The KCCC president’s report

The KCCC president’s report

By Ching Quejas
President, Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre

One of the great challenges in my life at this late stage is my involvement with the Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre, taking on the top position of President. I am an octogenarian and I am not very healthy which prompted my friend Fe de la Cruz to come up to me right after I was elected in February 2004, with great concern on her face and asked if I knew what I just got myself into and if I honestly believed I could cope with the job. Well, my friends might have thought I was crazy then and I still am, but thank God the first half of my term is over and I have survived! I hope that by God’s grace I will go on to finish my term on my two feet.

I work with a board of directors representing a cross section of society, young (some are only half my age), energetic and brilliant. We enjoy a cordial relationship together and things have gone well in the organization. I am thankful to all of them for their loyalty and dedication to the task they were mandated to perform which has made the task easier. As president therefore, on behalf of the incumbent KCCC board of directors, it is my duty to render a report to the public on the first twelve months of our administration:

We are committed to the mission of establishing and maintaining the Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre, for the celebration of our culture and history; to render services and develop programs for the benefit of the general public. One of our main objectives is to acquire an affordable and suitable building before the end of our two-year term. To achieve this, we aimed to raise at least $100,000 each year on a twelve-month basis, starting in May 2004. We launched our fundraising campaign in April 2005. At the same time we went on an information and membership drive; we gave our interim centre a face-lift – spruced up the place (repainting, scrubbing and redecorating), set up a formal office and a board meeting room and encouraged people to come visit us; reached people thru letters, the telephone, in person and the media. We made ourselves available most of the time if not everyday. We are now updating our website and activating our e-mail address so that we can be accessed anytime. We have also opened a post office box.

All these combined, helped facilitate the inflow of funds and enabled us to reach our targeted amount sooner than our target date. In six months, on September 2004, the starting balance of $229,615 in February became $343,518; and on February 28, 2005, a year after we held office, our financial position shows a balance of $394,153, or $164,538 more than the starting balance in February 28, 2004. (Our Financial Statement will be published accordingly as soon as the auditor’s report is available). By September or October 2004, we decided we were ready to go into the market for the “suitable and affordable building”. At the end of the year, we had set our eyes on a building located near the interim centre. In the meanwhile, we have kept on with our fundraising. We have a long range plan of activities for this second year to ensure that we have a steady cash flow not only for our building fund but for our operational expenses.

Our fundraising schemes towards producing the necessary funding for a building are modest and low-key. To the seasoned fundraisers, they are small-time, unimpressive, insignificant. But we are happy and thankful that putting all the little amounts we have raised from direct solicitation, donations, pledges, casino trips, yard sale, Monte Carlo Night, Toonie clusters, passing the hat during group meetings etc, put together, we have increased our funds enough to give us the courage to venture into buying our own building. In this connection, we are grateful to all our benefactors on our first year, among them: the Culture Philippines of Ontario, Cooksville Mississauga Lions Club, Kalayaan 2004, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Dr. Solon Guzman, The Filipino Seniors of Mississauga, IEP Music Studio, Pangasinan Association of North America and individual donors too long to enumerate herein. Their names will all be posted on our wall of supporters/benefactors. In addition to these, the use of the center for meetings and socials has been maximized bringing in a significant income to the organization. I have always said and it is worth repeating, that no amount is too big or too small for a good cause- every penny counts and we thank the community for supporting us.

Fund raising is just one of the activities we did in the past year. We have just ended an organizational review for the improvement of the KCCC’s governance and operational system and policies including the constitution and by-laws, a board development training and assessment of the community’s perception of the extent to which KCCC helps meet its needs. This project started in September last year was made possible through a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. A consultant guided us through the whats, the whys and the hows in this project and helped us develop a 3 to 5 year strategic plan of improving our services; identify gaps in the organization’s programs that will be a basis for the development of responsive programs and services and facilitate the formulation of a viable vision for the organization. This organizational review has also given the present board a better insight of what they can and should do for the community more than just raise money. It opened their eyes to the myriad things a community centre is expected to do for the community.

From this learning experience, the board has prepared a year-long series of programs designed for seniors and the youth entitled “Fitness to Peace Nest Program” scheduled to start in April. We shall make the announcement of the project and start registration shortly. Registration will be ongoing through the year as each program is started. A detailed description of the activities involved will be published in detail. In this connection, we are recruiting volunteers from the youth and adult sectors. Those who are interested in becoming youth leaders, participants or administrative back-ups may call the KCCC at 905-629-0099 for an interview or to arrange for an appointment. We need volunteers to assist us in implementing the various programs and activities. I encourage anyone, young or old, who can spare time and talent to come forward and volunteer. Volunteer work is very fulfilling. It gives one a deep sense of satisfaction.

As stated earlier in this report, we had set our eyes on a building for our centre. It was pictured in a recent issue of two local papers in which we said we expected the transaction to be consummated in the last week of February, barring unforeseen circumstances. Sad to say, we cancelled the transaction. Four days before closing date, we discovered that the area of the building was smaller by 450 square feet from the technical description, with a value of $50,000 based on the agreed costing per square foot. We still wanted to buy the property but asked for adjustment of the cost in accordance with the agreed costing per square foot. The vendor refused so, the board, in consultation, decided to call off the deal and got back our deposit of $100,000. In the board’s judgment, in paying that $50,000 we would be remiss in our duty as stewards of the people’s money. The money is not ours, we only hold it in trust for the community and it is our duty to protect it and ensure that it is spent wisely. We were so excited and it is too bad we did not get the property but you’ll agree with us that the amount of fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money that has taken us a long time to put together. We are eager to have our own building but at the same time we should exercise caution and prudence in transactions involving money given to us in trust. Subjugating the people’s welfare to a desire to acquire a building by all means would be foolish. Another factor that influenced the board in its decision to cancel the transaction was the fact that in securing a zoning permit from the City of Mississauga we were facing a stiff opposition from the neighboring property owners. In the beginning, there did not seem to be a problem at all because we were able to obtain an agreement in writing from the immediate neighbor for the mutual use of the parking spaces between the two properties. That agreement in writing was taken back later on. It was claimed, the person who issued it is a tenant and had no authority to do so. At the hearing of our application, the owners/lawyers of the properties around were there to oppose approval of our application. It was going to be an uphill battle and we would probably have to spend much more money in getting the zoning application approved. It won’t take long, we hope, to find another place to buy since we already have the money for the purpose. We are looking into some other properties again that are for sale. That property was not for us and perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise that we were not able to get it. We promise that the board will do whatever is best for the community on the matter. We are thankful for the confidence reposed on us and we’ll try our best to keep it.

Thank you!