President’s Report for 2025

Significant 2025 accomplishments:

• As mentioned in my President’s Report for 2024, our Events Committee which was formed in early Fall of 2024 and tasked with the organizing of our Spring and Fall assemblies were very successful in staging our Spring Assembly and AGM in April in Sarnia as well as our Fall Assembly in October in Newmarket. THANK YOU to our hosts at these assemblies for a job well done.
• We supported the Hamilton and Hamilton West Particular Councils with their hosting of the Annual National Formation in June 2025.
• Our Communications Committee completed the review of our ONRC website with the aspiration of its renewal.
• Our Spirituality Committee led by Deacon John successfully hosted two virtual retreats.
• Our North of 60 Committee through its band of volunteers was able to ship 70,000 kilograms of food and household items to nine (9) Nunavut communities.
• Our Stores Committee was busy organizing its own workshops in building a cohesive group of Store Managers across the Region.
• Our Rejuvenation Committee continues to reach out in helping Conferences that are struggling with low membership. Feel free to contact them, if required.
• Our Ozanam Fund Committee delved into some fund-raising of their own with fantastic results. They were able to help 17 persons further their education to a total of $47,000 collectively.
• Our twinned Conferences and Councils supported some of the countries in Central and South America as well as the Caribbean to a total of over $200,000. In these countries our Canadian Dollar is multiplied by a factor of 5 or more.
• Through the generosity of our many contributors, across Ontario in 2025, we provided our neighbours in need with food items to a total of $7.2M part of the $8.7M total value of assistance handed out to our less fortunate of our society.
• During the year, we visited over 22,000 homes and assisted another 15,640 households. The total persons helped at these homes were 66,000 adults and 40,000 children.
• Our “army” of Vincentians consisted of 3400 adults, 250 youth and another 1000 auxiliary members.
• In addition, our Vincentians also operated 27 stores and 12 Soup Kitchens that served 28,000 meals to 16,000 individuals.
• Overall, we expended 336,000 volunteer hours in completing these tasks. This includes the many hours of volunteer time in organizing and attending the numerous meetings which are demanded of us as we keep our ship sailing the waters which can become rough at times for numerous reasons.

Other 2025 nuances:

• Two persons were appointed to one-year terms as Directors.
• Completed continuance of ONRC from provincial to federal jurisdiction under Canadian Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA) as approved at AGM in April 2025.
• We established a Fund Development Committee with the goal of implementing fund-raising initiatives by which we may further support our Conferences and Councils when needed.

Plans for 2026

• Continue to focus on communication among Vincentians through quarterly newsletters as well as newsletters from its committees.
• Continue to promote the “TEAM’ approach among all our members. “Many hands make light work”.
• We are celebrating the 180th anniversary of the Society in Canada, ONRC is planning a gala event, dinner/dance and silent auction on Friday, September 18th at the Oakville Convention Centre. Check our website for updates.
• Continue implementation of Members Portal for submission of annual reports by Ontario region Conferences and Councils.
• Build a new ONRC website.
• Implement a system for passing funds DOWN to conferences & Councils who are undertaking projects to enhance their service to those in need or who are experiencing short-term financial challenges.

On behalf of our Board of Directors, I would like to acknowledge each Ontario Vincentian at all levels up to and including all Presidents of each Conference or Council and express my overwhelming gratitude and appreciation for their Vincentian service within Ontario Region and beyond during 2025.

Guido Kelly,
President April 18, 2026