Long-Term Planning

The Murphy Centre’s long-term strategic plan is to develop partnerships with all community sectors in an effort to secure funding for continuity of service delivery and expansion of current programs and services.

Ways to Get Involved as a Partner

As a non-profit charitable organization, the Murphy Centre has specific priority needs for funding from time to time. The following will outline some of the priority need areas at present. Please contact Ron Boland, Director of Development & Communication if interested in exploring either of these partnership opportunities.

Adult Basic Education Program:

The Centre has a tremendous need for sustainable funding for its Academic Service programs, particularly the Adult Basic Education Program. Even though the Murphy Centre does not conduct any advertising, there is currently a 1˝ - 2 year wait list for this program. Last semester 25 youth (average age of 20 years old) were added to that wait list due to the Murphy Centre’s financial inability to offer the program to more than 20 individuals at a time.

In response to this need, the Murphy Centre has developed a new fundraising initiative, the “Sponsor A Participant Campaign”, whereby any member of the community can “sponsor” one or more participants for the academic year. The goal of the “Sponsor a Participant Campaign” is to raise sufficient funds to hire two additional Adult Basic Education Instructors and purchase the necessary curriculum resources. In doing so, access to the Adult Basic Education program will increase by 50%. Please contact us for more information regarding getting involved with this initiative.

Lifestyle Education Courses:

The Murphy Centre recognizes that individuals can make positive changes in their lives. In addition to completing high school or obtaining employment, these changes can include improvements in lifestyle.

The Murphy Centre would like to expand on current lifestyle education services by offering additional workshops throughout the year. These workshops will address the issue of health promotion and prevention considering the six components of health: physical, social, emotional, environmental, mental and spiritual health or well-being. Please contact us for more information regarding getting involved with this initiative.

Breakfast Program:

The Murphy Centre currently offers a breakfast program that has been made possible over the past few years through the support of the Great Canadian Bagel Shop.

This program has effectively filled a need with the participant population. The correlation between hunger and learning has been established by a number of studies. It is widely accepted that a nourished student learns with greater ease than a hungry student.

The Murphy Centre is actively seeking a sponsor for this program to help cover the costs associated with the non-donated items. Please contact us for more information regarding getting involved with this initiative.

Take Care Project:

While the breakfast program is very popular with participants, there are other needs related to food that are not currently being met. The Murphy Centre is proposing to develop a new initiative through the support of a sponsor or sponsors to address this need.

The Take Care Project will provide emergency food assistance to those participants that demonstrate a need in this area. Through product donations, the Murphy Centre will assemble a three-day emergency supply of food staples and toiletries that will be distributed to participants on 'as needed basis'. This project will fit well the Murphy Centre’s Lifestyle Education Services. The intent is not to create dependency on this new resource but rather to identify opportunities for learning around issues such as money management, planning skill development, coping techniques and strategies, and health and nutrition. The Lifestyle Education Facilitator will be responsible for group and individual learning sessions on these topics. Murphy Centre participants will be encouraged to get involved in the project as volunteers. This will involve assisting with product pick up, storage, packaging and in-house distribution to those that need it.

As a sponsor of this program, you will be actively assisting the Murphy Centre to fill a real need among the participant population. Please contact us for more information regarding getting involved with this initiative.

Lunch Program

Based upon the past success of both the “Woman’s Group” and the “Cooking Class Program”, the Murphy Centre would like to initiate a new micro-business enterprise – The Lunch Program. Through the support of a program sponsor, a qualified female food specialist/entrepreneur will train female program participants in all aspects of planning, preparing and serving a hot lunch program to other students and staff of the Murphy Centre.

The Lunch Program will provide participants with valuable skills and experience regarding all aspects of operating a business i.e. set-up, bookkeeping, budgeting, service delivery and evaluation. The Lunch Program will also service other needs. Firstly, most of the participant population at the Murphy Centre cannot access nutritional meals for financial reasons. This program will offer nutritional meals at a reasonable price ($2.00 per item) on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week for a 40-week period. Secondly, the program will provide a small stipend for each of its participants in recognition of their time and work performance. This stipend will assist the program participants with general living expenses as they gain work experience and entrepreneurial skills. Depending on feasibility, the popularity of the program, and the amount of net revenues retained, the Lunch Program will be extended to a three or four day a week operation in the second year of operation.

If successful in securing a program sponsor, several successful female business entrepreneurs will be invited to be guest speakers for program participants. This will enhance participant’s knowledge of the business world by attaching a real life experience to process.

In addition, fieldtrips will be scheduled to other catering operations, and chef training facilities (College of the North Atlantic, Marine Science Centre, etc). These experiences will enhance operational aspects of the Lunch Program, as well as provide insight into the food industry field.

The Lunch Program will be delivered within the Murphy Centre through the existing kitchen and lounge facilities. Currently, the kitchen is equipped with a four-burner electric range, a microwave, a refrigerator, a toaster, and a kettle. There is also counter space and a sink with hot and cold running water. The lounge is an open room with 8 tables and seating for approximately 60 people.

Please contact us for more information regarding getting involved with this initiative.

For a complete list of donor levels and benefits, please refer to Donor Recognition Opportunities.