2023-2024 Annual Report
40
Years of Supporting Families: Then, now, always
2023-2024 Annual Report
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Message from the Board Chair and CEO
Stats at a Glance
Words from our Clients and Staff
Statement of Operations
Board of Directors, Funders and Partners
40 Years of BridgeWay
BridgeWay Now
Message from the Board Chair and CEO
BridgeWay is celebrating 40 years of serving families through the programs that we offer, the resources we share, and the community we help create. In 2023-2024 we have seen our once-small organization continue to grow and help more families than ever before. Over the past year, we are proud to share that we had a total of 317,955 adult and children visits to our programs.
As we continue to recover from the global pandemic, we’ve seen more families struggling with their mental health. This past year, our focus has been on providing mental health supports to help families through this difficult time. We have continued to build upon our supports for dads, expanding our Just For Dads program to two locations, incorporating both educational and peer support components. Additionally, we’ve introduced new initiatives in Maternal Mental Health, including the Infant Feeding Support program, which offers free consultations with a Registered Lactation Consultant, and our Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Group.
Our CEO, Lory Wolter, has been instrumental in our growth over the past 26 years. Under her leadership, BridgeWay has transformed from a small organization into a cornerstone of family support in our community. Her passion, dedication, and vision have made a lasting impact on BridgeWay, and her contributions will continue to inspire us. As Lory retires, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for her commitment and leadership.
Looking to the future, we are excited to welcome our new CEO, Lynn Hand. Lynn brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to our mission, and we are confident in her ability to guide BridgeWay toward continued success.
This year, we have also introduced a new strategic plan to guide our organization through the next 5 years as we look for technology solutions for efficiency, build connections with community partners, and grow our staff and programming. This plan focuses on continuing to support organizational excellence, diversity, and team wellbeing; supporting our diverse families and children through innovation, equity, and collaboration; and leading and advocating for family support and child development. We are proud to say that our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is intertwined with each of these pillars to ensure a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all clients and staff.
As always, we could not do the work that we do without the help of our generous funders and donors. After six years, we were thrilled to host another fundraising Gala to support our Bridging The Gap programs. Thanks to the contributions of our sponsors, donors, and guests, our “Turn the Page” Gala raised over $38,000. We also received a generous $20,000 donation from the SickKids Cecil and Dorothea Wiley Fund, directed by their family to BridgeWay.
As we reflect on our progress over the past 40 years and look ahead to the future, we remain dedicated to our mission of supporting families in need. With the continued support of our community, partners, and donors, we are confident that BridgeWay will keep making a positive impact on countless families. Thank you for your ongoing support and for being an integral part of our journey.
Gunita Mitera
Chair and President
Lory Wolter
Chief Executive Officer
40 Years of Playing and Learning
Stats at a Glance
Total Adult Visits
Total Child Visits
Total Visits
Hover over or click the reels to see a picture from the corresponding year!
Digital Engagement
Website Visits
New Email Subscribers
Social Media Engagement
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Totally Rad Testimonials
In the words of our families…
Every time I think of all the things you have done not only for me but for all the mothers who have joined this most amazing program, my heart swells with gratitude. Your kindness and support have touched me in ways that I cannot even begin to express.
As a woman who sometimes suffers from… homesickness and being away from family and friends, I lacked information regarding anything related to the newborn baby. So, I was keen not to miss any day of this program… This program has been a constant source of comfort… Your firm belief in giving mothers the strength to keep going, even when things get tough. Thank you for being a wonderful source of support in our lives during this time. I am so grateful for everything you do. Thanks for your support.
– Healthy Start Client
I remember sitting in a group of 8 mamas and their babies with my 8 week old baby girl, the question came to me “how are you doing” and I cried my eyes out.
I remember feeling the love, the sympathy, the words of love…I remember it all. And to this day, I still receive that support from [staff] and all the 50+ mamas I have met since.
– EarlyON Client
The whole group is amazing. I have made such wonderful friends since attending Family Kitchen, that I now have outside of the group and are like family themselves to me.
The connections I have made are priceless. Family Kitchen has made such a positive impact in our lives. It’s way more than just cooking and recipes, its about the unity that it brings to us. I feel welcomed and included there.
– Growing Together in Peel Client
From Clients to Staff
Believing in BridgeWay from the Start
Sara Stewart
Adriana Mazon
I came to the Mississauga Toy Library 30 years ago when my daughter was only 8 months old. We would drop in occasionally until she was 3 years old and was able to attend the circle time.
We were there at least once a week until she started school full time and I did not know what to do with my time. I knew that they needed volunteers, so I signed up.
One day, the Executive Director at the time asked me if I would like to work one hour per week to do childminding for the workshops. Since I was already doing it for free, I thought it was a pretty obvious decision and I became an employee.
Soon after, I was sent to do the Mother Goose training with most of the other staff, and started doing the Mother Goose program. I really loved to see the interaction of the parents and their babies while singing songs and doing nursery rhymes.
Later on, I started a program called Amigos de Dora, as there were some Spanish speaking families, but everyone was welcomed to join. I enjoyed sharing my Mexican culture with everyone who came. Most of them didn’t even speak Spanish and returned every week.
At one point, I started working in the Finance department to assist the Sr. Finance Manager. I was not sure if I would be able to do it at first, but here I am 15 years later taking care of the payroll, expenses, reconciliations and other finance duties.
From a client to Sr. Finance Administrator, 30 years as part of the agency, 25 as an employee, my time here has been very fulfilling. I am very fortunate and grateful to have found the Mississauga Toy Library and see it grow to BridgeWay Family Centre.
A Year of Stellar Growth
Statement of Operations
Grocery Cards Distributed
Dollars Raised at BridgeWay's Gala
Groovy Generosity
Board of Directors
| Chair and President Gunita Mitera |
Directors Past Chair Associate Directors |
| Vice Chair Sarah Petersen |
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| Treasurer Urooj Khan |
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| Secretary Felicia Empey |
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| Chief Executive Officer Lory Wolter |
| Chair and President Gunita Mitera |
Directors Past Chair Associate Directors |
| Vice Chair Sarah Petersen |
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| Treasurer Urooj Khan |
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| Secretary Felicia Empey |
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| Chief Executive Officer Lory Wolter |
Funders
Partners
BridgeWay Rewind
A look back at the last 40 years
1984: Mississauga Toy Library is started by a group of parents at the Meadowvale Community Centre
1986: Mississauga Toy Library is incorporated
1987: Central Parkway opens as our first leased space
1988: First Executive Director, Betty Dick, hired
We now have 6 staff and 2 locations
1989: Mississauga Toy Library operates as Mississauga Parent Child Centres
1990: Meadowvale opens as our second leased space
1997: Official name change to Mississauga Parent-Child Resource Centres (MPCRC)
1998: MPCRC becomes the lead agency for the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) funding in Peel
2002: Streetsville opens
2003: Ontario Early Years Centres funding begins, Brittany Glen and Turtle Creek open
2004: First staff conference
2005: First Executive Director, Betty Dick, retires, Lory Wolter is named new ED
2006: Brittany Glen reopens (new location)
2009: Learning in our Neighbourhood (LION) funding begins
2011: MPCRC takes on Brampton OEYC locations from Brampton Neighbourhood Resource Centre
2014: MPCRC takes on the Healthy Start program from Best Start Health Coalition
2015: Official name change to BridgeWay Family Centre
2018: OEYC is rebranded as EarlyON and funding moves to the Region of Peel
2019: Streetsville reopens (new location)
2020: Online programs begin (a result of COVID)
2022: Gore Meadows opens
2024: BridgeWay now operates out of over 40 locations in Peel (including leased space, partner space and parks), offering indoor, outdoor, and online programs. We now have, over 100 staff.
Click the image below to fast forward from our first staff conference in 2004 to our latest in 2023!