A Message of Gratitude, Reflection, and Hope from the Chair of the Board

Dear Dignity Seniors Society (DSS) Family,

It was great to get together with our staff and volunteers at our end of year party in December. A special thank you to the City of Vancouver for attending and for their continued support of core funding for DSS. I’m writing to wish you all a safe and connected 2026 and want to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey we've shared throughout 2025 and look ahead to the exciting possibilities that await us.

Celebrating Our 2025 Achievements

This past year has been one of tremendous growth and impact for DSS. Together, our dedicated staff, passionate volunteers, and the seniors we work with have created a community where dignity, respect, and belonging flourish. Funded through Healthcare Excellence Canada, our team completed our aging-in-place pilot project with Haro Park Center and with the support of United Way BC we partnered with West End Seniors Network to support our seniors age at home with safety and supports. Here are some examples of the amazing work our volunteers are doing:

•                     D(62yo) takes R(84yo) out in his wheelchair every Friday for 2 hours - it is the only time in the week R gets outside.

•                     T’s eyesight (82yo) is failing, S(53yo) takes T shopping and accompanies him to medical appointments. Your generous donations help pay for their taxis and sometimes they stop for a coffee.

•                     B (60yo) supports J (86yo) to recover from a broken hip after a homophobic attack in the street. This support is helping J emotionally overcome the trauma of the event. Your donations also meant that we could access J to some professional counselling sessions.

•                     M (61yo) supports JT (79yo) with weekly two-hour visits to help with connecting JT to technology that helps with his sight deterioration. JT also lives with severe back pain and your donations bought him a new mattress that has helped greatly.

We have many more amazing examples of how our trained and supervised volunteers are supporting our communities’ 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults, many of whom appreciate not having to hide their identity and being able to talk about things that the volunteers understand as part of the same community. R tells us that he talks to his volunteer about his life and tells them things he could never say to his homecare workers, he appreciates the space to reminisce and relive his youth.

As well as our aging at home program, we are making great headway with our efforts to identify long term care facilities across BC that will be culturally appropriate for our seniors. A huge thank you to WAGE Canada for funding this amazing project. We believe this is especially important for our Trans seniors and the first wave of HIV+ seniors who might enter these facilities.

Our social inclusion project, partnering with Ribbon Community and Community Based Research Center (CBRC), also launched in 2025 and will run through 2030 funded through New Horizons for Seniors Program (ESDC). I encourage any older adult 55+ that is interested in understanding the issues of loneliness and isolation in our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and developing solutions, to get involved  - contact Victoria for more information victoriastuart@dignityseniors.org

Each program we deliver, each connection we foster, and each life we've touched stands as a testament to the power of our shared mission.

In 2025 we achieved our CRA Charity Status, if you would like to support more of this work you can receive a tax receipt for your donation on our CanadaHelps website HERE. 

An Invitation to Our Community

As we celebrate these successes, I want to speak directly to the 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors in our community. Our programs exist because of you and for you. All research points to you asking for such services, and more of them. But we now need you to use the services! We are in a 'use-it- or-lose-it’ situation and our non-profit colleagues are warning of huge funding cuts to come. We were extremely sad to hear that JQT Vancouver, led by the amazing Carmel Tanaka and her team will be closing this year.  We have worked with JQT for the last five years to support our Jewish queer and Trans seniors. I know for a fact that Carmel has worked thousands of unpaid volunteer hours and fought for the survival of the charity, but without secure funding and community support we will again lose another valuable resource.

DSS has worked for over a year with Brian to start InQlusive Reach, an at-home service provider supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ community members and providing jobs for 2SLGBTQIA+ care providers. Brian is in the start-up phase and needs your support to spread the word and use his service – find out more here: inqlusivereach.ca

Our friends at QMUNITY are getting close to completing their new building at Burrard and Davie in Vancouver. I hope you are as excited as I am to see the space. It will be the first ever purpose-built 2SLGBTQIA+ community space in BC! But we need to step up and make it a success - it was built for us, and it is up to us to support it.

We don’t ask “what’s wrong” - we ask “what’s STRONG”

When you engage with our services, you do more than receive support, you give back to your community—you help us demonstrate to funders and partners the vital need for the work we do. Your participation strengthens our ability to advocate for resources, expand our reach, and ensure these services remain available for generations to come.

If you've been hesitant to reach out, please know that you belong here. Your presence matters. Your stories matter. By using our programs, you're not only enriching your own life but helping to secure the future of support for our entire community. We need you, we are you, and we're here for you – community members supporting community members.

Looking Ahead to 2026

 The coming year holds extraordinary promise as we focus on three strategic initiatives that will transform our organization:

•                     Expanding Our Team: We're committed to increasing our staff capacity to better serve you and to respond more effectively to the growing needs of our community.

•                     Reaching Across BC: We're taking bold steps to extend our services beyond our current boundaries, ensuring that 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors throughout British Columbia have access to the support and community connections they deserve.

•                     Refreshing Our Identity: We listened, as many of you told us that the word ‘Dignity’ is synonymous with death and dying, funeral homes, and religious groups. This was not the case 12 years ago when our founder Amar [Alex] Sangah (Sher Pride) named the organization.  In 2026 the DSS Board will work with Harc to engage in a thoughtful rebranding process, we'll increase awareness of who we are and what we do, making it easier to access our services and for allies/funders to support our mission.

Moving Forward Together

As we embrace 2026, let us carry forward the spirit of resilience, compassion, and dignity that defines our community. To our staff and volunteers: thank you for your unwavering dedication. To those we serve: thank you for trusting us with your stories and allowing us to walk alongside you.

Together, we are building something extraordinary—a future where every 2SLGBTQIA+ older adult in British Columbia can age with dignity, surrounded by understanding, acceptance, and love.

With deepest gratitude and optimism for the year ahead,

Darren Usher he/they MSW RSW

Board Chair, Dignity Seniors Society BC