New Initiatives for NACL

Nanaimo, B.C. – Tim Tessier is not a typical volunteer with the Nanaimo Association for Community Living (NACL), which directly and indirectly provides employment for 300 people in Nanaimo and has an annual budget of more than $11 million. Tim learned about the NACL when he ran in the federal election in 2015 and was invited to a candidate’s forum. After the campaign, Tim contacted the Executive Director to offer his expertise in marketing and business. In the spring of 2016, Tim applied for and joined the NACL Board of Directors.

“I served on a housing committee responsible for developing and building a world class housing project that serves people with diverse abilities and low-income individuals,” says Tim.

“Also, I chaired an initiative to develop employment opportunities, participated in a rebranding and communication initiative, and contributed to the governance of the NACL. In late 2019 I decided to step back from the Board to focus on community awareness and membership recruitment.”

Earlier this year, Tim launched a new initiative: Community Action Team (C.A.T.), which is made up of past and present Board members, staff, clients, and volunteers.  

“Our C.A.T. mandate is to help with time specific initiatives that have a lasting impact in providing great service for our clients and resources for staff. Over the past few months, our focus has been on the organization’s 35th anniversary in July. We identified three primary areas for the celebration: media and community awareness, internal recognition and celebration for staff and clients served, and establishing a legacy fundraising project.”

Tim is currently working on a mainstream and social media advertising campaign to build NACL awareness in Nanaimo and planning celebrations specific to each of 12 program areas such as Employment, Home Share and Life Long Learning.   

“We are working with the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce to engage and inform 1600+ Chamber members about the NACL programs and how they can participate. We have also established a corporate and private donation/sponsorship model.”

Tim is hopeful that the Nanaimo community and business leaders will recognize NACL so that it becomes synonymous with fostering independence and inclusivity for people with developmental disabilities. For more information, visit www.nanaimoacl.com.

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Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd. Contact:

Brooke Matthews
604-691-1689
stories@suttonspirit.com

Sutton Group – West Coast Realty Contact:

Tim Tessier
250-713-3978
timtessier@sutton.com