Meet Alan Cavell - Board Member

April 5th, 2021

We are fortunate to have so many skilled and caring individuals who serve as our Board Members.  Each month we will share with you a regular feature to introduce these individuals to you.

This month we will feature Board Member, Alan Cavell.

Alan is currently retired after a career in health, housing and social services within government and the “not for profit” sectors in Ontario and Alberta.

As a past chair, Alan is in his fourth term with the Board of Directors of Community Care Peterborough. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Extension Education specializing rural extension and public administration. Raised on a farm in Grey County he has a special interest in rural area needs and rural development.

As a Seniors Citizens Program Supervisor with the Province of Ontario, Alan was involved in developing and funding the first volunteer-based community support services for seniors to promote “one-stop” shopping for seniors and their care givers.

“I worked to develop multi-service agencies such as Community Care Peterborough and including its predecessors Meals on Wheels Peterborough and the former Peterborough Seniors’ Information Bureau,” said Alan Cavell.  “I have also supervised not-for-profit long term care homes.”

He has been involved in developing and funding several supportive housing programs, community-based respite care, nurse practitioner clinics, day programs for seniors, remote telemedicine approaches, Victorian Order of Nurses’ “Neighbours Helping Neighbours” and a co-ordination service to assist seniors and their families to remain as independent as possible in a community setting. He was also responsible for developing an innovative compensation system and quality improvement approaches at VON.

Other volunteer roles have included serving on the Board of the Ontario Coalition for Healthy Communities, involvement in fund development, age-friendly programs, and planning advisory roles.

Why is a social services expert interested in Community Care?

“When I was a younger adult, my parents were older and living on a farm, with health challenges.  I saw the need then for a warm meal and other services such as transportation and basic homemaker services,” said Alan Cavell.  “When I joined the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, I organized a Senior Volunteer In-Service program, supporting seniors to develop needed services for other seniors in their community.”

Alan Cavell brings history and insight to the Board of Directors, as Community Care grows and evolves.

“Meals on Wheels came to Peterborough in 1964, and was one of the first programs of its kind in Ontario, “added Cavell.  “Later on, I was able to support hiring Bernice Clarke, who became the first paid coordinator of Meals on Wheels Peterborough.”

What continues to interest Alan?

“I continue to be involved in Community Care, developing it to be a regional, one-stop shopping support agency for seniors and involving volunteers in caring for others. I see the potential for Community Care to develop supportive housing and smaller long-term care homes that are community-based in the future.”  

For more information about Community Care Peterborough’s governance, please visit https://www.commcareptbo.org/aboutus/BoardMembers.