CCSAC held its Annual General Meeting at Trinity Anglican Church on May 8th.  Thank you to Rev. Mark Whittall and CCSAC rep Doreen Barnes for hosting CCSAC’s meeting this year.

Jennifer Brooks, a board member with the Council on Aging gave an excellent presentation on Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs).  A NORC is an area such as a rental/condo building or neighbourhood block that houses a high density (30-60%) of older adults.  A NORC offers community and ease of mobility as well as potentially closer access to amenities.  It can also include services such as health, social and recreational activities.  With an aging demographic, NORCs offer seniors independence and supportive services, and, in turn, tend to result in improved health outcomes and reduced calls on the overall health system.

In addition to our guest speaker, Diana Mahaffy, Manager at the Centretown Community Food Centre, provided an excellent update on the Food Centre, which has seen continuing increases in traffic since Fall 2023.  It is now open four days a week to manage the high demand and provide better service to clients.  Fundraising will again be a priority for CCSAC and the Food Centre in 2024, given the high cost of food and the steadily increasing need facing many in the community.