Mission Statement, Principles and Values

Vision

Our vision of the future is one of Healthy Communities that:

• enrich and empower all members
• celebrate diversity, are inclusive, and
• provide a high quality of life.

To sustain our Healthy Communities, we envision, advocate, promote and work towards a Vibrant and Socially Responsible Economy providing:

• full and meaningful work,
• accessible high quality child care,
• life long learning opportunities and supports, and
• concerted efforts to eradicate poverty and engage its citizens

Mission

The mission of LEF is to provide integrated and holistic community-responsive initiatives that enable individuals and families to become valued contributors to their community’s social and economic development.

Values

Each day across our community, LEF works to make a positive impact through ongoing support, resources, and connections. LEF has become a trusted resource that is committed to helping create a healthy, prosperous, and sustainable community for all.

Our work and approach has and continues to be grounded in our values of:

Humility

• We act with empathy and honesty by trusting in the strengths of others to enable a richer community through shared leadership and learning.

Empowerment

• We ignite people and the community to create a more equitable world in every interaction, conversation, and initiative.

Belonging

• We create, nurture, and celebrate a culture of belonging and inclusion where community members share their gifts and flourish.

Enterprising (Spirit)

• We collaborate with curiosity to identify and act on sustainable opportunities to animate positive change.

The Tenacity to Continue to Hold these things Dear

• We bravely adapt to opportunities and take risks, continually growing and learning with and from others.

Strategic Priorities

LEF finds itself at a remarkable moment of expansion and influence. Our team has built our systems and grown a scalable and sustainable organization. LEF continues to invest knowing that our resilience depends on it. The organization has, and will continue to take on, new challenges and bring opportunities to the community for which we have the mandate and capacity to nurture and actualize.

LEF has the courage to engage in four priorities that are reflective in nature, and yet each is rich in action. At LEF, we commit to delivering these priorities in all that it does:

In relationship to our first priority of journeying with Indigenous Peoples at LEF, we have begun thinking about our strategic priorities as a natural progression in relationship to Ojibwe Seasonal Teachings of Birth (Summer Solstice), Movement (Fall Equinox ), Relationships (Winter Solstice), and Passing (Spring Equinox) that we are learning from our Indigenous Advisor, Dr. Hopi Martin, and his Aunt, Dr. Gokoomis (Grandmother) Jacque Lavallée from Shawanaga First Nation based on research of a ‘Seasonal Pedagogy’ (https://edgeofthebush.ca/a-seasonal-pedagogy/)