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Posted Tuesday, 23 March 2009
 Thinking ahead, the G.O.A is working on plans to bring Goans here and around the world together in ways that will provide added value to our community. We are fortunate to have received valuable insight from you, members of the community, who dedicated your time and effort to share ideas that have inspired a clear vision for the future of the Association.
We have learned that cultivating an awareness of the Goan culture is at the forefront of the recommended priorities for the G.O.A. The findings in the vision report clearly indicate that, as fellow Goans, we are proud of whom we are as a collective, and what we want is to pass on our traditions, values, history and talents to the younger generation as well as share them with the communities around us. The Association appreciates the importance of celebrating the Goan culture and intends to develop new programming and partnerships that support this. We also understand that the most effective way to do this is to encourage all Goans to come together, embrace the diversity within our families, and open our doors to Goans everywhere.  Â
 Generations of Goans who have traveled here from around the world appreciate the opportunities realized by coming to Canada. For example, we have benefited from the availability of a great education and career opportunities. The findings in the vision report revealed that members of all ages in our community want to give back by providing support to Goans in need both here and in Goa. The G.O.A. is interested to help you make this happen. As an Association that brings Goans in Toronto together, the G.O.A. has a unique opportunity to facilitate the contentment and success of all people in our community. Whether you are new to this country or a Canadian born Goan just entering the workforce, the G.O.A. can bring people together in ways that promote growth. Career development, networking, education, settlement support, social gatherings and athletic activities are key areas highlighted in the vision report for the creation of new services that will foster growth for people in our community. Thanks to all of you who participated in the survey and workshop to share the above insights that ultimately contributed to the development of the vision report. A special thank you to the members of the vision committee including, Velda Cardozo, Nina Coutts, Fiona D’Silva, Denzil Luna, Chris Martins, Elena Mascarenhas, Antoinette Messner, Ashley Misquitta and Jonas Noronha. We are grateful for the generous donation of your time, effort and sharing of valuable ideas. It is clear that, as a community, we are keenly interested to work together to build continued value into the G.O.A.’s programs and services. Michelle Pereira, Vision Lead Posted Tuesday, 17 January 2009
 The G.O.A. conducted an assessment to understand the needs of the Goan community and to plan for the future of the organization. Feedback was provided by members and non members. The information gathered was analyzed and is presented in summary format in the attached report.  The Vision Project was chaired by Michelle Pereira, whom we would like to thank along with her committee for undertaking this task.  In response to what we have heard, the G.O.A. has responded as far as it was able to this year based on the themes that came through as noted below, and some actions are summarized below:  - Responding to Special Needs of the Seniors community:  Meetings being organized between various organizations and members to determine their interest in a Life Lease Housing (Adult Lifestyle Residence for Seniors from the Goan and Indian Christian Community)
- Fostering Growth in the community:  Posting of Career Articles on G.O.A. web, Career Mentor Profiles and Job postings
- Leveraging What our City Has to Offer:Â Children's Christmas Tree at a facility with skating rink (our move to include activity with social)
- Celebrating  the Goan Culture: G.O.A.'s participation in India's Independence Day, World Goa Day Picnic, Know Goa Programme (seven young Goans from Toronto participating in government sponsored cultural educational trip through Goa and Delhi - G.O.A. facilitated)
- Bringing the Community Together and Give Back:Â Â Carnival dance fundraiser for Tara (lots of Goans from different groups and everyone came together to give back); and the St. Francis Xavier's feast was a collaboration of different Goan groups in 2007
- Supporting a Healthy Lifestyle:Â Children's Soccer Fun Day in October 2008, encouraged kids of all ages to participate, as well as pick up indoor sports planned for Jan 2009.
Posted Tuesday, 28 August 2008 The G.O.A. conducted an assessment in the form of a survey and a workshop in 2007 to assist in better understanding the needs of the Goan community in order that a new vision for the Association and plan for the future could be developed.
The survey was the first part of the assessment which enabled individuals from the Goan community (members and non-members of the Association) to provide feedback and ideas on areas such as social events, needs of the new immigrant and senior citizen populations, volunteer involvement, communications and customer service. This survey, completed by 161 individuals, was made available in hard copy format in the March 2007 Pulse and then on-line through the G.O.A. web site from May 2007 to January 2008.
The second part of the assessment was a workshop that the G.O.A. hosted for the community on Sunday July 8th in Toronto. The 56 individuals who attended were asked to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the G.O.A. The key strengths that were identified will be used to build more desirable services for our community. We also learned more about the Association's weaknesses, which will be the first step in overcoming them in order to pursue any new ideas. Finally, we discussed new ideas for engaging more members of the Goan community and crafted potential solutions to fill large needs within our community.
The insights that were gathered at this workshop were included with the information compiled from the vision surveys and analyzed for common themes. These themes and accompanying data from the surveys and workshop were presented in a report to the G.O.A. executive committee in January 2008 for their consideration as they develop the new strategic plan for the Association.
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