Our Mission
GBF's mission is to:
- meet our clients' basic needs
- promote wellness in our community
- provide a safe and rewarding environment for our board, staff, and volunteers.
Our Vision
GBF's vision is:
- to enable our clients and our community TO BE WELL.
We Value
Our team consists of benevolent volunteers and staff members that strive to imbibe the following principles in each service we provide:
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A strong sense of social responsibility
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A commitment to serving our clients with respect and compassion
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A belief in the unique abilities, strengths, and gifts of each person
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A belief in the capacity of people to grow, change, and care for themselves and one another
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A commitment to professionalism, ethical conduct, and integrity of service delivery
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A recognition of the importance of volunteerism and citizen participation in the community
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A dedication to research, education, and advocacy
Supporting Our Local Community
GBF Community Services is a registered nonprofit organization. For more than 58 years, we have been providing programs that support low-income households in Grimsby, ON.
How We Started
GBF Community Services was founded by the late Mike Barretto. He was a committed volunteer and entrepreneur. In creating the Grimsby Benevolent Fund (GBF), Mike fulfilled his vision of bringing together the benevolent efforts of several organizations in Grimsby.
Our Team
From the Desk of our CEO
Its all about the power of one. One caring person such as you, one volunteer, one staff member, one donation… one genuine act of kindness. But those “ones”, when multiplied by the compassion of hundreds of others, are making all the difference in the lives of our neighbours in need of assistance.
Yes, its tough not being able to solve the needs of everyone. But just because we can’t do it all doesn’t mean we should not do what we can. Help us today to make an impact on someone's life. We can do so much together when we invest in people – one child, one senior, one family at a time.
We are energized by the talent and commitment of our volunteers. Let us keep up the great work together!
Yours in Partnership,
Stacy Elia
Chief Executive Officer
Our Board of Directors
The Board of GBF Community Services is a governance board. The directors are elected annually. Directors work collaboratively with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the management team to ensure that GBF delivers on its fiduciary and strategic plan responsibilities. Directors participate in board deliberations and decision making in matters of policy, finance, programs, personnel and advocacy.
Please see our Board of Director's 2023-2024 Strategic Plan HERE
President
Irene Podolak
Treasurer
Robert Paul
Recording Secretary
Justin Cruse
Directors
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Frank Barretto
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Linda Rowlison
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Leanne Sidorkewicz
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Jamie Stevens
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Mary Wiley
Connect With Us
Learn more about what we do by reaching out to one of our team members.