Annual Report 2024/25
Driven By Community
Message from our CEO and Board President
To our community:
Surrey Place is shaped by the people around us—our clients, families, caregivers, staff, and partners. Our work is powered by the trust, insights, and shared purpose of those we serve and work alongside. This past year affirmed what we’ve long known: when we follow the lead of our community, care becomes more inclusive, more responsive, and more impactful.
This past year, we found new ways to meet people where they are and respond to the evolving needs of those we serve. From transforming how and when our services are delivered, to expanding outreach and creating new supports, we continue to challenge old models and design care that reflects real lives.
Whether through expanded behavioural supports for families, our Community Pantry addressing food insecurity with dignity, or the co-creation of harm reduction services for adults with developmental disabilities, we have worked to remove barriers, open more pathways to care and create more possibilities. We are also building systems that make accessing support easier. Through partnerships across sectors, we modernized referral pathways that serve thousands across the province. We expanded our reach through mobile clinical teams, bringing care closer to where people live and how they live.
At the heart of this work is our deep commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We’ve created spaces for honest dialogue through EDIA training and community-led events. We also listened to families and caregivers share their journeys in their own words through a new podcast: The Exceptional Caregivers Life.
None of this would be possible without the courage of our clients, the trust of their families, the dedication of our staff, and the generosity of our partners and donors. Together, we are helping people push past the limits the world often places on those with diagnoses and celebrating what becomes possible when we do.
As we move into the next year of our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, our focus remains clear: to build the conditions for people to thrive today and into the future through continued sustainability of our organization and new opportunities for growth.
Sincerely,
Dr. Terri Hewitt, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Chief Executive Officer
Carolyn Acker, C.M., R.N., M.A., D.SC.
H.C. Board President
Our Impact
13,551
Unique Clients + Caregivers* per year, including
DSO-Toronto Region clients
**excludes infant hearing screening**
0–5 years old
40.69%
6–17 years old
33.73%
18+ years old
25.58%
Unique Clients Served by Locations
2,803
Toronto
2,594
Scarborough
2,198
North York
2,103
Etobicoke
Our Programs
26,060
Infants screened through the Infant Hearing Program
143
Children supported through the Blind Low Vision Program
121
Clients accessed FASD Clinic services
380
Online wellness events hosted
Our Staff
539
staff employed at Surrey Place
445
staff completed internal training sessions
387
staff supported across client-facing programs
122
staff completed additional wellness training
Our Partnership
30
Cross-sector partnerships supporting integrated service delivery
46
Services for Partners and Organizations contracts completed and fully paid, each with a unique timeline
$5,458,811
Total funds raised through grants, sponsorships, partnerships, etc.
Client Story
It is great to be able to count on the food we receive from the Surrey Place pantry. It is a very welcome help for families who need support at this time. I think you should continue with this wonderful initiative.
Since launching in November 2024, our Community Pantry has provided essential support to over 190 visitors, including clients, caregivers, and staff.
In just a few months, monthly visits rose from 8 in January to over 60 in April, as word of the pantry’s respectful and low-barrier model spread through our community. Behind each visit is a reflection of real need and a reminder that access to food, dignity, and compassion makes a meaningful difference.
Strategic Plan Achievements
Our Financials
Funding Sources
Provincial government: 73%
Municipal government: 1%
Fee for service & grant revenue: 22%
Other revenue: 3%
3 Year Expenditure Trend ($’000)
2022-23: $95,872
2023-24: $95,872
2024-25: $95,872
Meet Our Donors & Funders
Your Impact in Action: A’s Story
At just five years old, “A” was diagnosed with permanent hearing loss. Thanks to the Surrey Place Client Needs Fund, they received hearing aids and an iPad to support their communication while their family learns sign language. These tools have become more than just aids — they are opening up a world of connection, confidence, and self-expression.
During their hearing aid fitting, the clinician repeatedly signed the word happy — a small gesture that spoke volumes. It captured a profound truth: your generosity brings more than equipment or technology — it brings joy, dignity, and opportunity to children like “A.”
This section reflects donations and funders for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.
Donors
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Funders
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Board of Directors 2024/25
President
CAROLYN ACKER, C.M.,
R.N., M.A., D.SC. H.C.
Management Consultant Carolyn
Acker & Associates
Vice President
MICHAEL ROOKE, BBA,
CPA, CA, LPA
Partner Tinkham LLP
Directors
FERN GONCALVES,
M.ED., CHRL
Senior HR Advisor, Employee
Engagement, Organizational
Development, Strategic Advisor
ASHAN M. FERNANDO
Former City of Toronto Councillor
Candidate, Hospitality/hotel
management professional
BAABA FORSON, B.A. (HONS.), LL.B.
Crown Counsel, Ministry of the
Attorney General, Ontario Public
Service
KEMI ODUWOLE LL B, LL M, M. CIARB
Managing Partner Kindriwlaw
Professional Corporation
(practicing as Topmarké Attorneys, LLP)
MICHAEL RICHARDSON, HBA
CEO & Co-Owner Eclipsys
Solutions Inc.
FRANK ANDERSON, FCPA, CPA
Retired Accountant
VICKI BALES, M.ED., PH.D.
Retired President, Vicki Bales
Consulting Inc. Consulting in
Community Health and Human
Services
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