CLEAN WATER INITIATIVE PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Proposal to General Membership

"The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness."

CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL Introduction History of the Organization The Application to the Ministry for Bylaw Changes Current Conditions of the Organization Steps and Strategies Future Programming Directions

INTRODUCTION What if we could chip away at both an extremely vital necessity in the global scale of life and our own societal issues simultaineously? We can do this. We can save lives. We can be the base of the wheel that begins to lessen the hardships that life is imposing on a billion other people. One of every 7 of the world's population is without a source of clean drinking water. A resource that we as Canadians are rated as one of the top abusers worldwide. We have the resources to make a difference. We hope that for our own society we take on some serious issues with our programming. The greatest of which would be to touch every

persons life, for a few seconds, each day with a positive and enlightening thought. Or is the biggest advantage - saving lives, participating, in only small ways, we will raise our self worth and the self worth of our children. If heroes are described as those who save the lives of others, we have the potential to save thousands and give 5 x that number the most basic of life needs. Giving our children the tools and introducing the methods of participating in resolving global issues early in life. We give our own the gift of perspective. We cannot be involved in these directions without refocusing our own perspective each time we face our own life trials.

HISTORY Windsor West Citizen's has been in existance for over 35 years, in the same location - 3440 Bloomfield Rd. We have kept a second location for approx. 25 years at 566 St. Joseph. Our objective has always been to support the local community. Through the years that has taken the shape of many programs and special events including: After School Program, Craft for both adult and children, Parenting classes, Summer Programs, Learn to Earn and a Food Co-op. For many years we attended numerous committee meetings as an advocate for the community, at one time sitting on 22 committees, addressing local issues. It is estimated that we have been able to bring into the local economy over 2 million dollars and have supplied over 100 part time positions to local students. My personal history with the Organization was of a duration of 16 years that ended 13 years ago when I moved out of the area, (way out - I live just south of Sarnia). During that period I saw the organization through a dozen differing perspectives from volunteer to staff to organization president, volunteer coordinator and office management. Two years ago I was contacted by a long term staff member and asked to intervene.

THE APPLICATION TO THE MINISTRY FOR CHANGES TO OUR BYLAWS We applied for 3 changes to our previous bylaws. The first was to change the very restrictive membership that allowed

us only to have members living in the 400 townhouses of the area. We applied for "city wide and other interested persons". This was approved. The advantages to opening the membership:

This enables us to continue to support our past, with our present to strengthen our future. Our past is our are a part of our community. They have never stopped needing us and we have never stopped needing them. Our past community will be the base of our outreach programming. These are the people currently raising children. Strengthens our membership numbers and our access to a larger volunteer base.

We applied to be able to be charitable ourselves and become a service agency . We applied to be able to give away the majority of our income. We were restricted to 50% . We were also restricted to giving within Canada. (This forced a change in the original plan of working with LifeStraws.) The programming directions we applied for were not well enough defined for the Ministry to accept and we will need to reapply once we have our programming initiatives outlined. We are currently restricted to an after school program and a cooking program, the only 2 programs that were operating at the time of application. The advantages to opening the membership: Charitable Changes

The charitable changes allow for UP to 50% to be passed forward. For localized programming we MUST partner with other parties to be successful on this path.

"Be the change you want to see in the world"

CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION *The following information is not verified by the Board of W.W.C.O. **Please note that I have been only to 2 board meeting segments over the past 20 months and was not given access to most information. The Board was kept aprised of any activity through the finance manager. This was the line of communication.

There is no funding available to pay the basic obligations of the Organization. This includes: insurance premiums, phones, accounting, security Funding available from 2 permanent rentals is the only source, of which I am aware . Bingo revenue was coming in as of 3 months ago of approximately $500.00 per month. Every 3rd month there is another license which increases the income. Bingo funds are restricted and cannot be used for basic bills. Membership base is currently: 277 228 signed the petition. St. Joseph CARES is available but not currently staffed. The cell phone has been broken for 3 to 4 months. 3440 Bloomield is a shared facility. Hours for WWCO are after 4 pm Monday thru Thursdays with full availability Fridays and weekends. The cell phone is also broken and has been prior to the end of May. Due to the 2 permanent rentals there are restrictions on the hours of availability. The day program is not removing their belongs at the end of each weekday making the center unavailable to the Organization. Remaining staff were laid off at the end of May. For the past 2 years hours and budgets have been minimal. ie. St. Joseph C.A.R.E.S. received only 2.5 hours per week.

STEPS AND STRATEGIES Short Term - 6 weeks or less

Review all correspondence since June to assess the progress in closing the Organization. To my knowledge the Organization has not dispersed their assets, which is a requirement. Resolve any issues with our bingos. If bingos have been discontinued can we reverse the decision? We will need an alternate bingo crew, licensed by the city immediately. Review finances and obligations. Get an accurate figure of obligatory expenditures. Change signing authority. Appoint key holders. Find volunteer contact persons to direct traffic for the Organization. Get the phones turned back on. Apply to the service agencies with a strategy and direction outline asking for help to raise the money needed to cover our basic needs for 1 year as we develop our programming strategies and develop fundraising directions. The amount needed is approx. $6,000 for the year. The WWCO does not pay rent or utilities for either location. Notify community partners of the change and open lines of communication. Donation button connected to web site. Apply for new programming guidelines from the Ministry. There are 2 steps to the process. The first step should take 6 weeks. The changes then must be written into the bylaws and sent for a second approval by a separate office.

2 to 6 Month Plan

Programs are still at the concept level and the logistics of each need skilled practical minds to resolve. Our Board will be our first line, a second and third tier will be needed to be effective in planning and implementing. Develop a detailed plan that can be adjusted to apply for grants.

Investigate grant possibilities. ie. funding through facebook initiatives. Specific programming grants for development, local business and corporation involvement. Development in this area will need ongoing permanent effort.

Develop community partnerships. To remain within the guidelines set by the Ministry and still be able to fully support the World Water Initiative we will have to develop partnership programs within our own community. All programs will be cooperative community efforts. Develop area steering committees. (St. Joseph, Bloomfield, satelite locations) to begin an exploration of the programming each community would be interested in providing. Call a community meeting of potential stakeholders and initiate programming.

"Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world."

The most basic humanitarian cause - Clean Water. THE STATS

1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water. One of every 7 of us on the planet. More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. 1.8 million of those people die every year from diarrhoeal diseases. 3,900 children die every day from water borne diseases In India alone, 400,000 children under the age of 5 die each year. Women around the world spend 200 million hours a day collecting water.

In Sudan 12.3 million people only have access to contaminated water supplies. Regions particularly delayed, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, over 40 per cent of all people are without improved drinking water. Nearly all deaths, 99%, occur in the developing world.

A Global Movement is conquering this issue because everyday people in the thousands are putting efforts towards eliminating this hardship.

Cost of water for 1 person for life: $25.00 Clean water reduces death by 21%. Every $125.00 raised a life is spared. The world has met the MDG drinking water target five years ahead of schedule but work is not yet done. On target to be eliminated by 2020. The average cost to build a well in India: $1,000.00, Kenya: $6,500.00, Sudan: $4,500.00. Clean water improves productivity by as much as 80%. Water availability improves agricultural sustainability. Which in turn improves health. Which translates to higher school attendance. This work is being accomplished in over 50 countries.

As Canadians

We are within the top 10% of the world population in living standard. 92% of the global population have less than we have. Canadas freshwater withdrawals were 1,131 cubic metres per capita in 2007over nine times more than in Denmark, the best performer, and double the 16-country average. Canada ranks second to last on this indicator and earns a C grade. Only the U.S. has higher water withdrawals1,632 cubic metres per capita. Eight of Canadas peer countries had freshwater withdrawals below the

average of 572 cubic metres per capita; seven of those countries received A grades.

Several studies show that water revenues are not sufficient to cover operational, repair, upgrading, or expansion costs. They cover only a small part of the costs of supplying water.

"I learned to give because I had nothing."

PROGRAMMING DIRECTIONS

Each of the World Water Initatives has a 50/50 split of revenue with a local endeavour. Each has the ability to raise our awareness of both local and global issues, along with providing insight into the solutions while providing ownership in a calculatable way.

Inspirational Boards

Inspirational Boards will be 4 x 8 foot signs that contain a positive universal message or a thoughtful phrase. Phrases like the examples I have scattered through these pages. These boards will be located on the walls of our community. Hopefully each will include an artistic background. The first location will be J&B's Variety on Felix and Girardot. Locations will be donated. The community/sponsor will be asked to raise $500.00 for each location. The $500.00 will be donated to WWCO. This money will be used as a general fund for our basic needs. We will then donate $250.00 to World Water (or into a fund until we have enough to purchase a well.) The physical side of who will paint and hang the sign has not been defined though we would prefer to see a program developed through a partner, (ie. STAG, The Bloomfield House, St. Joseph CARES, Welcome Center, Our West End, etc.) Supplies to create the wall should be under $100.00 at contractor pricing. This gives the new charity the other $150.00 towards their budget/programs.

Locally, this program provides:

An opportunity to unite the community. humanitarian cause in the world.

This is the most basic

This falls within the range of our economical means without placing undue pressure on our supporters. Provides an avenue to get our charitable names out into the community to increase awareness and name recognition. (Both sponsor and program partners will be listed on the sign.) Provides a positive thought for every individual that passes by the corner for a period of 5 or more years. Stretches limited resources and maximizes impact with the dollars we have. There is an unlimited supply of walls to work with. J&B's Variety, our first donated location, is on Assumption and Century schools. the route to both

Globally

Provides 10 people with clean water for life, spares the lives of 2. Just doing one per month will provide water to a minimum of 360 people per year if we can find corporate and government matching capital,(Which are regularly available at different sources through the Water Program we choose to support. That is 72 people we provide a life saving change to; with an investment of 3,000.00. With the donation of the cost of a well we will be provided with a specific project that we can track and make use of on the web site as a visual confirmation of our efforts. A well may be used for 500 to 2,000 people. minimum of 100 lives being spared. This translates into a

With differing water programs there are shared resources on fundraising/programming that we can research and adapt to our own needs.

**This program is completely dependent on still having bingo funds available or until alternate sources can be provided or we find 20 community partners ready to contribute $25.00 per month. I am willing to be one of the 20.

"To lift up yourself, lift up someone else."

Toonie Challenge We challenge every home in Windsor to contribute a minimum of $2.00 per month, every month. One dollar will be donated to World Water. The second dollar will be used in our community. We begin with our own west side communities. If the community of St. Joseph was to commit to this and all contributed this would raise enough money for 3 persons to receive water for life. For our St. Joseph community it would provide $75.00 per month as a funding base. Once established we could approach local businesses to contribute a matching amount, perhaps the local service agencies would contribute as well.

We develop a small form on the web site and link in a donation button that will send directly to our account. (ie. Paypal charges 4.00 per 100.00 approx.) We ask our businesses to participate by collecting the donations and reporting the amount and depositing on a regular schedule, through the site. This streamlines the process for the business. Provides both the charity and partner with an accessable record. We place these in as many community locations as possible for accessibility. As many as would like to be involved in participating.

The $1.00 that is taken in for our own community can be ear marked for an area of the city, or placed into a general fund. Boundaries would need to be set into place. We would create an online application form, choose up to 3 proposals for funding, and hold an online vote each month. The membership would be eligible to vote.

Promotes:

Opportunity for involvement with a very reasonable expectation of participants, just dropping in their change when at a location on their regular path. Provides widespread ownership of the program to our local businesses. Will be able to support citywide volunteer charitable efforts. Provides an easily tracked total and way to communicate the success of the campaign in increments of $25.00, using facebook and the web site. Working with direct deposit allows locations simplicity and time efficiency in participating. ie. businesses, centers, broadening the base of involvement and participation. We also see this Toonie Challenge as a school fundraiser with parent committee involvement and student councils. We supply a paper water drop that when purchased will be adhered to a wall of the school for 1 week, 1month, creating a wall of rain. Collecting $125.00 at each location will enable them to say, "I participated in saving a persons life." That is a powerful internal statement and adds to our pool of self worth.

"A journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step."

After School Program

WWCO has run an after school program for approximately 25 years consecutively. This program was cancelled in late Feb. We would like to see this format continue with some amendments. The program would need some committed volunteers.

Target age group: 8 to 16 (2 - 3 age groups) in partnership with other youth groups, multicultural groups

School year commitment. A certificate program that can be used on a first resume. Programming goal would be to create an environment that educates our children on world issues and conditions. Partnering with showing them the innovative ways that are currently addressing the issues. Introduce the different charities both local and international that work towards reducing and eliminating societal problems and physical hardship. We ask our multicultural members to commit to 2 weeks with each group to educate our children about the situations within their homelands. To introduce their culture, their countries, the injustices of their history and provide the real experience with traditional touches in their programming. We mentor in how to participate in being a part of the solution on limited resources. And take an in depth look at social media and how Organizations are using it to fund their initiatives. We follow with a project chosen by the group and help in planning and executing a fundraiser. (ie. Christmas Shoe Boxes or providing livestock gifts, school supplies or local programming initiatives, a 50/50 split like the organization?)

This program Promotes:

This will raise self worth in our teens and early teens., an issue in the foreground of our society. Participating in saving lives allows our children to be heroes. Being a hero to someone has as much internal value as external. Participating in issues far more complicated than those in our own lives brings perspective to the struggles we face. This helps us find our inner strength when it is needed. Allows us to feel that we can conquer our issues. We cannot focus on these issues then turn back to our own lives without gratitude. This will raise our awareness of how much we have and help change our negative thoughts into a more positive approach.

Promotes empathy and compassion. Creates an understanding of struggles facing other societies. Educates our children and provides the reasons our country is a preferred destination. Education = Acceptance. Provides a life skill and introduces the concepts of social responsibility. Can be expanded to green issues and wildlife conservation programming focus (wildlife being a wonderful topic with children.)

"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all."

100 Women of Windsor A new group of philanthopists supporting local charities their concept is: 4 times a year a 1 hour a meeting is held. Each participant may nominate a local charity. Three charities are chosen from a hat and each gives a short presentation to the group. The group then votes for their choice and each woman leaves behind a cheque made out to the chosen charity. The charities can only receive this once but can bring in $10,000.00. A group of 4 women can participate. They are limited to 1 vote between them. I can be one of a group but cannot be the Organization representative. We can also adapt this concept to our own resources by holding 4 socials per year with a "buy in" of $10.00, with the goal of raising $1,000.00 per meeting with a vote on 3 initiatives.

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."