Note from the CEO

It’s hard to believe it has already been one year since I took on the role of CEO here at the Alzheimer Society of Toronto. The time has flown by, and while I have learned a lot there is more to understand and so much important work to be done. Over this time, we have had many great moments. In the past year:

• Over 6,500 clients utilized our programs and services
• We expanded our services to traditionally underserved communities with the opening of the Scarborough Community Hub – with over 3,000 interactions already in Scarborough this year
• With thanks to the Emily Bertoldi-Bernice Bogart Fund for Dementia Counselling we launched critical support groups for newly diagnosed individuals living with dementia
• Hundreds of Care Partners received much needed financial support through our Care Partner Support program

It has been a privilege working with my team at AST – supporting our clients living with dementia, their care partners and the health care workers across this city. I feel honoured to lead such a dedicated and caring team of professionals that act with compassion and with the best interests of our clients first and foremost.

The best part of my job is Wednesday afternoons when I hear the music and laughter of the Mid-town social program through the wall behind me at work. We are busy making plans for the coming year to serve all of you with new and exciting programing.

As I reflect on where Alzheimer Society of Toronto needs to grow, I think back to my first interaction so many years ago when I was a client here at AST myself. It was years after my mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis when a colleague first told me about AST and that I should give them a call to help support me as they had her.   But what if she hadn’t told me about AST?  What about the next person who doesn’t have a personal connection? How do we ensure that the work and services that AST provides to our community gets to the people who need it most?

My commitment to our clients, staff, donors and board is to ensure that one day everyone in Toronto knows about AST and our mission. They will understand that we are here to help serve everyone who needs our support as they navigate the dementia journey. I look forward to sharing our goals and plans more frequently in this newsletter and ask you to support AST as we navigate this journey together.

Dave Spedding
Chief Executive Officer
Alzheimer Society of Toronto