Resiliency and Moving Forward: Our 2023 Annual General Meeting

This week, our members, volunteers, staff, and Board came together for our Annual General Meeting. Our AGM is not only a time to review the year and discuss matters like our finances and long-term plans, but its also an opportunity to celebrate our milestones, answer questions from our community, and plan our next steps.

As we continue to rebuild our capacities after uncertain times, we were able to reflect on accomplishments like our 30th Anniversary in 2022 and the return of popular events like our Broadway-style musical showcase and our Information Fair. Our AGM is also a time to recognize individuals who make the AACM into a community, family space where older adults can feel a sense of belonging. 

Celebrating our Volunteers 

Every year, we select a longtime member and volunteer to present with a Lifetime Membership. This recognition is given in gratitude to community members who contribute their time and effort so our Centre remains a dynamic, friendly environment for all. Our 2023 recipient was the amazing Tessie, a loyal volunteer who loves helping out by facilitating services like our annual tax clinic. She also plays a large role with our cultural partner groups, ensuring that older adults can connect with peers who share their heritage, language, and memories. Thank you and congratulations, Tessie!

We also made sure to provide a heap of love and thanks to Brigitta, our superstar who cooks up the nutritious, delicious, and affordable fixings in our Sunlight Cafe. If you ever need a made-with-love homemade meal away from home, she’s sure to keep you nourished and we can’t thank her enough for her hard work! 

New to the Board

New in 2023, we welcomed longtime AACM member Jaime Alba to the Board as a Director-at-Large! Jaime has been a member since 2014 and helps organize our Latin-American cultural partner group. Friendly, fun-loving, and committed to community, there’s a good chance you’ll find a lot of music and laughter in any room Jaime is in, and we’re honoured to see him lend his organization skills to the Centre and Board operations. Welcome, Jaime! 

What’s Next

We continue to welcome back hundreds of our members and volunteers by reactivating the classes and events they love, while also keeping things exciting by planning and offering new programs (which you can find in our schedule and Activity Guide). Initiatives like our day trips roared back to life and we were able to utilize a 17% uptick in grant support so we can continue to serve our community and meet their unique needs. Rebuilding plans also include website redevelopment and continuing to expand our most in-demand classes and services.  

Above all, we are grateful for all of our members, volunteers, and friends for their support, generosity, and kindness to both the Centre and one another as we continue on the road to recovery.

Get all the details in our 2022-2023 Annual Report, now available for download.