On Saturday, OgdenCAN held a free community breakfast, inviting neighbors and those affiliated with OgdenCAN alike to celebrate the group — a collaboration between Weber State University and local partners such as the Weber-Morgan Health Department to aid the city’s East Central Neighborhood — at the WSU Community Education Center.

Meggie Troili, OgdenCAN director, said that the group started 10 years ago with a simple belief.

“Lasting change happens when large institutions like Weber State University and local organizations — which many of you are representing today — and community members come together to have an impact on their community,” she said. “Over the last decade, that’s exactly what has happened. We built partnerships across sectors. We’ve invested in research to better understand our communities. We’ve worked to align efforts around health, education, economic opportunity and neighborhood wellbeing. … But more than anything, we’ve built relationships.”

Also speaking Saturday morning was Bryce Sherwood, community health division director with Weber-Morgan Health Department, who said OgdenCAN serves a wide swath of the city.

“OgdenCAN became a coalition of anchor institutions, community partners and neighbors committed to improving the health and well-being of Ogden’s East Central neighborhood,” he said. “Roughly 14,000 people living between Adams Avenue and Harrison Boulevard, 20th to 30th Street. Over the past decade, OgdenCAN … has invested about $1.4 million into the community ranging from health initiatives to leadership programs to housing resources.”

During his time at the podium, Sherwood spoke about some of the accomplishments the group has made in its focus areas of health, education and housing.

He said there’s a lot on the horizon for the group as it moves into its second decade of existence.

“Future goals include securing new anchor institutions, growing financial support and expanding the community leaders network and strengthening partnerships across all sectors,” he said. “The next 10 years will be built on everything this community has already proven — that when neighbors, universities and health systems and local organizations work together, health improves, children learn and families stay housed.”

Ogden City Council member Flor Lopez also spoke Saturday morning.

“When I got involved (with OgdenCAN) the first time, I remember I came in the room for my first meeting,” she said. “I wasn’t a Council member — I’d never dreamed nor had it crossed my mind to be a Council member at that time. I remember I came into the room not knowing what’s going on there and feeling like, ‘Maybe I don’t belong there.'”

She said it didn’t take long for her to realize that she did.

“After everyone started sharing their stories, I thought maybe my voice mattered too,” she said. “Maybe it’s meant to be to be here.”

Lopez said she took a valuable lesson from the organization.

“Through this organization, I began to learn that everyone is an asset,” she said. “Everyone has something to offer to this community, no matter what — even if it’s cooking, even if it’s connecting with someone else. Those values are the ones I still have with me right now.”

Following the program Saturday morning, Troili told the Standard-Examiner that Saturday was a successful celebration of OgdenCAN.

“Today was amazing,” she said. “The community showed up as they always do to support our work in the East Central Neighborhood. There’s something about not just sharing a meal together, but sharing a meal with CEOs, nonprofit leaders, residents and neighbors to celebrate together. It’s pretty dang special and that’s what OgdenCAN is all about.”

She said the group looks forward to continuing its mission in the next decade of existence.

“The next 10 years are going to be full of new relationships, new partners and growth so that we can impact more neighborhoods in Ogden,” she said.