Author Archives: Tannis Sprott

100 Women Who Care Guelph Supports Rosa Rattray Early Literacy Fund

100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen Guelph Public Library’s Rosa Rattray Early Literacy Fund to receive its most recent approximately $20,000 donation helping them to continue servicing their early learning programs in partnership with Guelph General Hospital.

Established in 2017, the Rosa Rattray Early Literacy Fund (RRELF) was created to help ensure that every child in our community has the chance to discover the joy, confidence and opportunities that literacy can provide.

Imagine a child who doesn’t have any books at home or a child without reliable access to educational resources or even someone to read to them? For that child, the literacy gap starts early and it grows quickly. In Guelph/Wellington County, one in three senior kindergarten students is considered vulnerable in at least one area of early literacy development.

The fund (RRELF) makes possible Early Literacy Stations at all Guelph Public Libraries, Playaway Launchpads filled with educational content geared for young users, STEM Robots and Technology Tools that make learning fun and interactive plus books, toys and hands-on materials designed to inspire curiosity and growth. They help children build vocabulary confidence, curiosity and a lifelong level of learning. The library also started a program called Reading Buddies where team volunteers provide services to parents who don’t know how to teach their children to read.

As our community becomes more culturally diverse, the Library’s main website page is in different languages with access to information on how to get a library card, where the libraries are located plus available resources.

Their Born to Read program at Guelph General Hospital and extended to midwives provides welcome bags to each child born in Guelph and contains a child’s first book plus information regarding early literacy and the services provided by the RRELF.

Visit www.womenwhocareguelph.com for more information or to join 100WWCG and help support those in need in our community.

100 Women Who Care Guelph Impact Update

When I joined you in June, I shared a simple but important reality: without additional community support, we would not be able to maintain full summer drop-in hours at The Grove Youth Wellness Hub. Thanks to your collective generosity, that reality changed.

Because of your gift, The Grove remained open Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. throughout the entire summer, providing a safe, welcoming space where young people could connect, belong, and access support when they needed it most.

What often begins as a young person stopping by for a game, an activity, or simply a place to spend time can become so much more. Through trusted relationships with our Youth Ambassadors and staff, young people find support navigating mental health concerns, interpersonal relationships, school challenges, family difficulties, and complex service systems. The connections that start over a board game, a craft, or a shared meal frequently become the bridge to life-changing support.

Across the YMCA Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario network, youth visit hubs approximately 150 times each day, 90% receive clinical services within 72 hours, and 99% say they would recommend the service to a friend. Those numbers reflect the power of accessible, youth-centered support, and your investment helped ensure that young people in Guelph had access to that same model throughout the summer.

Your support made it possible for us to offer a wide range of engaging programming, including book clubs, guided journalling, tie-dye workshops, self-care cafés, nature walks, gaming tournaments, Boys Club discussions focused on healthy relationships, back-to-school preparation activities, and our popular “Cupcakes and Consent” workshop. We also welcomed community partners such as Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis and the Guelph Public Library, further expanding opportunities for youth to learn, connect, and grow.

One of the summer’s most exciting developments was the launch of YLAB, a pilot program created in partnership between our Children’s and Youth Services teams. Designed for youth ages 10 to 13, YLAB helps bridge the transition into teen programming through leadership activities, baking projects, group planning, and skill development.

What made the program especially meaningful was the opportunity for participants to build relationships with youth staff before entering our teen programs. By the end of the summer, many youth who may have felt uncertain about taking that next step had already developed confidence in the space, formed trusting relationships with staff, and become excited about the opportunities available to them at The Grove.

Your gift did more than fund summer hours. It created opportunities for connection, belonging, growth, and support. It ensured that whenever a young person walked through our doors this summer, someone was there to welcome them, listen to them, and help them take the next step forward.

On behalf of the young people we serve and the staff who support them every day, thank you for believing in youth and investing in their well-being. Your collective generosity made a meaningful difference in the lives of young people across our community.

100 Women Who Care Guelph Supports the YMCA of Three Rivers

100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen the YMCA of Three Rivers to receive its most recent approximately $20,000 donation helping them to continue servicing their Youth Wellness Hub, a program run in conjunction with CMHA that operates across seven sites in Guelph Wellington. Along with 25 other local agencies, the YMCA of Three Rivers is making system navigation easy for young people, providing a space where they feel safe, supported and comfortable. Every person between the age of 13 to 26 is welcome. Since opening the Hub in September 2025, it has become the busiest in the province. Kids can just drop in to do their homework, play games or talk to friends while accessing much needed resources and support to navigate their well-being. Upwards of 40 kids per day utilize the Hub.

One of the many services and programs offered at the Hub is counseling for young adults to help them find summer employment. The Back on Track program provides an alternative suspension site for kids suspended from school. Along with doing their homework, there are courses and programs offered that directly relate to their suspension with the goal of teaching them healthier habits and better behaviours before returning to school. The Cook Eat Connect program teaches up to 10 youths how to make dinner for their peers. The Just in and Out program is for neurodiverse youth from across Guelph to experience their high school prom in a supported, more comfortable atmosphere. There are also identity groups for diverse youths.

Whether it’s learning programs, sports or just mingling with other kids, the staff and young role models at the YMCA Youth Wellness Hub are trained in mental health and first aid and can pick up on a youth’s cries for help. This drop-in centre might sound like it’s just fun and games but…it’s changing and saving lives of young people in this community.

Visit www.womenwhocareguelph.com for more information or to join 100WWCG

United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin Greatly Appreciates our Donation

Glenna Banda of United Way, Home for Good

Thank you for inviting us back today.

In April, the members of 100 Women Who Care chose to support the Home for Good
Campaign. On behalf of everyone involved in this work, thank you. Your collective gift is
helping create permanent solutions to homelessness in our community, and today I’d
like to share how your donation is being used and the impact it will have for years to
come.

When we first spoke with you, we talked about a simple reality: too many people in our
community are experiencing homelessness. We shared that housing is a proven
solution, and that local organizations are working hard to respond to increasingly
complex needs. We also explained that the Home for Good Campaign exists to raise
community dollars that help build permanent housing solutions while reducing the
fundraising burden on the charities doing this work every day.

Your gift became part of that solution.

The funds contributed through 100 Women Who Care were directed toward the Home
for Good Campaign and are helping support the Welcome 2 Waterloo project,
Wyndham House’s newest supportive housing initiative for youth in our community.

Located at 107 and 109 Waterloo Avenue in Guelph, Welcome 2 Waterloo is creating 13
housing units designed specifically for young people who are experiencing or at risk of
homelessness. Ten of these units will provide deeply affordable supportive housing with
24-hour wraparound supports, while three additional units will offer transitional
independent living opportunities for youth who need a different level of support.

But what makes this project so important is not simply the number of units being
created. It is what those units represent.

For many young people, homelessness is not simply the absence of housing. It is the
daily experience of instability, trauma, isolation, and uncertainty. It means focusing every
day on survival rather than education, employment, health, relationships, or future
goals.

Your gift is helping create a place where young people can move beyond survival.

The Welcome 2 Waterloo building has been intentionally designed to support
independence, dignity, and long-term success. Residents will have access to safe,
comfortable living spaces, on-site supports, and a community that helps them build life
skills and confidence. The project has also been thoughtfully designed to support youth
whose circumstances can make traditional congregate housing difficult, including young
parents and individuals who have experienced domestic violence or human trafficking.

Because of supporters like you, these young people will have more than a roof over
their heads. They will have stability. They will have support. They will have an
opportunity to heal and to build a future.

We have already seen what happens when supportive housing becomes available in
our community.

Through the Home for Good Campaign, community donations have helped create
permanent supportive housing at 10 Shelldale, Grace Gardens, and Bellevue. Together,
these projects have added 72 permanent supportive housing units to Guelph
.
The results have been transformative.

Residents who once cycled between shelters, hospitals, encampments, and emergency
services now have stable homes. People who spent years focused solely on survival
are reconnecting with healthcare, pursuing education, volunteering, building
relationships, and contributing to their communities.

One resident of supportive housing shared, “For the first time in years, I feel safe.”

Another said, “Housing didn’t just give me a place to live. It gave me back my voice, my
confidence, and my future.”

That is the impact your gift helps make possible.

And perhaps most importantly, your donation demonstrates the power of collective
action. The Home for Good Campaign has raised more than $2.6 million – one
donation, one contribution, and one cheque at a time. Every gift joins with others to
create something much larger than any one donor could accomplish alone.

When 100 Women Who Care selected Home for Good, you weren’t simply funding a
building project. You were investing in young people, in dignity, in health, and in a
stronger community.

You were saying that homelessness is not inevitable, that permanent solutions are
possible, and that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

On behalf of the Home for Good Campaign partners, and the future residents of
Welcome 2 Waterloo, thank you for being part of that solution.

Your gift is helping transform lives, and its impact will be felt for generations to come.

100 Women Who Care Guelph Supports the United Way – Home for Good Campaign

100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen the United Way – Home for Good Campaign to receive its most recent approximately $19,000 donation, helping them continue their mission of addressing homelessness and providing safe housing for people who fall into homelessness. The Home for Good Campaign helps take some of the financial burden off the many community organizations that are also responding to the increased need, complexity and reality of homelessness by raising money to help build permanent housing solutions for people who are episodic or chronically homeless.

Just imagine waking up in an encampment and having major physical and/or mental issues. It can be difficult to remember to take medication, or to store it safely and securely when the main focus each day is on finding a meal. A local outreach nurse and outreach worker come to encampments offering critical support by booking appointments and arranging transportation to the downtown nurse practitioner.

Starting in 2023, youths who had aged out of Wyndham House began to hear of people moving into Grace Gardens, Bellevue, and 10 Shelldale, Guelph’s current permanent supportive housing projects. Between the 3 programs, there are 72 units with 24-hour (as needed) support. Living in one of these units, the residents no longer need to spend every day trying to survive but instead have a safe, dry place to sleep, shower, store their belongings and medications. There are on-site people checking in on them, listening to them and helping them to gain a voice and confidence in their future.

Project Waterloo will be Guelph’s newest supportive housing initiative. Located on Waterloo Ave., it will be comprised of 13 units (10 fully supported) and will help to reduce youth homelessness in our city.

The 100WWCG donation will significantly bolster the Home for Good Campaign, helping change lives.

Visit www.womenwhocareguelph.com for more information or to join 100WWCG.

Alzheimer Society Waterloo Wellington Offers Their Gratitude

Lawrence Lutgendorff, Director of Fund Development and Communications for Alzheimer Society Waterloo Wellington

Thank you Tannis and Good evening everyone,

I’m honoured to be here with the 100 Women Who Care Guelph chapter. Because of you, something powerful is happening in our community.

Your gift of $19,347 is not just a number. It is connection. It is dignity. It is hope for people living with dementia—and for the people who love them. I want to share a quick story.

I recently met a husband named John and his wife, Mary. Mary is living with dementia. Before joining Minds in Motion, their world had become very small. Social outings felt overwhelming. Conversations were harder. And John was carrying a lot on his own. Then they found Minds in Motion.

Each week, they come together to move, laugh, and connect with others who understand their journey. Mary lights up during the exercise and activities. And John? He told me,

“FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, I DON’T FEEL ALONE.” That feeling— that relief, that joy — is what you made possible.

Because of you, more families like John and Mary can step into a safe, welcoming space where they are seen, supported, and valued. You are not just funding a program. You are restoring moments of joy. You are strengthening relationships. You are giving care partners the strength to keep going.

And that matters more than you may ever fully see.

On behalf of everyone at the Alzheimer Society Waterloo Wellington—and every family you are lifting up—thank you.

Your compassion is changing lives, one moment at a time.

If you are moved to do more I have a couple of options for you.

First, You can join our annual Walk For Alzheimers. This nation-wide event supports local front line work. All the funds raised go to ASWW’s therapeutic recreation programs like the one you just supported. The walk is at Riverside park this year. Click this link to register

Second, and maybe more important you could become a volunteer and help out at any of our therapeutic recreation programs. You can sign up to register on our Website, Click here to volunteer.

Again, thank you so much for your generous support.

G2G Bridge the Gap Media Release

Momentum builds to bridge the gap with a safer off-road trail connection into Guelph

Community and stakeholders get behind G2G Rail Trail Guelph Trailway Connection project. Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie drives $128k commitment from city. 100 Women Who Care Guelph and Trans Canada Trail contribute new funds.

February 18, 2026 – Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail (G2G) is pleased to highlight important new funding from the City of Guelph, 100 Women Who Care Guelph, and Trans Canada Trail to complete the design of a new off-road trail that will connect the G2G Guelph Trailway to the G2G Rail Trail trailhead at Marden.

By bridging the Guelph-area’s final gap in the G2G Rail Trail, users will for the first time be able to seamlessly and more safely experience the full breadth of the 132-kilometre G2G Rail Trail, providing significant benefits to the recreational community and the Guelph tourism economy.

The proposed new 2.7-kilometre trail is situated along the City-owned Guelph Junction Railway (GJR) right of way between the recently-completed GJR Multi-Use Trail at Woodlawn Road and the G2G Rail Trail trailhead on Silvercreek Parkway North at Marden. Currently, the only way for trail users to continue their journeys between Guelph and Marden is to travel on the narrow shoulder of Silvercreek Parkway North, sharing space with cars and trucks on this heavilytrafficked roadway.

“This project is about safety, accessibility, and finishing what our community has clearly asked for,” says Willow Hall, Executive Director of G2G Rail Trail Inc. “Right now, families, seniors, commuters, and visitors are forced onto a high-speed road to move between trail systems. Bridging this gap transforms Guelph into a true gateway to the G2G Rail Trail and ensures the experience is safe and welcoming for everyone.”

“Thanks to the strong support of Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie and the City of Guelph staff, plus the decisions of 100 Women Who Care Guelph, and Trans Canada Trail to really get behind the project, funding is now available to do the next phase of diligence on a safe trail solution that works for all stakeholders.”

Project Information:

Diligence continues on numerous fronts, including the completion of a topographical survey, a preliminary trail design, an independent rail safety audit and intensive engagement with numerous stakeholders. Creating a safe, environmentally sound, and cost-effective overall design that is acceptable to all stakeholders is the priority before moving to construction.

Construction of a dedicated off-road trail connection, which has received overwhelming community support, is the top priority of the City of Guelph Trails Master Plan, and is aligned with the Vision Zero safety approach of the City of Guelph Transportation Master Plan.

Research indicates that completion of the G2G Rail Trail Guelph Trailway Connection project will produce benefits for all trail users, and significantly boost the local economy by making Guelph the true gateway to one of the most significant active transportation and recreation corridors in the province. Thirty percent of G2G Rail Trail users start or finish their journeys at the Ariss trailhead, and not Guelph, primarily for reasons of safety due to the lack of a continuous offroad trail connection to the Guelph Trailway section of the G2G Rail Trail.

The aspirational goal of this community-led, city-supported project is to complete the G2G Rail Trail Guelph Trailway Connection in time for the Guelph and Goderich bicentennial celebrations in 2027.

New funding: Getting behind the project

City of Guelph
For the current fiscal year, using a special mayoral allocation, the City of Guelph has dedicated $128,000 to the G2G Rail Trail Guelph Trailway Connection initiative for completion of the design work and diligence required prior to construction of the new trail.

100 Women Who Care Guelph
This exceptional local group, whose mission is to contribute to the health and vitality of the Guelph community, selected G2G Rail Trail as recipient of its October 2025 financial donation of $19,023. Funds will support creation of the detailed design for the proposed section of trail.

Trans Canada Trail
The organization that stewards Canada’s nationwide trail system believes in the importance of bridging this final gap, supporting the G2G Rail Trail Guelph Trailway Connection initiative with a contribution of $15,000 earmarked to help bring this project towards construction.

About the G2G Rail Trail and G2G Rail Trail Inc.

The G2G Rail Trail is a 132-kilometre multi-use trail connecting the scenic shoreline of Lake Huron in Goderich to the vibrant city of Guelph. This well-maintained trail invites people of all ages and abilities to experience diverse landscapes and 13 unique communities along the way. It promotes health and well-being, and raises awareness of rural agriculture, heritage, and the environment. G2G Rail Trail is a treasured and vital southwestern Ontario experience with more than 800,000 unique visits per year.

The mission of G2G Rail Trail Inc. is to develop and maintain a safe and accessible trail for all users to enjoy recreational activities year-round. G2G Rail Trail aims to improve the quality of life of people in the communities it services while preserving and celebrating local history.

Web: g2grailtrail.com

G2G Rail Trail Expresses Their Thanks

Good evening, everyone,

I am so grateful to be here tonight to say a heartfelt thank you to 100 Women Who Care. Your support has been pivotal — a true springboard moment for the Guelph Gateway Trail.

While nothing has been built yet, your generosity has made something just as important possible: we now have a fully funded, detailed design budget of $170,000. This is the crucial step that allows us to move forward in a thoughtful, professional, and safe way.

With this funding, in the first quarter of 2026, we will begin working with engineers and other third-party experts to secure the detailed design for the project. This is the blueprint stage — the foundation for turning vision into reality.

Your support has also leveraged additional commitments of $150,000 from key trail partners, including the Trans Canada Trail and the City of Guelph. Together, these contributions mean we are fully prepared to move forward in 2026, and your impact is already being multiplied.

If you would like to follow our progress and see your contribution in action, I invite you to visit our website, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on social media. We want to keep you updated every step of the way — because this project is made possible by you, and your support deserves to be celebrated.

On behalf of everyone at G2G Rail Trail, thank you again for your generosity, your trust, and for being a catalyst for this next chapter of the Guelph Gateway Trail. Your contribution is truly helping to bridge gaps, build connections, and create a lasting impact in our community.

Kind regards,
Willow Hall, ED

100 Women Who Care Guelph Supports the Alzheimer Society of Waterloo Wellington

100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen the Alzheimer Society of Waterloo
Wellington (ASWW) to receive it’s most recent approximately $19,000
donation helping them continue their mission of alleviating the personal and social
consequences of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and to promote
continued research.

In just 4 years, there will be an estimated 1 million people affected in some way by
dementia. Today there are over 41,000 people in this region alone who are living
with or directly impacted by this disease.

Minds in Motion is an 8 eight-week recreational therapy program offered by
ASWW designed specifically for people with dementia and their care partners. The
program combines physical exercise, social connection and cognitive stimulation.
Research has shown that these 3 activities done together can slow the progression
of the disease. The unplanned benefit of this program has been a rebuilding of lost
community. Many participants create new social support networks with their
fellow participants.

In addition, they also offer a music program. Music and speech reside in different
parts of the brain and when people have dementia, they tend to lose vocabulary and
speech but can retain rhythm and even the ability to sing.

The Minds in Motion program is offered free of charge to their clients and they
always have a waiting list of approximately 1000 people per year. As ASWW
receives no government funding for this program, every dollar needed to keep this
program running comes from supporters and organizations like 100WWCG. For
every $100 gift, they can provide space for one couple to join the Minds in Motion
program, offering much needed support and companionship on their journey.

Visit www.womenwhocareguelph.com for more information or to join 100WWCG
and help support those in need in our community.

100 Women Who Care Guelph supports the Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail Inc. (G2G)

100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail Inc. (G2G) to receive its most recent $18,000+ donation, helping with Phase One of a project to avoid a dangerous section of the G2G in Guelph.

G2G’s overall mission is to develop and maintain the 132 km long G2G Rail Trail along Southwestern Ontario’s historical transportation route that supports various recreational activities.

It is accessible, welcoming users of all ages and abilities to enjoy the beautiful terrain. In 2025, some 800,000 people used part or all of the G2G.

The Guelph Hiking Trail Club noted that “… for the Guelph portion of the G2G, there is a consistent trail from the Covered Bridge at The Boathouse to Speedvale Avenue East, just east of Woolwich Street, but then a gap! Trail users must then use Guelph roadways to get to the trailhead at Silvercreek Parkway, north of the city.

The solution? A 3 km off-road trail that would connect the section from Speedvale to Silvercreek = the “Bridge the Gap” project!

An earlier donation, matched by the city of Guelph, enabled G2G to do the necessary preliminary work to move this project forward as a “community-led, city-supported” project. Unfortunately, G2G lacks funds to move to the next phase.

G2G would use 100WWCG’s $18,000+ to fund creation of a ‘detailed design’ that will be the blueprint for the construction phase of the 3 km “Bridge the Gap” project.

With an approved detailed design and a history of successful fundraising for major projects, (see G2G website) the project can then move to capital fundraising of approximately $1.5 to $2 million for Bridge the Gap.

“Bridge the Gap” is intended to remove the risk of accidents to those on Silvercreek and move people safely along the entire G2G route.

Visit www.100womenwhocareguelph.com for more information or to join 100WWCG and help support those in need in our community.