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.
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.