A local charity dedicated to supporting youth at risk of homelessness has announced a change in its management team with the retirement of its long-time fund development manager, Deb Piggott.
Piggott has been part of the Home Horizon management team since September 2018 and will retire on Dec. 31, 2023.
Piggott's work for Home Horizon has been to oversee fundraising efforts and build awareness for Home Horizon in the community.
“Deb’s leadership and collaboration working with Home Horizon have been significant and extremely meaningful," stated Joan Schatz, fundraising chair for Home Horizon’s board of directors, in a news release. "We are grateful for the years of tireless fundraising work from Deb. We can’t say enough about how important her work has been to the success of Home Horizon. She has been an incredible contributor to our organization and is leaving us in a much more stable and solid financial situation from when she joined. Deb is such a pleasure to work with and she will be missed by all our staff, board, clients and donors. We wish Deb and her family all the best following her retirement.”
Home Horizon operates the Barbara Weider House as a transitional housing program for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The house is staffed all day and night and every day of the week. There are 10 beds in the house and all are full with a waiting list of 17 youth.
Home Horizon's youth outreach program connects youth with other housing service organizations in the community, focusing on work with youth who are facing barriers such as poverty, mental health, addictions, sex trafficking, racism, and trauma.
The charity has already hired Pamela Osmond-Issler as Piggott's replacement and the new fund development manager.
Osmond-Issler comes from a career in the hospitality/ski industry working with corporate groups and organizing events. Osmond-Issler is also a long-time volunteer with charities including the Mully Children's Family, Big Brothers and Big Sisters South Georgian Bay, Habitat for Humanity South Georgian Bay, YMCA Collingwood, The Door Youth Centre in Orangeville and for the public art selection committee for the downtown BIA's upcoming passageway installation.
Home Horizon's executive director, Steven Pelletier, bids a fond farewell to Piggott with kudos to her for her years of work.
Deb has done some amazing work not only for Home Horizon but throughout the whole community. I am truly going to miss our work together and I wish her all the best on her next journey," said Pelletier in the news release. "Pam really does have some big shoes to fill and I am so happy that we have this time where Deb can mentor Pam into the position. We depend on our donors and want to make this transition as seamless as possible. I encourage our donors to reach out if they have any questions”.
Piggott said her work has been an honour and the community has shown support over and over again.
“We live in a community that cares deeply about the well-being of others and is the reason I have worked tirelessly over the years," said Piggott in the news release. “The South Georgian Bay area is a tight-knit community that understands the value of the work that Home Horizon is doing. It has been an honour to work with Home Horizon and the Barbara Weider House over the years. It is with mixed emotions that I am stepping down from this position, however, I will continue to be engaged in our community.
