G.A.P. Steering Committee

G.A.P. Organizational Overview

Gravenhurst Against Poverty Governance

Gravenhurst Against Poverty is an incorporated not-for-profit, charitable organization with three volunteer directors:

Bonnie Dart, Phil Tomassetti, Beth Houston

Gravenhurst Against Poverty Steering Committee

Gravenhurst Against Poverty is governed by a Steering Committee of the following volunteers:

Carol Aberdeen (Secretary)
Peggyann Boudreau (Treasurer)
Judy Campbell (Fundraising/Grant Writer)
Bonnie Dart (Chair)
Desarae Doolittle (Indigenous Liaison)
Patty Ferrari (Office Lead)
Linda Harrison (2nd Vice Chair; Volunteer Management)
Beth Houston (Vice-Chair)

Kelly Jones (Lived Experience Liaison)
David Minns (Food ProgramLead)
Autumn Smith (YAC Chair, LGBTQ+ Liaison)
Peter Stolpmann (Tuesday Food Program Lead)
Phil Tomassetti (Food Rescue, Ministerial Lead)
John Twist (Wellness Chair)
Lorne VanderDussen (Transportation Program Chair)

As part of the Steering Committee, the current Executive Committee is comprised of the following members:

Bonnie Dart, Peggyann Boudreau, Judy Campbell, Phil Tomassetti, John Twist

The Steering Committee meets by Zoom the second Tuesday of every month.
The Executive Committee meets as needed with Program Leads and as organizational issues arise.

G.A.P. Advisory Council

G.A.P. has an Advisory Council made up of individual residents (including those with lived experience), representatives of service organizations (example: Gravenhurst Rotary Club, Elizabeth Fry Society, Gravenhurst Town Council, Muskoka Children’s Foundation, Ryde Co-op, Gravenhurst Women’s Centre, Muskoka District social services, Employment North, YWCA, Muskoka Women’s Advocacy Group) and representatives of churches in the community. The advisory council meets every 3 months. G.A.P.’s activities are shared and those of any of the organizations represented. Its purpose is to share information and to shed light on the available community resources for those in need. Where gaps in service exist, the Advisory Council may make recommendations to the G.A.P. Steering Committee.

G.A.P. determines to collaborate and only provide service that does not already exist in the community. Each G.A.P. Advisory Council meeting is attended on average, by 25 individuals.

Be sure to say hi to some of our G.A.P. family members when you see them out in the community!