History

Maple Ridge- Pitt Meadows Community Services Council is a child of the self-help movement of the 1970's - There were many small organizations and self-help groups offering a variety of services in the area. A number of them saw the need for increased cooperation and collaboration in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their services. Community Services Council was certified as a registered charity by Revenue Canada in 1971 and was incorporated under the Society act in March 1972. The initial vision at the time was to act as an "umbrella organization", that would help reduce costs, and increase the effectiveness of the individual organization or group, by pooling resources and increasing cooperation and collaboration between and among the member organizations.

At the time of incorporation, most of the services and programs served families and individuals, and utilized a minimum number of professional staff and a maximum number of volunteers. The goal was to offer much needed services at minimal cost. Referrals were community driven.
 

Gradually funding was received from various ministries of the provincial government for the hiring of coordinators and other staff. The funding was based on the principle of community grants, which assumed a level of financial support from the local community, i.e. the grants did not cover the full cost of running the program, and it was assumed that there would be considerable local fund raising in order to cover the balance of funds needed.

The 1980's and 1990's saw a rapid increase in the number and variety of services offered by CSC. The nature of the funding also changed from grants to contracts. As a result, the organization also underwent some significant changes. The advent of contracts limited the number of direct community referrals, as the various funding ministries began to make more referrals to the organization. Community Services Council gradually developed into a single entity that offered a variety of different, but also related services to the communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. That is, it became a multi service agency, with one Board of Directors, one Executive Director, and one management and decision making structure.
 

The late 1990's and early 2000's have seen consolidation of this trend. In addition, the agency undertook an organizational redevelopment and restructuring initiative. This included management and planning structures and systems, and the introduction of a self-directed team approach to planning and decision-making. In the process, there is an ongoing streamlining and grouping of like services in order to promote more integrated service delivery systems.
 

In November 2003, Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Services was accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA).  This will assist us to meet our commitment to provide quality service to people we serve. The organization has also recommitted itself to providing leadership in the areas of community development, community cooperation, and community collaboration.