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Annual Report

Message from the Chair

2006-2007 Annual Report  download pdf

It has truly been an honour and a privilege to have been the Chair for ALCOA-MB from November 2006 to September 15, 2007. It has been said many times that "timing is everything" and there is no question in my mind that when I was approached to be the Chair the timing could not have been better. Due to the hard work, diligence and commitment of a number of very dedicated volunteers and partners who first met in 1998,ALCOA-MB had grown to a stage where the scene had been set for a major expansion.

As a direct result of a very generous grant from the Province of Manitoba, Manitoba Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat, we were able to hire a part-time Healthy Aging Coordinator. With an Advisory Committee to provide direction and assist our Coordinator and volunteers in implementing the strategies of the partners, we have made outstanding progress in the last eight months. By reading through the various reports that have been submitted you will find a dynamic organization of optimist, enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers and partners who are committed to ensuring that older adults in Manitoba will have every opportunity to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle.

With all that has been accomplished to date, we have truly only just begun. Since our recent incorporation, we have applied for various grants to support our 2007/2008 budget, a budget that reflects growth in all areas of the organization. The number of programs that we are currently presenting will double within the next few months. Twelve additional speakers were trained in Winnipeg in March 2007. Our first venture into rural Manitoba resulted in the training of 8 volunteer speakers who are prepared to make presentations within 35 communities. Additional training will be a priority for all areas of the province.

We are very close to launching a media campaign which includes our website. It is anticipated that meetings with the national "Active Living Coalition for Older Adults" in Toronto will eventually result in a number of similar organizations across the country working with the national group for the benefit of older adults across Canada. We are on the edge of moving to the next plateau. It is exciting, it is energizing and it is going to benefit thousands of older adults in Manitoba and possibly beyond.

In the coming months our focus will be on working with partners to promote and support their initiatives; rural development with an emphasis on in motion communities; building the capacity of our peer leaders and the capacity of the organization to grow into a sustainable entity.

For fear of leaving out anyone, I truly wish to thank and congratulate all of our volunteers and partners for their tremendous contribution in getting us to where we are today. We would not be here without your contribution or without the contribution of our Healthy Aging Coordinator, Moira Horgan-Jones. Thank you Moira, for always taking us beyond our expectations, of what we can accomplish when we work together.

Dan Bernaerdt

Chair, ALCOA-MB