Hello everyone,
December is gently settling over Toronto’s Francophone community and, with it, our end-of-year Gazette, which will be followed by a three-month Gazette. This edition closes a year marked by celebrations, learning opportunities, and above all, by wonderful movements of engagement and sharing that continue to define the soul of our Francophone community, enriched by its great diversity.
Once again this year, our values—inclusion, collaboration, creativity, responsibility, and caring—have guided each of our projects. Caring, in particular, has taken on new importance. Since its integration into our strategic plan, it is lived every day: in every encounter, in the way our teams support our clients, and in the hundreds of small gestures that make up community life.
The celebration of Caring Day earlier this fall was a beautiful example. But at its core, CAH embodies caring all year long: through its services, its partnerships, and the constant support offered to those aging here, sometimes far from familiar landmarks.
The Christmas Sharing Program: essential support that changes lives
The holiday season is a time for generosity, but at CAH, solidarity does not end in December. Thanks to the Christmas Sharing Program, and thanks to your continuously renewed generosity, we were once again able this year to support nearly 90 seniors affected by the rising cost of living, high rents, and food insecurity.
Last December and January, we received $12,302 in donations, online, in person, and even at the door of the benefit concert by L’Ensemble vocal Les Voix du cœur, which—once again this year—will be dedicated to us on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at Paroisse du Sacré-Cœur in Toronto. These donations allow us to offer grocery gift cards, emergency assistance, and precious relief in the face of unexpected expenses: eyeglasses, a hearing aid, care for a pet… all these small emergencies that, for too many seniors, can become overwhelming.
CAH’s case managers and personal support workers, in constant contact with clients, play an essential role: they are often the ones who identify critical situations even before clients dare to ask for help.
Thanks to donations, CAH was also able to subsidize access to its programs and services in the amount of $40,000 last year, and this support remains more essential than ever.
Celebrating together, always
As we prepare to celebrate the holidays, I invite you to join us for our December activities, including the big holiday meal to be held on December 17 at the heart of our community. Whatever your traditions or beliefs, come share a simple, warm, and authentic moment. Being together—truly together—remains CAH’s greatest treasure.
In conclusion, in 2025, we continued to demonstrate that our strength lies not only in our services, but in our ability to care for one another by mobilizing the strengths and resources of our ecosystem. Thank you to each and every one of you for contributing to this Francophone community engagement, which we also celebrated together during the 50th anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag.
Thank you to the entire community for its support and generosity. Thank you for your trust. Thank you for making CAH a place where caring becomes real.
The entire CAH team joins me in wishing you a gentle, warm, and caring month of December.
Fabien Schneider
Assistant Executive Director of CAH