What is a Social Development Council (SDC)?
SDCs exist to build and strengthen communities. Our mission focuses on the social and economic impact on individuals, families and communities at large.
What does a SDC do?
SDCs are committed:
- To build communities
- To support social development through CHANGE
What is Social Development?
A desired state of community wellness reflected in the following existing conditions:
- Personal and public health
- Satisfaction of basic material needs
- Economic security and opportunity
- Protection from violence, abuse, threat, and discrimination
- Sense of identification and belonging with others (social inclusion)
- Availability of choices and self-determination throughout one’s life path
- Active participation and decision-making in the larger societal processes
- Access to knowledge and personal skill development
- Sustainable natural and physical environments
The SDC’s History
The need to have a social planning body came into being subsequent to repeated economic transitions in our community, the most crucial one being the massive job losses and closure of the Domtar Paper Mill in March of 2006 and many other vital manufacturing companies in the SD&G area.
The province of Ontario provided 2 year funding to the City of Cornwall to hire a project manager in 2007 to work with the community to establish a SDC in order to improve our community capacity to respond to current and future socioeconomic transitions. The organization was to be temporarily housed under the Social and Housing Services department. Today, the SDC is permanently housed with the Counseling and Support Services of S.D.& G.
A Board of Directors was formed in early 2006 and is currently standing strong with 13 members that represent several sectors in the community.