48th Annual General Meeting: Celebrating Another Year of Serving Immigrants
- Kathleen Clarete
- 15 hours ago
- 4 min read
Last September 20, 2025, Kababayan Multicultural Centre held its 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at its North York branch at the Bathurst-Finch Hub. For this year’s AGM, we had an opportunity to view the major strides the organization took in the past year, as well as the plans we have in the coming year.
![Last September 20, 2025, Kababayan Multicultural Centre held its 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at its North York branch at the Bathurst-Finch Hub. For this year’s AGM, we had an opportunity to view the major strides the organization took in the past year, as well as the plans we have in the coming year.
KMC Board of Directors, staff, clients, and community members pose for a photo.
Ben Corpuz, KMC’s Chairperson for the fiscal year 2024 to 2025, welcomed everyone in attendance online and in person, which was quickly followed by the recognition of outgoing Board of Directors, Jelbert Real and Hosana Jayme. Each of them played an important role in guiding KMC and in helping us carry out our mission.
The Volunteer of the Year, Adelaida Del Monte, was also recognized for her generosity and commitment to the activities KMC had in the past year. Since arriving in Canada in 2008, Adelaida has been a part of our centre. Her story is a testament to how clients at KMC become members who choose to give back to the community.
Ben gave an overview of the key milestones for KMC in the past year, which include winning Golden Balangay Award for Most Influential Community Organization, and the internal and external transformations we’ve had—from a newly renovated office and community space to updating the organization’s by-laws that continue to help us in building a stronger foundation for KMC’s future.
He recalled:
This past year has been a time of tremendous growth. Together, we’ve faced challenges and celebrated many achievements that have deepened our commitment to supporting newcomers, immigrants, and equity-deserving communities.
A Year of Achievements in Serving Immigrants
From an organization that originally started as a resource centre for Filipino migrants, to now a centre that welcomes immigrants from different cultures and from all walks of life, the number and diversity of the clients we’ve served have been one of our biggest achievements.
In the fiscal year 2024-2025, we served a total of 4,178 individuals, achieving a 22.3% increase from the previous year. The total types of services delivered, including new support services like digital coaching and intergenerational mentoring, rose from 10,460 to 11,049. Our total number of group sessions delivered was 136, and participants were 3,070, which is an increase of 7.1% and 11.6% respectively.
Our clients’ top five countries of origin were the Philippines, India, Nepal, Iran, and Mexico, and the top five languages are Tagalog, Spanish, Tibetan, Farsi, and Nepali.
These numbers show that this year at KMC has truly been one of significant growth.
Rizza Solis, Executive Director of KMC, laid out the milestones and transformations the organization achieved.
A Year of Transformations
Going beyond numbers, we are truly proud of the transformations KMC underwent this past year. Pushed by the challenges we’ve faced, we continue to strive and find ways to strengthen our organization and fulfill our mission of empowering immigrants and newcomers.
Here are the transformations of the year as recapped by Rizza Solis, Executive Director of KMC:
Through the support of Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), we relaunched our website, which has received 10,660 visits from 6,439 unique visitors from its launch in July 2024 to the end of the fiscal year in March 2025.
Under the same initiative, we increased our social media presence and gained 1,709 social media followers, launched an email newsletter to keep the community updated, made services more accessible with an online client registration system, and strengthened digital infrastructure through regular staff cybersecurity training and a secured client management system.
We renovated and upgraded our Queen Street office, creating a safer, welcoming, and brighter community hub where our clients and members can find the support and resources they need. This was made possible with generous support from OTF.
We also expanded our presence in-person and participated in more than 18 outreach events, including Toronto Newcomers Day, the Canadian Immigrant Fair, TCDSB’s Tuwa at Saya Camp, and the Filipino International Students’ Convention hosted by UPAAT and the Philippine Consulate.
We’ve strengthened our collaboration and worked with over 96 community partners through referrals, guest speakers, joint initiatives, and resource sharing.
A Year of Financial Growth
With the efforts of our Executive Director and guidance from our Board of Directions, we’ve achieved exceptional financial growth for the last fiscal year, gaining $1,056,602, a 28.9% increase compared to the previous year. This growth is evident in the trust and confidence our funders and partners have in the quality and impact of our work.
Despite the immigration landscape changing, KMC stood strong and secured funding from IRCC for the next three years, ensuring the essential settlement, employment, and youth services remain available to the community.
Looking Ahead
Veronica Javier, Vice Chairperson of KMC, discussed the focus for the organization in the next year. This includes diversifying funding sources, prioritizing staff wellness and professional growth to ensure quality of service, expanding program offerings to address emerging needs in areas such as mental health and employment, building a strong volunteer base, establishing new partnerships, and cultivating a Board of Directors that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.
Arlene Manankil-Boyce is welcomed as one of the newest KMC Board Member.
And with that said, we officially welcomed two new board members—Arlene Manankil-Boyce and Mark Anthony Gravoso. Arlene is a seasoned fundraising executive with over 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector and is now serving as Director of Major Gifts at Scarborough Health Network Foundation. On the other hand, Mark is a seasoned healthcare professional and community leader and is currently serving as the President of the Integrated Filipino Canadian Nurses Association (IFCNA).
We’re excited to have them as the newest members of our Board of Directors and to see how their expertise and contributions can help advance our mission forward.
As we look forward to the next year, we are encouraged by what our ED, Rizza, said:
We know the road ahead will not always be easy. [...] But we also know where our strength lies: in the unity and resilience of this community. That is what gives me hope—and why I believe that no matter what lies ahead, Kababayan Multicultural Centre will remain strong.
For an in-depth look at our achievements and impact, read our 2024-2025 Annual Report.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4fdb0d_850e01f7311549b9b07b2890d60e3e25~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/4fdb0d_850e01f7311549b9b07b2890d60e3e25~mv2.jpg)
Ben Corpuz, KMC’s Chairperson for the fiscal year 2024 to 2025, welcomed everyone in attendance online and in person, which was quickly followed by the recognition of outgoing Board of Directors, Jelbert Real and Hosana Jayme. Each of them played an important role in guiding KMC and in helping us carry out our mission.
The Volunteer of the Year, Adelaida Del Monte, was also recognized for her generosity and commitment to the activities KMC had in the past year. Since arriving in Canada in 2008, Adelaida has been a part of our centre. Her story is a testament to how clients at KMC become members who choose to give back to the community.
Ben gave an overview of the key milestones for KMC in the past year, which include winning Golden Balangay Award for Most Influential Community Organization, and the internal and external transformations we’ve had—from a newly renovated office and community space to updating the organization’s by-laws that continue to help us in building a stronger foundation for KMC’s future.
He recalled:
This past year has been a time of tremendous growth. Together, we’ve faced challenges and celebrated many achievements that have deepened our commitment to supporting newcomers, immigrants, and equity-deserving communities.
A Year of Achievements in Serving Immigrants
From an organization that originally started as a resource centre for Filipino migrants, to now a centre that welcomes immigrants from different cultures and from all walks of life, the number and diversity of the clients we’ve served have been one of our biggest achievements.
In the fiscal year 2024-2025, we served a total of 4,178 individuals, achieving a 22.3% increase from the previous year. The total types of services delivered, including new support services like digital coaching and intergenerational mentoring, rose from 10,460 to 11,049. Our total number of group sessions delivered was 136, and participants were 3,070, which is an increase of 7.1% and 11.6% respectively.
Our clients’ top five countries of origin were the Philippines, India, Nepal, Iran, and Mexico, and the top five languages are Tagalog, Spanish, Tibetan, Farsi, and Nepali.
These numbers show that this year at KMC has truly been one of significant growth.
A Year of Transformations
Going beyond numbers, we are truly proud of the transformations KMC underwent this past year. Pushed by the challenges we’ve faced, we continue to strive and find ways to strengthen our organization and fulfill our mission of empowering immigrants and newcomers.
Here are the transformations of the year as recapped by Rizza Solis, Executive Director of KMC:
Through the support of Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), we relaunched our website, which has received 10,660 visits from 6,439 unique visitors from its launch in July 2024 to the end of the fiscal year in March 2025.
Under the same initiative, we increased our social media presence and gained 1,709 social media followers, launched an email newsletter to keep the community updated, made services more accessible with an online client registration system, and strengthened digital infrastructure through regular staff cybersecurity training and a secured client management system.
We renovated and upgraded our Queen Street office, creating a safer, welcoming, and brighter community hub where our clients and members can find the support and resources they need. This was made possible with generous support from OTF.
We also expanded our presence in-person and participated in more than 18 outreach events, including Toronto Newcomers Day, the Canadian Immigrant Fair, TCDSB’s Tuwa at Saya Camp, and the Filipino International Students’ Convention hosted by UPAAT and the Philippine Consulate.
We’ve strengthened our collaboration and worked with over 96 community partners through referrals, guest speakers, joint initiatives, and resource sharing.
A Year of Financial Growth
With the efforts of our Executive Director and guidance from our Board of Directors, we’ve achieved exceptional financial growth for the last fiscal year, gaining $1,056,602, a 28.9% increase compared to the previous year. This growth is evident in the trust and confidence our funders and partners have in the quality and impact of our work.
Despite the immigration landscape changing, KMC stood strong and secured funding from IRCC for the next three years, ensuring the essential settlement, employment, and youth services remain available to the community.
Looking Ahead
Veronica Javier, Vice Chairperson of KMC, discussed the focus for the organization in the next year. This includes diversifying funding sources, prioritizing staff wellness and professional growth to ensure quality of service, expanding program offerings to address emerging needs in areas such as mental health and employment, building a strong volunteer base, establishing new partnerships, and cultivating a Board of Directors that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.
And with that said, we officially welcomed two new board members—Arlene Manankil-Boyce and Mark Anthony Gravoso. Arlene is a seasoned fundraising executive with over 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector and is now serving as Director of Major Gifts at Scarborough Health Network Foundation. On the other hand, Mark is a seasoned healthcare professional and community leader and is currently serving as the President of the Integrated Filipino Canadian Nurses Association (IFCNA).
We’re excited to have them as the newest members of our Board of Directors and to see how their expertise and contributions can help advance our mission.
As we look forward to the next year, we are encouraged by what our ED, Rizza, said:
We know the road ahead will not always be easy. [...] But we also know where our strength lies: in the unity and resilience of this community. That is what gives me hope—and why I believe that no matter what lies ahead, Kababayan Multicultural Centre will remain strong.
For an in-depth look at our achievements and impact, read our 2024-2025 Annual Report.
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