January marked my second anniversary as President of Ancoura. Mid-pandemic in January 2022, Ancoura had been hit hard—staff, volunteers, and finances were stretched to the extreme with onerous demands. Residents struggled with anxiety, isolation, and an uncertain future. Having experienced a long association with residents, families, Board, and founder Rick Haughian, I could not conceive of Ancoura succumbing to the looming threats to its future. So, I accepted the call to action and joined forces with all of you to put my shoulder to the wheel.
As I embark on my second two-year term, the Chief Editor of Ancoura’s newsletter asked me to prepare a “state of the union” address for you.
To the casual observer, it would seem daunting. Ancoura is still in the midst of turmoil—especially given the vacancies at the management and coordinator levels and the critical state of our finances after paying off the federal CEBA loan. But on closer scrutiny, it is apparent that we have made strides on several fronts.
For instance, the Board, which went through further attrition in my first year, has been rebuilt. Thanks to a substantial federal grant from the Community Services Recovery Fund (administered by the Red Cross) the Board has undertaken a comprehensive renewal program to shape the Board’s knowledge and skills relevant to governance, strategic planning, fundraising, conflict management, and communications. Newcomers to the Board, along with alumni, are focused on introducing fresh fundraising measures, cultivating donor engagement, and finding ways to show volunteer and donor appreciation. Even now, the greatly strengthened Board is strategically planning Ancoura’s future, seeking partnering opportunities with other community-centric housing agencies that provide support for people with mental illness.
To further this goal, we engaged Helen Antebi to provide strategic advice to the Board and oversee operations at a high level. Helen and the Board are currently focused on short to medium term fundraising through events and a donor campaign that begins this month. The fruits of this work will afford us time to secure longer-term sustainable funding, in collaboration with community partners, that will assure Ancoura of a more financially stable future.
Throughout the challenges of the past two years, Ancoura’s model has endured, enabling our residents to remain in their homes and assisting them to connect with the community. Visiting volunteers continue to be its backbone. Volunteer recruitment and training is a crucial programming need, and its post pandemic rejuvenation has been funded through the Ottawa Community Foundation. Our heartfelt thanks to volunteers Diane Haughian and Margaret Tansey for supporting Office Administrator Jayne Rooney in the recruitment and screening of new visiting and activity volunteers; to coordinator Virginia Hodgson for her faithful support to residents and assistance in pairing volunteers with residents; to contractors Debra Moore and Lisa Boulay who are developing, piloting, and evaluating a modular volunteer training program which we will be able to adapt for all volunteers and staff; and to all our existing volunteers who have given so generously of their time in helping to mentor new recruits.
As well, Bell’s Let’s Talk, ESDC’s New Horizons for Seniors, and Telus’s Friendly Funding Foundation are enabling us to plan and deliver activities that convert readily from in-person to virtual mode. These activities, including cooking and nutrition classes, will enable us to help residents reconnect with one another, hone their life skills, and better face the challenges of “the new normal.” The Telus grant adds the dimension of engaging youth as volunteers, drawing on their energy and technical skills to lead activities, while fostering in them empathy, compassion, and hope in the face of mental illness. Many thanks to Janet Moss (Café Deluxe) and Helen Antebi, who will join forces to deliver mouth-watering cooking classes in the weeks ahead.
Looking to the future, recently, we applied for multi-year funding through a major granting body to help us address the special needs of about half our residents who are, or soon will be, learning to cope with the additional challenges of aging. We are resolved to help them age in place, with independence and dignity. At the same time, we are holding significant discussions with other sources of financial and in-kind support to position ourselves for sustainable funding.
These are tall orders, and I can make no promises. I am confident that Ancoura remains resilient and is strongly supported by a community that values its service. The Board continues to believe wholeheartedly in its vision and model and seeks diligently to secure Ancoura’s future.
Ann Carmichael
President, Ancoura (ann@ancoura.ca)
Spring Into Action: New Ways to Give
As we lay the groundwork for sustainable funding, we call upon donors to consider how you give, fresh approaches to planned giving, and whether you can increase the dollar amount. Your gift will boost monthly income and help us to manage our cash flow.
You may have questions about what is happening at Ancoura, what plans we have, how to make a monthly donation, debit vs. credit cards…You can expect a phone call soon from an Ancoura volunteer seeking a financial pledge and who can answer your questions.
We’ll make the process a simple and easy one.
