The struggle we are in today is helping us to develop the strength for tomorrow. A Message from the Board Chair and the Executive Director: When ACAS closed its office to the public in late March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we adjusted our operations to comply with the public health guidelines on physical distancing and working from home. The Board of Directors immediately developed a Pandemic Planning Policy and Pandemic Planning Checklist to guide ACAS operations and mitigate health and other risks to our service users and employees. ACAS continues to deliver all of our programs and services. We do virtual workshops and one-on-one meetings. Staff use phone, email, and social media to regularly contact our clients living with HIV. We want to make sure that our clients and service users know that we are with them and that we will go through this period together. In early September of this year, we reopened our office to the public with new safety features and in-person modified services. We will adjust our operations as needed to respond to the public health environment. One thing we will never change, however, is our values and commitment to providing quality services to our community, and to being with them and for them in moments of adversity.
This year’s AGM marks the 26th anniversary of ACAS. As we reflect on the past 25 years, and continue to navigate this special year together, we look forward to the next quarter-century and all it will bring. We feel fortunate to be able to keep serving our community for years to come. Lastly, our sincere thanks to our sponsors, funders, individual donors, staff and volunteers who continue to support and contribute to ACAS. Your support makes all the difference. Without you, we would not be able to provide the many services you will read about in this annual report, and we would certainly not have been able to accomplish what we have this year under the pressures of COVID-19. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Fiona Lee Board Chair
Noulmook Sutdhibhasilp Executive Director
ACAS2019/2020 ANNUAL REPORT
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