK YOU

We send our thanks to all the caring individuals, businesses and organizations whose contributions changed lives and made so much possible in 2020/2021. You helped Grandview kids move, play, learn, communicate and connect in ways their families never dreamed possible throughout one of our most challenging times yet.