Flo’s Seniors honours Ottawa’s Black community champions for decades of service
By Ijeoma Ukazu, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Three longtime community leaders were honoured for their decades of service to Ottawa’s Black community during the annual gala hosted by Flo’s Seniors on Aug. 24 at the Mosaic Convention Centre in Ottawa.
Renford Thomas, Sheila Pitt and Pastor Carmen Hamilton were recognized for their longstanding contributions to the community, with speakers highlighting their leadership, advocacy, volunteerism and commitment to supporting others.
The afternoon brought together members of Ottawa’s Black and Caribbean communities for socializing, entertainment, dinner and recognition, with the celebration centred on the contributions of community members who have spent years working to strengthen and support others.
Thomas was recognized for his work in labour advocacy and community service. He became the first person of colour elected to the executive board of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279, where he developed a passion for labour advocacy and worked to improve conditions for workers. He has also supported several community associations.
Ottawa City Councillor Rawlson King described Thomas as a pillar of Ottawa’s Black community whose leadership and service have contributed to the community over the years.
Pitt was recognized for about 40 years of volunteer service with several organizations, including the Guyana Association and Impact Heritage.
As a founding member of Black History Ottawa, Pitt has played a role in preserving and celebrating Black history in the city. Councillor King also highlighted her involvement in some of Ottawa’s earliest Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations and her continued efforts to promote greater understanding and inclusion.
Pastor Carmen Hamilton was honoured for more than 40 years of community service. Her work as a faith leader, counsellor and community builder has included organizing benefit concerts and children’s camps, mentored at-risk youth and supported newcomers with food, clothing and employment resources.
Her contributions, speakers said, reflect a longstanding commitment to building a more compassionate and inclusive community.
Representing Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada, Her Excellency Marsha Coore Lobban, Camille Morrison, Counsellor at the Commission, congratulated the honourees and commended their commitment to community service.
Morrison recognized Thomas for his years of diaspora and community engagement and Pitt for her pioneering efforts to advance the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Ottawa. She also acknowledged Hamilton’s longstanding work in the community.
She described the honourees as examples of service, perseverance, leadership and community building, noting their contributions to the Jamaican and wider Caribbean community.
For Robinson, recognizing people whose contributions often go unnoticed is an important part of Flo’s Seniors’ work.
She said many people who serve their communities do so “under the radar,” supporting others without necessarily receiving public recognition.
“We need them to be recognized by the community,” Robinson said.
The recognition of community leaders formed part of Flo’s Seniors’ broader mission of supporting older adults in Ottawa and Gatineau.
Founded nine years ago by Robinson, the organization helps seniors find resources that enable them to live independently, remain connected to their communities and age with dignity.
For Robinson, that mission was shaped by her experience watching her late parents struggle to find support when they became ill.
“The motivation for us is that we are helping people, like my late parents. When my parents got sick, they didn’t know where to access resources. And so, what we’re doing is what they needed back then,” she said in an interview with The Black Ottawa Scene.
Robinson said the problem was often not a lack of services, but a lack of information about where seniors could find help.
She recalled how her parents would leave the hospital without knowing about services available to support them at home, including social workers and people who could assist with household tasks.
“They’d go to hospital, go home, not realizing that they had all these social workers, people who can come help clean. And they never told anybody,” She said.
Flo’s Seniors works to bridge that information gap by connecting seniors with resources related to healthcare, finances, cleaning services and other forms of support. Robinson said the organization also helps older adults find affordable equipment, noting that some seniors had been paying significantly more because they were unaware of available discounts.
“A lot of seniors can now stay home because they know where to access resources, so they can stay home,” Robinson said.
Councillor King described Flo’s Seniors as a cornerstone of the community, highlighting its wellness programs, information hubs, regular check-ins, calling initiatives and community celebrations.
“Organizations like Flo’s Seniors ensure our elders are not left behind, not forgotten, and not invisible,” King said.
He said the organization creates spaces where older adults can find belonging, access support, share their wisdom and live with dignity.
“This is not a small thing. This is a profound and necessary thing,” King said.
As Flo’s Seniors continues its work, Robinson said caring for older adults is a responsibility shared by everyone.
She encouraged people to provide seniors with information about available resources, check on them regularly and, importantly, stay in touch.
“Everyone has a responsibility to our seniors,” Robinson said.
“Call our seniors and know how they are doing. And that alone is a big deal. Even a phone call is a big deal for seniors.”