West End Seniors’ Network
THE WEST END SENIORS’ NETWORK
A Vancouver community that empowers and supports older adults in healthy, involved, fulfilling lives.
MISSION
RESPECT POLICY
AT THE WEST END SENIORS’ NETWORK (WESN) we strive to provide a safe, inclusive and welcoming space for all who enter. We value and celebrate the diversity of our senior community. In order for our community to be respectful of all we uphold the following:
• All persons are treated with respect, patience, kindness and understanding and we recognize and celebrate the uniqueness of each individual.
• This is a shared space. We work together to maintain a safe and welcoming environment at all times.
• All are welcome here without judgement regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, financial status, culture, heritage, race or ethnicity, language, immigration or family status, faith and beliefs, or political affiliation.
We respectfully acknowledge that we gather on the unceded, occupied, ancestral, and traditional homelands of the Coast Salish Peoples: /ˈm ʌskwiəm Sḵ wx wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and Səl ílwətaʔ (Tsleil Waututh) Nations.
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION
West End Seniors’ Network commits to a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment in which members, clients, staff, volunteers, and board feel respected, valued, and included regardless of gender, age, race, ethnocultural identification, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, socioeconomic status, life experience, housing status, heritage, national origin, ability, sexual orientation or identity, disability, education, or bias. We commit to nondiscriminatory practice, with equal opportunities for employment, volunteering, and advancement.
This has been a very busy year for your board of directors.
In the fall of 2023 at our September Annual General Meeting the members elected 4 new board members and I am pleased to say that the four continuing members and the four new board members have worked closely together to accomplish a lot. The new board members are:
Serena Chu | Member at Large
Gary Glacken | Vice President
Maheen Jamal | Treasurer
Theo Madeley | Secretary
The continuing can board members are:
Bonnie Quam | Member at Large
Sara Johnson | Member at Large
Dawid Cieloszczyk | Member at Large
David Harvey | President
One of the first things we did as a board was to set out our priorities for the year. These were:
• Enhance member benefits
• Address staff compensation
• Increase fund raising in support of seniors in need
• Review and revise the outdated strategic plan
I am happy to report that we have made headway on all of these matters.
Over the course of the winter months, we conducted a number of member focus groups to determine what was important to the membership in terms of services and events you receive from WESN. Our members gave us great feedback on their concerns and wishes. Together with staff the board has been working on ensuring that our services and events meet the needs that the members identified.
Of particular concern to the board was that our membership numbers had decreased in recent years. We believe that there is strength in numbers and that we will be better able to advocate for members if governments and other groups see the association as being large and strong. Happily, our membership has been increasing all year and now approaches 800 in total. To enhance member benefits, board member Bonnie Quam is working with staff to identify local retailers and services who will provide our members with specific discounts. You will hear more about that in the coming months.
The board and our Executive Director, Claudine Matlo worked with an external consultant to set up a job evaluation system for our staff. All of their job descriptions were updated and in the spring of this year the board approved an interim increase of 4.3% to their wages which is in line with Vancouver’s cost of living increases in the prior year. The Human Resources Committee of the board continues to work with the executive director to compare our staff wages with those of similar jobs in comparable organizations in the Vancouver area. The board will do its best with the funds available to ensure that we provide fair pay and benefits so that we can recruit and retain great staff to provide services to our members.
We are aware that the West End of Vancouver has a diverse demographic makeup that includes a significant number of seniors living at or below the poverty line. It is important that we be in a position to be able to assist when seniors are in need or emergency circumstances. In order to deliver upon that need, the board has created a specific fundraising effort that we have named Jane’s
Fund in honor of our past president. We have launched Jane’s Fund and are actively seeking donations from individuals, businesses and organizations in the West End. We were very fortunate to receive a $25,000 donation from Saint Andrews Wesley United Church during the summer.
The strategic plan has been out of date for some time and the world has changed greatly since it was developed. The board continues to review and revise our thoughts in this area with the intention of finalizing a new strategic plan in the fall of 2024.
WESN has 2 great things going for it:
• Our members who volunteer and provide such good support to each other, and
• Our wonderful staff.
On behalf of the entire board, I would like to thank our volunteers for their continued support and our staff members for the care and insight that they bring to their jobs every day of the week.
David Harvey Board President
with the West End Seniors Network. It has proven to be an incredible year of growth, change, and stabilization. When I began in March 2023 I could not have predicted the incredible shifts that would take place within our organization. All of which have highlighted the strength and resilience of our members, volunteers, staff and board. I am truly grateful to be a part of guiding the future of the West End Seniors Network at this point in history. I began this year with the theme of change and this theme held strong through 2023-2024.
Some highlights this year - 856 members joined WESN in 2023-2024; revenues topped $ 1.17 million for the first time in WESN’s history, from 19 different grants and revenue from Clothes and Collectibles sales and a total of $ 60,599.73 was received in donations from the generosity of our members and community with $17,791.45 specifically donated to the Seniors In Need Fund (rebranded as Jane’s Fund in 2024), including $ 4,356.85 from the Barclay Yarn Artisan’s knitting group.
Some highlights:
856 members joined WESN in 2023-2024
REVENUES topped $ 1.17 million
19 different grants
$ 60,599.73 in donations from the generosity of our members and community
$204, 290.48 Clothes & Collectibles sales
$17,791.45 specifically donated to the Seniors In Need Fund (rebranded as Jane’s Fund in 2024) $ 4,356.85 from the Barclay Yarn Artisan’s knitting group
We began the year by saying goodbye to two of our longtime board members - Jane Goodrich who served for xxxx years and Marta Filipski who served for xxxx year. Both of these women made incredible contributions to our organization and will be greatly missed. We gratefully welcomed four new board members including David Harvey, Theo Madeley, Serena Chu and Maheen Jamaal. The board has been instrumental in helping to move forward several key initiatives including member benefits, a staff compensation review, and the development of Janes Fund.
There were many changes in terms of staff. We said goodbye to Jennifer Conroy, Evelyn Boe and Christopher (Kit), EarlIndira Riadi, Bill Coleman, Jeff Darcy and Rachel Acheson. Each of these staff members are missed as they were with and supported our organization through challenging times. We restructured our staff by establishing five key manager roles. Several staff members were promoted into higher positions ensuring that we are supporting the growth and stability of our team. Joe Humphries moved into the newly established Manager of Operations role, Meeka Marsolais into the Manager of Community Services, and Miriam Homem de
Mello into the new Manager of Programs and Volunteers role. With these shifts we hired several new staff including Larissa Todorovic, Lisa Gosselin, Margaret Ovenell, Niloofar Hedayati, Deborah Loren, Lillian Grumbach, Miguel Mendez; growing our staff team to 20.
Financially our organization has found stability. We have a sound foundation of grantors and funders, and have strengthened relationships with many of these funders including the United Way and the City of Vancouver.
This year we began the process of developing a new strategic plan. Reflecting on the directions of our organization and what the priorities are going forward. Input was sought from our membership through a survey and focus groups, and planning sessions were held with staff and our board. All of this will inform the development of our new strategic plan next year.
As I reflect on the past year I can see the cycle that changes play. We began with many shifts and closed the year with a greater feeling of stability and moving into growth. I want to thank all of the incredible volunteers who dedicate so many hours (more than 4800 hours!) to us and the community. I would also extend my sincere gratitude to the Board for their continued commitment and sharing of their wisdom. As to the incredible dedication of our staff, to each of you our members and the strong and supportive community partners.
HR COMMITTEE REPORT
this year was to address staff compensation in a comprehensive manner. After several months of work and some research by a consultant we now have: job descriptions for all jobs, a job evaluation system, market pay data, a pay policy, and a pay system that addresses both internal and external pay equity with all jobs assigned to pay grades. A 4.3% cost of living increase for all staff was processed on April 1 and the new pay grade system was implemented on September 1st.
In addition, the Committee provided support to the Executive Director on individual employee issues
The Board wants members to see value in belonging to WESN that extends beyond our programs and activities. The Membership Committee is committed to addressing our members’ needs. Obtaining extra benefits for our members is an ongoing priority of the Committee.
Since Spring, the Membership Committee and the Manager of Programs and Volunteers, Miriam Homem de Mello, connected with local businesses, cultural and artistic institutions. From this outreach, some amazing perks were created.
The West End Seniors Network and Board gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our donors, who have provided awesome opportunities for our membership.
Perks can be found on our website, in the newsletter and in the special brochure.
A BIG WESN Thank You to Our Amazing Donors for the 2024/25 Member Benefits:
• Evo Car Share
• Ballet BC
• Vancouver Art Gallery
• Arts Club Theatre Company
• España Restaurant
• Hue Nails
• Clothes and Collectibles Thrift Boutique
• Red Umbrella Café
• Delany’s Coffee House on Denman
The Membership Committee would love to hear from you! Any suggestions, ideas and questions from our members are welcomed and will be acknowledged.
CONTACT US AT: bonnie@wesn.ca or miriam@wesn.ca
After months of review and with input from our bookkeeper, the accounts have been reorganized so that income and expense is presented in a way that is easily understood. The Committee and the Board are pleased with the extensive work done by staff and Finn our bookkeeper to bring us to this point. Going forward the committee will continue to monitor the book keeping of the organization and seek out methods to make them user friendly and accurate in order to make the best decisions for the well being of the network’s finances.
Weremember
Susan Lupis
Janet Gere
Robert McGregor
Joe Redillas
Carol Ogston-Gardner
Thomas Thibert
Stephen See Woo Lee
Dorothy Krentz
In the fiscal year 2023/2024, WESN Community Services made impressive strides, serving 313 unique seniors and welcoming 104 new participants. We had some staff changes and expansion with our Community Services Coordinator, Niloofar Hedayati, moving into the role of Community Connector, and hiring a new Senior Peer Support Coordinator to lead the Peer Support program. New initiatives, such as Tech @ Home and Errands & Tasks, enhanced our offerings, while our ongoing commitment to community support was evident through diverse services and collaborative efforts. Despite a waitlist of 120 seniors, WESN Better at Home services positive impact on the community is clear, demonstrating a successful year of growth and service.
BETTER AT HOME PROGRAM:
• There were 104 new participants across all of our Better at Home services in 2023/2024
• The highest number of referrals came from allied health professionals, followed by self-referral
• WESN Better at Home served 313 unique participants in 2023/2024
• 83% of participants identified themselves as living alone
• 10% of participants were under 65 years of age, 23% were between 65 - 74, 35% 75-84, and 28% were over 85
• 34% of participants identified as male, 63% of participants identified as female
BETTER AT HOME PARTICIPANTS BY AGE
BETTER AT HOME PARTICIPANTS BY GENDER
• 80% of participants said English was their primary language, 6% of participants said Farsi was their primary language. Other primary languages include Spanish, French, Tagalog, and other
• 67% described their ethnic origin as European, 8% as Middle Eastern, 4% as Southeast Asian, and 4% as other
• Our light housekeeping service provided services for 78 unique participants in 2023/24.
• 19% of light housekeeping participants were fully subsidized
• 24% of light housekeeping participants were 70% subsidized
• 10% of participants were 50% subsidized
• 12% of participants were 30% subsidized
• 5% of participants were not subsidized at all
WESN staff, contractors, and volunteers performed 16,783 individual services across all of our Better at Home programs. This includes:
16,783 individual services
567 Friendly Visits
1432 Grocery Services
1465 Light Housekeeping visits
30 Minor Home Repairs
10,366 Prepared Meal Deliveries (in collaboration with Gordon Neighbourhood House, Jewish Family Services, and Meals on Wheels)
24 Errands & Tasks
53 Transportation Rides
2,762 Check-in Calls
4,629 services were provided by WESN volunteers
1,465 services were provided by an external contractor
323 were provided by paid staff
We had a waitlist of 120 seniors for our Better at Home services at the end of 2023/2024 fiscal year
110 were waiting for subsidized spots in the Light Housekeeping program
10 were waiting for volunteers for the Friendly Visiting program or looking for a specific volunteer
OTHER PROGRAMS & SERVICES
Holiday Meals delivery
• Donations of frozen meals from Chef TJ and volunteers, WESN delivered over 80 holiday meals to homebound and low-income seniors.
Golden Guys Peer Support Group for gay, bi, and trans men ages 55+, meet weekly
• Started and facilitated by Peer Support Coordinators, Jeff & Bill, and beginning November 2023 this group has been facilitated by community members or current group participants
• 30 unique participants in the Golden Guys Peer Support Group between April 1, 2023March 31, 2024
• The Golden Guys Peer Support Group provided 39 service contacts between April 1, 2023March 31, 2024
• Connections to the group formed with our partners at Dignity Seniors Society, Health Initiative for Men, and the Vancouver Primetimers
• Meeting time moved from Mondays to Fridays, and location changed from Multipurpose room to the upstairs Piano room at Barclay Manor
The above changes were made based on a survey that was sent to each group participant
Death & Dying Discussion Group
• 10 unique participants in the Death and Dying Discussion Group between April 1, 2023March 31, 2024
• 11 Death & Dying groups held at Barclay Manor in 2023/2024
Peer Support
• 15 unique participants in the Peer Support program between April 1, 2023 - March 31, 2024
• The Senior Peer Support program provided 36 service contacts between April 1, 2023March 31, 2024
• Hired a new Peer Support Coordinator in March 2024 - Miguel Méndez, Certified Clinical Psychologist and Counsellor
Works on-site at Kay’s Place and remote
One of our Peer Support volunteers, Wendy Weller-Davies, participated in 48 hours of Peer Support training and received certification from Jewish Seniors Alliance
New programs & services:
• TECH @ HOME - Volunteer tech assistance provided in home for seniors 1 client served, 12 service appointments
Errands & Tasks
• Volunteers can assist with prescription pick-up, grocery shopping, accompaniment to errands, etc.
• 10 unique participants served, 10 service appointments.
• Services for 2023/2024 included: prescription pick-up (3), cheque pickup (2), cleaning/throwing out garbage (2), buying groceries, helping renew a passport, and unpacking.
Community Connector (formerly Social Prescribing)
• Niloofar started the role of Community Connector on March 1, 2024.
Program formerly called Social Prescribing
• Currently 9 Community Connectors in Vancouver and Richmond area
• Approximately 55 agencies across BC run the Community Connector program
Java Social
Java Groups are well known for their work inside long term care homes across North America, and WESN was very excited to host the pilot program for Java Social, a program designed specifically to address social isolation and loneliness for seniors living in the community
Java Social group meets weekly on-site here at Barclay Manor, led by Lisa Gosselin, who is also our Choose to Move Coordinator. The program creates a safe space for seniors to share about themselves and get to know others, with a maximum of 15 participants per session
The program started in March 2024 and has seen high attendance numbers, we now have a waitlist
Outreach, Groups, and Capacity Building:
• BC Community Response Network
• Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2023 presentation for our members and a table at Barclay Manor to educate program participants on elder abuse, neglect and self-neglect.
Emergency Preparedness Committee
In collaboration with West End Coal Harbour Community Policing, Gordon Neighbourhood House, City of Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health, and the West End Community Centre, WESN is part of the West End Emergency Preparedness Committee
• Recruited volunteers and attended Heat Check-in Calls Training at Gordon Neighbourhood House
• Distributed Cool Kits to seniors living at Sunset Towers, Nicholson Tower and Mole Hill Housing Society
• Provided maps for cooling centres and other heat resources to participants
• West End Food Connectors
• Attended Community Food Centres Canada Conference
• Vancouver Coastal Health Client and Family Advisory Committee for Home Support and Home Health
Community Services staff participated in many capacity building trainings, including:
• Mental Health First Aid for Seniors training
• Diffusing Hostile Interactions
• Falls Prevention training
• Monthly Better at Home Community of Practice meetings
“ This email is directed to whomever did my grocery shopping this week. THANK YOU for a good job well done! You even managed to choose chocolate chip cookies that are better than the ones I was so inept in trying to describe. Thank you, once again. This is a wonderful service that I didn’t know existed, and I do so appreciate the wonderful volunteers who make it happen. A very satisfied senior”
In fiscal year 2023-24, WESN saw significant success year with 670 activities at Barclay Manor
Our event offerings have grown due to high demand, utilizing larger venues to accommodate diverse audiences, including those with accessibility needs. We had 31 unique events, bringing 2045 attendees like The Vancouver Pride Society, Starbucks, The Vancouver Classical Guitar Society, The Vancouver Latin American Cultural Center, and the West End BIA have driven this expansion. Community engagement has been pivotal; events such as Nowruz, St. Patrick’s Day, and Latin Heritage Month now attract larger and more diverse audiences, raising awareness of WESN among new communities.
670
activities at Barclay Manor
increase of 6,704 attendees
31 unique events, bringing 2045 attendees
Free Tax Clinic, exceeded participation numbers by 17%
The Close to Home program hosted 53 events for 304 attendees across 4 buildings: Mole Hill, Sunset Towers, Nicholson Towers, and Millennium Tower. Over the past year, Close to Home also conducted an outreach workshop at St. Andrews-Wesley United Church and collaborated with Building Resilient Neighborhoods on workshops titled “Neighbours Helping Neighbours” at Barclay Manor. Event types included monthly games days, public health workshops (falls prevention, pain management), frauds and scams workshops with G&F Financial, emergency preparedness sessions, weekly walking groups at Sunset Towers, government benefits workshops, and crafting sessions.
The Choose to Move program offered a variety of sessions including Chair Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Weight Training, and professional dance lessons. They also hosted educational workshops on topics like Meditation, Nutrition, Stress. Sleep and Pain Management, Medication and Mental Health Awareness, Social Connectivity, Fall Prevention, Arthritis, and Lung Health. These sessions were led by medical doctors, registered nurses, physiotherapists, kinesiologists, dieticians, and holistic professionals. Interactive activities such as exercise bingo, movement charades, and dances were also featured. Choose to Move had 755 participants in 64 unique events.
The free Tax Clinic, held in April and May, exceeded participation numbers by 17% .
This year was Clothes and Collectibles most successful year ever breaking sales, a substantial increase in donations, and many new customers becoming familiar with us.
Record-breaking annual sales of over $204,000
November 2023 record of monthly sales: $20,771
December record of one day of sales: $1,831
ACHIEVEMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS:
Three new sales records were set in this fiscal year:
• Annual sales
• Monthly sales
• Daily sales
• A new staff member
FINANCES
• Record-breaking annual sales since 2022
• In November 2023, we broke another record, with
• And in December we broke another record with
STAFFING AND HUMAN RESOURCES:
over 3,000 hours of volunteer participation in store
In October 2023, Larisa Todorovic joined the Clothes and Collectibles staff team as Supervisor on call. As a small, tight-knit staff group, we felt we needed one more part -time staff member to support the store through vacations, illnesses, and volunteer shortages.
• We had over 3000 hours of volunteer participation volunteers on each shift to support processing, donations, sales, and monitoring the fitting room
TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE:
• Planning for the installation of a new Point of Sale (POS) system began in January 2024. In addition to updating our cash register, this new system will allow Clothes and Collectibles to accept debit and credit card payments in addition to cash, will provide more accurate statistics on our financial picture, and will confirm which products sell the best.
• In addition, we will have the option of collecting emails for announcing events, sales, and promotions to our regular
customers. Square was the chosen POS system and will be implemented in the new fiscal year.
• A social capital grant was sourced by our Executive Director to assist with renovations for our store. We felt this was important to ensure the safety of both volunteers and staff to provide a riskfree and well-organized retail space, and to provide a welcoming and enjoyable shopping experience for our customers. Renovations started at the end of this fiscal year and carried into the new year.
Kay's Place had a positive growth period in 2023/2024, particularly in Housing and Information & Referral services. Notably, the Information and Referral volunteers increased from one volunteer per shift to two, which has enhanced service capacity. Additionally, the expansion of Housing services from 3 days per week to 5 days indicates increased accessibility for clients.
Financially, the absence of major expenses for printers, computers, furniture, or devices suggests a focus on maintaining existing resources rather than significant capital investments. Regular expenditures such as office supplies, printing/photocopying, repairs/maintenance, and rent remained consistent, supporting operational stability.
Overall, these developments indicate a period of growth and efficient resource management at Kay's Place during 2023/2024.
Information & Referral processed 274 memberships
Information & Referral
• Information & Referral processed 274 memberships at Kay’s Place throughout the 2023/2024 period.
• Volunteer hours for Information and Referral throughout 2023/2024 was 1903 hours
• Total of 9 volunteers trained throughout 2023/2024 for a total of 27 hours of training
• Trained Kays Place volunteers on Defusing Hostile Situations
Housing
• We hired Deborah Loren in January 2024 which allowed us to increase our housing appointments from 3 days per week to 5 days.
• Total of 323 Housing appointments done throughout 2023/2024
• Attended Housing conference at Creekside Community Centre on June 20th, 2023.
• Attended & presented at Living with Pride Housing Conference on March 1, 2024
Peer Support
• Bill and Jeff (Counsellors) started the Golden Guys Group that continues on to today
• They also offered a variety of workshops throughout the year including Dying with Dignity; Cannabis and Health
• 10 Peer Support volunteers were brought onboard and trained
Jane’s Fund
• Funds disbursed to seniors in our community = $12,292
• Income to support Janes fund was $22,566 Clients
• SIN: 17
• SPARC: 19
• Combined: 36
Other
• Completed Mental Health First Aid on July 20th, 2023
• Did EDI Training with Mosaic on October 13, 2023
• Had Flu Shot Clinic at KP with Pharmacy West End on October 31, 2023
• Discuss Jane’s Fund with Board on November 29th, 2023
• Attended WESN Holiday Luncheon on December 7 & December 11, 2023
• Attended Staff Social on December 13, 2023
• Met with Senior Services Society about Temp Housing Program on Dec. 19, 2023
• Worked at BM for Christmas on December 25, 2023
• Attended Strategic Planning meeting on January 9, 2024
• Attended volunteer training on Defusing Hostile Situations presentation on March 6, 2024 & March 20, 2024
• Attended Roundtable on with Hedy Fry on March 14, 2024
• Attended Coaching meeting at BM on March 26, 2024
• Closed down for half day for AGM in 2023
As WESN grew and evolved over the 2023/2024 year, so too did the Administration team. We created and hired for a full-time Manager of Operations position to oversee the growing administrative needs of the organization, including financial, human resources, and site operations oversight. We streamlined our accounting and financial reporting procedures, enhanced our data management, and supported the growth of our staff team.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS:
• 856 members joined WESN or renewed their memberships between April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.
• We saw increased participation and engagement of seniors across all three WESN sites and in our external WESN Community Services as we came out of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Significant work was done to bring our financial tracking systems up-to-date and accurate using Quickbooks Online.
FINANCES:
• A total of $ 60,599.73 was received in donations from the generosity of our members and community.
• $ 17,791.45 was specifically donated to the Seniors In Need Fund (rebranded as Jane’s Fund in 2024), including $ 4,356.85 from the Barclay Yarn Artisan’s knitting group. These donations go directly to helping seniors in our community facing financial difficulties.
• Revenues topped $ 1.17 million for the first time in WESN’s history, from 19 different grants and revenue from Clothes and Collectibles sales.
Increased revenues were used on expanding our programming and service delivery, cultural and celebratory events, and renovations at Clothes and Collectibles to meet the diverse needs and wants of seniors in the West End.
STAFFING AND HUMAN RESOURCES
We saw eight new hires in 2023/2024 across all of our departments.
Staff that joined us in 2023/2024 include:
• Claudine Matlo, Executive Director
• Niloofar Hedayati, Seniors Community Connector
• Margaret Ovenell, Close to Home Program Coordinator
• Lisa Gosselin, Choose to Move Program Coordinator
• Larisa Todorovic, Supervisor, Clothes and Collectibles
• Deborah Loren, Housing and I&R Coordinator
• Lilian Grumbach, Administrative Assistant
• Miguel Mendez, Peer Support Coordinator
In 2023/2024, we said goodbye to:
• Indira Riadi, Community Services Coordinator
• Bill Coleman, Peer Support Counsellor
• Jeff Darcy, Peer Support Counsellor
• Rachel Acheson, Community Services Coordinator and Kay’s Place Assistant
• Kit Earl, Administrative Coordinator
• Evelyn Boe, Manager of Volunteer Resources
• Jennifer Conroy, Manager of Programs
Four staff moved to new roles within the organization:
• Joe Humphries, Manager of Operations
• Meeka Marsolais, Manager of Community Services
• Miriam Homem de Mello, Manager of Programs and Volunteers
• Niloofar Hedayati, Seniors Community Connector
Staff engaged in numerous trainings and professional development opportunities, including:
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training with Mosaic
• Mental Health First Aid
• OFA Level 1 First Aid/AED
• Emergency preparedness and heat preparedness training
• Diffusing hostile interactions training
• Seniors Housing Navigation training
• And other trainings relevant to their related fields.
TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE:
• The use of Google Workspace was expanded across the organization for file management and sharing.
• Shopify was used to facilitate card payments at Barclay Manor and for the Barclay Yarn Artisan’s knitting group sales.
• The Administration team supported the evaluation, planning, and development of the new WESN website.
• Upgrades were made to Wifi access and speeds at Barclay Manor.
• Renovations to Clothes and Collectibles were made at the end of the fiscal year, overlapping to the current fiscal year.
• New furniture, desk space, and office space was created to support the expansion of our onsite staff.
OUR STATISTICS 2023 - 2024
$204,290.48 Funds Generated from Clothes and Collectibles
2929.21 Housekeeping hours
313 unique seniors served through community
XXXX Housing support hours
XXXX Information and Referral Hours
856 members joined WESN or renewed their memberships
204 Volunteers
10,510 Volunteer Hours
670 programs offered through the year
More than 5000 program hours
1. Claudine Matlo | Executive Director 2. Laura Fee | Clothes and Collectibles Manager 3. Will Tessier | Assistant Manager- Clothes and Collectibles 4. Miriam Homem de Mello | Programs and Volunteers Manager 5. Meil Nicholson | Community Services Coordinator 6. Yathu Radhakrishnan | Events and Communications Coordinator 7. Meeka Marsolais | Community Services Manager 8. Margaret Ovenall | Close to Home Coordinator 9. Joe Humphries | Manager of Operations 10. Gornada Smocilac | Assistant Manager | Clothes and Collectibles 11. Brenda Wong | Supervisor | Clothes and Collectibles 12. Lisa Gosdselin | Choose to Move Coordinator 13. Susan Pare | Manager of Support and Information Services 14. Niloofar Hedayati | Senior Community Connector 15. Deborah Loren | I&R Housing and Support Coordinator 16. Lillian Grumbach | Administrative Coordinator 17. Miguel Mendez | Peer Support Coordinator
1. David Harvey | President 2. Theo Madeley | Secretary 3. Maheen Jamaal | Treasurer 4. Dawid Cielosczczyk | Director 5. Gary Glacken | Vice President 6. Serena Chu | Director 7. Bonnie Quam | Director 8. Sara Johnson | Director
REVENUES
EXPENSES
PARTNERS & DONORS
British Columbia Community Response Network
Building Resilient Neighbourhoods - Simon Fraser University
Canada Revenue Agency - Community Volunteer Income Tax program
Employment Skills Development Canada – ESDC
BC Association of Community Response Networks
Brightside Community Homes Foundation
Federation of Community Social Services of BC
HI Hostel Vancouver Downtown
Jewish Family Services Association
Meals on Wheels
Men’s Shed Association of BC
MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert
Mole Hill Community Housing Society
More Than A Roof Housing Society
Performing Arts Lodge
Pharmacy West End QMUNITY
Roedde House Museum
Save-On-Foods
Seniors Services Society of BC
Simon Fraser University
South Grandville Seniors Centre
St Paul’s Anglican Church
South Granville Seniors’ Centre
SPARC – BC
Surfcrest
Tuktu Care Inc
United Way of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
Vancity
Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation
Vancouver Community Network
Vancouver Friends For Life
Vancouver Foundation
Vancouver Pride Society
Vancouver Public Library - Joe Fortes Branch
West End Business Improvement Association
West End Coal Harbour Community Policing Centre
West End Community Centre
West End Community Centre Association
West End Journal
