Annual Community Meeting 2025 was held on June 26 at Rossbrook House.
Thank you to all who attended and joined us for breakfast.
Larry McIntosh, Chair of Rossbrook House Foundation, shared a report about the past year’s activities and the wonderful news of the Foundation having raised a million dollars for Rossbrook House programs and operations. You can read more about the Foundation’s activities for the past fiscal year here. We also thanked departing board member Bruce Henderson for nine years with the Foundation board.
“Our Foundation is all about raising funds so Rossbrook House can keep doing its amazing, often life-changing, work. Every time I talk about what Rossbrook House does, I realize just how hard it is to boil it down into a quick pitch. The variety of programs and the safe space it provides for both participants and our community are simply too rich to summarize in just a few sentences.”
Donor listing for 24-25
The donor listing is also a part of the annual report and can be accessed in our annual report here.
Gil Grenier shared financial information for the past fiscal year for both the Foundation and Rossbrook House. Audited financial statements are available upon request. You can also read about it in our annual report.
Karen Cook, Rossbrook House Board President, shared some news from the past year with our guests.
“Year after year, I am amazed by the renewed energy of our team at Rossbrook House – from staff, volunteers, funders, to community and our youth participants.”
Leslie Galloway introduced the board. We also thanked retiring board members, John Burchill and Janine Hargreaves.
Patty Mainville shared news about the past year and thanked the staff for all they do for the children and youth of Rossbrook House.
“Creating a strong sense of belonging for young people at Rossbrook House is embedded in all we do. The range of programming continues, from hosting off-campus school programs, to providing youth with their first jobs, developing the skills and confidence they need to thrive and become who they are meant to be is the groundwork we continue after 49 years.”
Congratulations
We celebrated our staff. Congratulations to Autumn on your 10 year anniversary! Autumn was once a Junior Staff and today is a Supervisor. She also attended Rossbrook House since the age of 6, so you can say she grew up at Rossbrook House!
Congratulations to Justine (Operations/Program Manager) and Cheyenne (Youth Worker) who both completed 5 years with Rossbrook House- although have both been a part of Rossbrook House for much longer. Both Cheyenne and Justine have family connections and were once participants themselves.
Special Awards
Each year at the ACM two youth receive very special and meaningful awards. The staff nominate regular participants and vote on these awards. They are the Andy Rupert Memorial and Sister Gerry MacNamara awards.
Andy Rupert Memorial Award
This is given out annually in celebration of a young person with a passion for sports and recreational activities. This year’s recipient is Haven Twovoice. Haven is a 14-year-old participant, Treaty to Waywayseecappo, that has been coming to Rossbrook House for a couple years now and is very much involved in the outings and programs. Haven has a great love for sports especially basketball, he is involved in sports at school and takes any chance to be involved in activities that involve sports at Rossbrook House. Haven helps out at Rossbrook House wherever he can, he has especially been a huge help with this year’s Pow Wow Club and the Rossbrook House Pow Wow. Haven ensures that his siblings get to Rossbrook House every day from school and from home.
Congratulations, Haven!
Sister Gerry MacNamara Award
This is presented annually in memory of Sister Gerry who died in the winter of 1984. The award is given to a regular participant who exercises their choices for alternatives and opportunities available at Rossbrook House; someone who takes positive steps to better themselves and their community. The inscription on the award plaque reads: To someone whose hopes, dreams, and works continue to build Rossbrook House. The 2025 recipient is Jade Miles. Jade’s former teacher, Claire Roger (Eagles’ Circle) presented the award to Jade and described her as a trailblazer. Jade recently shared her story at the No Child Alone Dinner .
Congratulations Jade.
The Leslie Galloway Volunteer award was created two years ago in honour of long-time (since 1976) volunteer Leslie Galloway. Leslie is still a volunteer at Rossbrook House- she reads with children during Learning Always and sits on both boards. The recipient of this award for 2025 is Claudette Durocher.
Claudette has been helping out for two weeks every July at Camp Maskwa for well over ten years. She helps with the meal prep and cooking for the youth who attend camp with Rossbrook House. She takes two weeks holidays from her work to do this! We thank Claudette for her dedication to the children and youth of Rossbrook House.