Postcards from the past

The Spanish-speaking community was one of the four ethnic communities that organized, advocated and collaborated to found Access Alliance. Dora Dixon and Paulina Salamo Csillag, staff members who worked at Access Alliance in the early years, sent us postcards with memories of their time working at the Centre and with members of the Spanish-speaking community.

“My first recollection goes back to 1991 when I got hired to work for a multicultural project sponsored by AA. The goal was to promote poorly represented communities into boards of health centres and hospitals. We recruited and trained many members who moved on to important decision-making positions. Later I helped with the health promotion programs targeting the four founding communities. There were radio shows, physical activities for seniors, social clubs, collective kitchens, etc. A buzz of activities designed to improve their healthy habits.”

Dora Dixon

“It was the mid-late 1990s when I worked at Access Alliance with the Spanish-speaking community. I worked closely with a group of seniors from all parts of the continent who used the space to socialize, learn English and learn about other cultures in the city and at the Centre. There were feisty, engaged and taught volunteers and I a lot of life lessons.”

Paulina Salamo Csillag