by MARION POLLACK: February 2023 brings two momentous changes to the 411 Seniors Centre. One of these changes – us moving into our new purpose-built seniors’ centre brings us great happiness and joy. It is the culmination of over a decade of hard work by 411 Board members and staff. The other change the departure of our beloved 411 Executive Director, Leslie Remund, brings us gratitude and thanks from the bottom of our hearts.
There is a great deal of information in this newsletter about our wonderful new centre and the decade of hard work, blood, sweat and tears it took us to get to where we are. So, I will focus on the great good fortune the 411 Seniors Centre has had in having Ms. Leslie Remund as our Executive Director.
However, before I begin waxing eloquent about having Leslie as our Executive Director, I need to thank everyone who was involved in the long and at times convoluted process in getting our new building up and running. This includes previous boards, especially former Board Presidents Elsie Dean and Stuart Alcock and former Executive Directors Sandra Gephardt and Leslie Remund. Leslie came to 411 in 2016.
People on that hiring committee reported that as soon as Leslie began speaking, they knew she was the perfect fit for 411. And over the years this has certainly proven to be true. Leslie has served as the Executive Director with integrity, passion, and commitment. She brought her vast experience in social services with her along with an understanding that people need to be treated with compassion, respect and dignity. She has supported and guided the Board in both big and little ways. She has helped me to become a better and more inclusive Board member and has helped the Board become more cohesive and determined. She has mentored me and many other Board and staff members.
We have all gained new skills thanks to her. She has shown immense patience with me, and her willingness to listen to everyone has been critical in strengthening 411. Leslie has also brought a clear and strong understanding of finances and financial processes to 411. This has made 411 much stronger. She has instilled the need to fundraise and so in this spirit I am encouraging any and all of you to donate to 411 to thank Leslie for her service. Leslie also understands the construction and building process. She has worked so incredibly hard to get our new building operating. She has ensured that we didn’t pay more for certain aspects of the building and has dealt with all sorts of obstacles that would defeat many of us.
While I am enormously sad to see her leave the fact that we will be in our brand spanking new building at the time of her departure is a fitting tribute to her. Leslie has written grant applications for us, liaised with all levels of governments and built strong connections with others in the non-profit seniors’ community and been an amazing and wonderful spokesperson for 411.
Leslie has encouraged both members and Board members to get involved in different aspects of 411 and this is an enormous gift to us. She has done all of her work with a sense of compassion, and a sense of humour (mostly). She has handled difficulties and obstacles (like COVID) with grace and strength.
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Thank you Leslie, remembering your kindness and understanding will warm me in coming times. Well done so much has been accomplished and done have done through your efforts. It was good knowing you. Your interactions with me were positive and encouraging. Go well
I will miss Leslie immensely! She has stuck through an incredibly challenging process and yet been wonderfully supportive to all of us who volunteer. I have learned so much from her about local resources, positive approaches to reaching out and advocacy.
I will greatly miss having opportunities to learn even more from her in the future.
You are the best, Leslie!
??With great sadness to see her leave but then, I would like to have it with an enclosure joy and sincerest wishes of brighter endeavour in your brighter future. I will be missing you a lot . I cannot thank you enough from the bottom of my ❤️ heart. Keep safe always and take care.
Couldn’t have said it better! Big shoes to fill! Fond memories working with Leslie….all the best….
Super sad about Leslie leaving 411. However, we all want what’s best for Leslie and for her to flourish in the new path she will carve out by helping others. May the next challenge she takes on bring as much joy to her community as she brought to 411 Seniors Centre and to me, personally as a social justice mentor. Thank you for your gift of humanity and integrity.
The Widow’s Pension has been combined with the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) which in my opinion is an error made by the Canadian federal government. I paid into CPP for 30 years while working in corporate and government offices and have been receiving monthly CPP reimbursements since my retirement at age 65. My husband had his own business as a residential window cleaning and was a full-time musician in and around Vancouver and Victoria for 40 years and only paid into CPP for one year while employed as the manager for Astro Collision in Vancouver. My husband had worked in offices in England, Germany, Holland, Australia, and the United States. The Canadian government policy regarding the Widow’s/Survivor’s Pension has caused a problem for the widows in Canada.