Packed House! Thank you to Crista Renner for our great meeting photos!

Meeting Kick Off and Updates

Our first meeting of 2025 brought out several members!  We had a packed room.

Sharon shared quick updates. Our thermometer total is $526,167 with 191 current members.  There were several pin recipients – (5) for 3 years, (4) for 5 years and (10) for 10 years!

The Three Nominated Charities

Here is a quick overview of the charities that were nominated for the meeting and the presentations:

1) Up and Running Guelph – Nominated by Suzanne Conquer, Presented by Suzanne Conquer and Kate Webster
Started in 2016, this is a 2x per week peer led nature walking or running group.  The group supports those struggling with mental health, including depression.  Their focus is to help women stay active and reduce barriers to being active.  There are 400 members registered.  They meet in groups and walk the trail at Royal City Park.  There is a 3-1 ratio between volunteers and participants.  The group runs fundraising events and receives grants. Suzanne and Kate shared many examples of the impact of the program:

• Women facing social isolation found community
• Women deep in grief met others to support and share their experience
• Women have been able to reduce or eliminate medications for depression and diabetes
• Women who have considered suicide were supported and through connection saw a way forward to life

Donation funds would go towards paying for a Part Time Administrator to oversee 40 volunteers, run the program and work to partner with other organizations.

2) Guelph Public Library Rosa Rattray Early Literacy Fund – Nominated by Wendy Fletcher, Presented by Kirsten Bester and Euan Rattray
The fund was established by the Rattray family when Rosa passed away.  They wanted to continue to support what she loved.  The Fund supports members of our community who may not have access to the tools and resources that support children’s literacy.  Needs are identified by the librarians and staff of the City of Guelph Libraries.  Resources provided to date include:

• Early Learning stations
• Launch pads/tablets specifically designed for young children
• Born to Read packages provided to newborns at the Guelph Hospital
• Light table at Westminster Library
• Educational toys

Many of these resources can be borrowed.  The program seeks to create equality of access and inclusivity.  The goal is to ensure that all children can have what they need to learn, despite potential barriers. Donation funds would go towards improving the Born to Read packages, Discovery Walls and more light tables.

3) Ronald McDonald House Charities South Central Ontario –Nominated by Kayleigh Kennedy, Presented by Kayleigh Kennedy and Meaghan Moore
There are 16 houses in Canada.  The focus for the presentation was Hamilton House.  For Guelph residents, McMaster Children’s Hospital is the local option and many families require the support of RMHC.  Last year the cost of the program for Guelph families was $300,000 (1392 nights and 6900 meals).  Only 30% of the operating costs are covered by McDonald’s.  There are 40 bedrooms in the location across from McMaster, as well as two family rooms located at the hospital.  Families receive shelter, meals and support such as laundry services. There are 15 staff and 200 volunteers.  Kayleigh shared her extremely scary journey with their 2-year-old son, Ethan, who spent 25 months in treatment at McMaster.  The family was able to utilize the support of the organization for Ethan, herself and her family.  Kayleigh shared that Ethan finished his treatments on Sept. 1^st and rang the bell on Sept. 9^th of this year!! Several members of the group shared that they also had relied on the organization.  Donation funds would go towards funding Guelph families requiring the support and services.

Our Chosen Charity

Ronald McDonald House Charities South Central Ontario
https://www.rmhcsco.ca/site/home

If you haven’t sent in your $100 donation yet, please do so by Jan 23rd.  Remember there are two ways to make your donation:

1) Online at our 100WWCG Fundraising Page (please add $4 for processing fee)
OR
2) Send a cheque to Liz Brant (made out to RMHC South Central Ontario) at 10 Wood Duck Court Guelph ON N1C 1B1. Please be sure to add “100 Women Who Care Guelph” to the memo line.

Thank you from Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington (Our October Charity)

Sandra Cocco, ED of Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington returned to share the impact of the donation they received in October as our chosen charity.  Their original plan for the funds was to secure a farm house for temporary housing of asylum seekers requiring shelter.  While this did not come to fruition, an even better opportunity presented itself! They were able to find two other dwellings.  Sandra shared the impact to two families who were very grateful for the difference these resources made to their lives:

• A family of 8 was able to leave one room at a shelter and move into a 2-bedroom location with 5 beds.  They moved in on December 23^rd and have housing until March 31^st.  In addition, several other areas of support were provided including jobs for the parents, language assessment, food, the children registered in school and a Welcome Package.
• A couple expecting a child moved into a 2-bedroom basement apartment.  The father is now working and arranging with the landlord to take over rent payments.

For Sandra’s full comments, please see here.

You can also read the Press Release here – Press Release.

Thank you for your continued generosity, involvement and passion!
The 100WWCG Team
Sharon, Tannis, Lisa, Peggy, Dianne, Melodie, and Denise

Meeting Kick Off and Updates
Our last meeting of 2024 began with a heartfelt thank you to our fabulous sponsors, Delta Hotels and Sandra Lastovic from Skip the Bank.
 
Ten years ago, when 100WWCG began, the fundraising goal was set at $500,000. This milestone was surpassed at our June meeting with a total reaching $509,667! We now have a new target of $1,000,000!  (The thermometer on the website has been updated accordingly).
 
There were six new members attending, which brings our membership total to 184. We had two recipients of the 3-year pins.  Starting in 2025, the 10-year pins make their debut!  The first pins will be given out at the January meeting.

The Three Nominated Charities

Here is a quick overview of the charities that were nominated for the meeting and the presentations:
 
1) Royal City Mission
Nominated by Sherri McIntyre & Presentation by Kevin Coghill, ED
 
Kevin began by sharing that the Royal City Mission had recently served its 50,000^th meal. He highlighted that the biggest need faced, however, is creating a feeling of belonging and welcome for people, which the Mission strives to provide. In addition to meals, other services include storage facilities to provide safe, dry places to keep belongings, group memorials to remember those who have passed, and outreach programs to offer support. There are many volunteers (400 in total, with a core of 70) and paid staff who deal with more complex needs like overdose.
 
At one point the Mission was open 7 days a week for 12 hours per day. It is currently open 5 days a week for 5 hours per day. While funding is received, it fluctuates. Funds from 100WWCG would be used to increase the number of days and hours the Mission is open.
 
2) North End Harvest Market
Nominated by Peggy Brightwell & Presentation by Barb McPhee, Market Manager
 
The North End Harvest Market was started 10 years ago to serve the North End of the city. They provide fresh produce to low income individuals and families. Every week they serve 284 people on a rotating schedule of 2 weeks (there is a Blue group and a Yellow group).Throughout the pandemic, they expanded their reach to serve other parts of the city. Recently North End Harvest Market has worked with other organizations to transition away from these areas and refocus their efforts on the North End.
 
A series of events have placed the group in a challenging position – fundraising suffered tremendously while Barb was hospitalized for a time, the group was forced to move from Waverly School to Trinity United Church, and demand continues to grow. Government funding has helped in the past, but the group is short on funds now. Money received from 100WWCG would be used to cover food purchases for the remainder of the year. Product is sourced through Seed Warehouse at a reduced cost and nothing is wasted.
 
3. Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington
Nominated & Presentation by Sandra Cocco, CEO
 
Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington is the only group that serves newcomers in our area. Started in 1978, they currently serve 4800 clients. While the mandate of Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington is to serve as a bridge to connect this community with services, they increasingly need to find short term shelter for people, especially asylum seekers.
 
Asylum seekers face a unique challenge when coming to Canada. They cannot work initially which limits their access to government programs and makes it exceedingly difficult to secure housing upon arrival. Currently 61% of asylum seekers are in a shelter. Many of the shelters are at capacity and families in particular find it difficult to find a place to live. Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington has an emergency fund that is used to house people for a short time in hotels. This fund has been significantly depleted based on increasing demand. A local non-profit has offered a house on its property for rent. The funds from 100WWCG would go towards securing this facility for the winter months.

Our Chosen Charity
Our chosen charity was Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington!

If you haven’t sent in your $100 donation yet, please do so by October 30th.  Remember there are two ways to make your donation:

1) Online at our 100WWCG Fundraising Page (please add $4 for processing fee)
OR
2) Send a cheque to Liz Brant (made out to Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington) at 10 Wood Duck Court Guelph ON N1C 1B1

Thank you from Hope House Guelph  
(our June charity)

Hope House Guelph was the chosen charity from our June meeting. Jaya James, Executive Director of Hope House Guelph, joined us to provide an update on how the funds were used. You can read her full presentation on our website at this Link.
 
Here are some highlights:

• Eggs and milk were provided to 3042 individuals
• 150 eggs and 360 litres of milk were provided over 13 weeks
• Hope House measured the impact of the program to those they served:
  • 98% accessed healthy food
  • 89% said that their eating habits had improved
  • 79% reported improved mental health

 Jaya reminded us that there are two important aspects to non-profit work: front line support AND working to change the system to move beyond crisis mode.

Thank you for your continued generosity, involvement and passion!
The 100WWCG Team
Sharon, Tannis, Lisa, Peggy, Dianne and Denise

Photo Courtesy of Crista Renner

June 24^th marked the end of the 10^th year of meetings for 100 Women Who Care Guelph!  Once again, we had a full room of attendees.  The meeting kicked off with a thank you to our generous meeting space sponsors – Sandra Lastovic at Skip the Bank and Delta Hotels.

We celebrated our 3 year and 5 year pin recipients (22 members for 3 years and 25 members for 5 years) and one of our recipients was in attendance and recognized.   Currently membership is at 176, with 170 pledging donations.  Our “thermometer” update reflected $496,516 donated to date, and with donations pouring in at the close of the meeting, we crossed the $500,000 threshold.

Our three nominated charities were:

• Hope House Guelph (www.hopehouseguelph.ca)
• Guelph Community Health Centre  – Pathways to Remembering (www.wgdrugstrategy.ca/donate)
• Chalmers Community Service Centre (www.chalmerscentre.ca)

Hope House Guelph: Nominated by Terrie Jarvis, Presentation by Jaya James

Jaya spoke about the impact that lack of affordable housing is having on our community.  Guelph is one of the most expensive cities in Canada in which to live, and many people are having to choose between shelter and food.  Hope House Guelph helps to address this food insecurity through their 9 food markets.  Jaya shared that many of the donations received through other charitable organizations are carbohydrates.  Hope House Guelph augments these donations by providing milk and eggs.  Their supplier is Equality Foods where they receive wholesale pricing and a 22% discount. In the last year alone there has been a 34% increase in demand and over the last 4 years expenses have increased from $50,000 to $300,000. If selected, the donation would go towards supplying these essential foods for 4-5 months (approximately 3000 people).

Guelph Community Health Centre – Pathways to Remembering: Nominated by Dianne Dance, Presentation by Jean Hopkins and Karen Lomax

This was the second time this year that Guelph Community Health Centre – Pathways to Remembering was presented. Jean and Karen reminded us of the terrible toll from drug poisoning death.  Last year 27 people in Guelph lost their lives in the last year, an increase of 17% over the previous year.  Their loved ones deal not only with tremendous loss, but also face the stigma often associated with drug poisoning death.  Karen shared her personal story of how community support can make an incredible difference.  Pathways to Remembering is a memorial meant to give a sanctuary to remember and grieve loved ones, and also provide a signal to the community that we stand together in support.  To date $17,000 of the required $50,000 has been raised to build the memorial.  If selected, the donation would be used towards completing the memorial in time for Overdose Awareness Day in August 2025.

Chalmers Community Service Centre: Nominated by Ali Jukes, Presentation by Janet Wood

Janet shared that Chalmers Community Service Centre began 27 years ago supporting single men in the downtown area.  In 2014 this grew to supporting families, and now 60% of the guests at Chalmers Community Service Centre are children.  Their services include nutritional food, hygiene products, Christmas bags, and clothes mending and tailoring.  Janet spoke to the growing food insecurity in our community and the need for fresh produce. Demand has grown by 30%. If selected, the donation would be used to provide groceries to their guests as they are currently having to turn people away.

Our Chosen Charity

Hope House Guelph
https://www.hopehouseguelph.ca

If you haven’t sent in your $100 donation yet, please do so by July 8th.  Remember there are two ways to make your donation:

1) Online at our 100WWCG Fundraising Page (please add $4 for processing fee)

OR

2) Send a cheque to Liz Brant (made out to Hope House Guelph) at 10 Wood Duck Court Guelph ON N1C 1B1

Thank you from Guelph Wish Fund for Children (our April charity)

Jessica Hill from Guelph Wish Fund for Children, our selected charity in April, updated the group. The charity was also featured in the Globe and Mail.  Jessica shared the impact the $15,500 donation made:

• Aria suffers from a rare form of epilepsy.  Her family was able to purchase a monitor that would alert her family and doctor of seizures.  Previously one of her parents had to sleep with her.
• Macy loves camping.  Through the donations, her family was able to purchase a camper trailer.
• Weston, who is a wheelchair, can navigate his home more easily based on changes his family was able to make.
• Owen received a rock-climbing wall and water table in his home.
• Liam fulfilled his dream by taking the movie site tour of his favourite films in Hawaii.

She thanked 100WWCG for the gift of love, hope and joy that comes with precious memories.  For Jessica’s full comments, please click here. 

Photo Courtesy of Crista Renner

Thank you for your continued generosity, involvement and passion!
The 100WWCG Team
Sharon, Tannis, Lisa, Peggy, Dianne and Denise

Meeting Kick Off and Updates

The meeting began with a thank you to the sponsorship and generosity of Delta Hotels and Sandra Lastovic from Skip the Bank for covering the costs of the meeting room. This allows us to come together as a group, which is such an important part of 100WWCG.
 
Joining us for the meeting were 6 new members (WOW!) and some women considering involvement.   We had 24 members receiving their 3 year pin and 26 members receiving their 5 year pin (Congratulations ladies!  We’ve included a picture of some of the recipients in attendance below).  To date we have 179 members and 173 pledged nominations and total funds donated have reached $477,516.  The goal of 100WWCG is $500,000 so we are thisclose!

The Three Nominated Charities

Here is a quick overview of the charities that were nominated for the meeting and the presentations:
 
Guelph Chamber Choir – Nominated by Megan Hodge & Presented by Sya VanGeest
Sya began by reminding us that music and harmony can draw us together. The Guelph Chamber Choir seeks to do this through two main streams – through their programming and performances and through their community outreach program, Sing Out.
 
Sya explained that the donated funds would be used to support a concert within the Sing Out outreach program called “Can Your Hear Me”.  This concert would feature the work of diverse and marginalized composers, and funds would go towards covering the costs of three key components: Clinic workshops between the composers and the performers, purchasing the rights to perform the musical scores already planned (which also benefits the composers), and commissioning two additional original works for the concert.
  
Guelph Wish Fund for Children – Nominated by Margo Conlon & Presented by Jessica Hill
Started in 1984, the mandate of Guelph Wish Fund for Children is to fulfill wishes and provide support to children under the age of 19, residing in Guelph or Wellington County, who are living with a significant illness, life-altering injury or a rare and debilitating syndrome.
 
Jessica outlined that each child accepted into the program receives $10,000 and that the funds are used for a variety of needs (each vetted and approved by the Executive Director): travel, a wish or experience, purchasing medical equipment, and lost income to name a few.  Jessica shared the stories of children currently in the program and her own heartbreaking experience of losing her 14 year old daughter.  The donation funds from 100WWCG would be used to support the children and their families and 100% of the money would be used here.
 
Guelph Community Health Centre- Nominated & Presented by Barb Tremblay (she was joined by Jean Hopkins for Q&A)
Barb began her presentation with the staggering statistics of drug poisoning in our community.  In addition to their grief, she shared the impact of stigma and judgement families and loved ones left behind face.
 
A project to build a memorial called Pathways to Remembering was initiated.  The purpose of this memorial is to provide a peaceful place to remember loved ones that offers dignity and respect.  It is also a reminder to the community that we all know either an individual or their loved ones who have been touched by this tragedy.  The memorial has been designed and will cost $50,000.  A total of $16,000 has been raised to date. It is the hope that the memorial will be completed by August in time for Drug Poisoning Awareness Day.  Donated funds from 100WWCG would go towards funding the rest of the memorial costs.

Our Chosen Charity

Guelph Wish Fund for Children
https://www.guelphwishfund.com/

If you haven’t sent in your $100 donation yet, please do so by April 23rd.  Remember there are two ways to make your donation:

1) Online at our 100WWCG Fundraising Page (please add $4 for processing fee)

OR

2) Send a cheque to Liz Brant (made out to Guelph Wish Fund for Children) at 10 Wood Duck Court Guelph ON N1C 1B1

Thank you from Master Gardeners of Ontario (our January charity)

Danielle Gignac joined us to provide an update on the progress of the Master Gardeners, which was chosen by our members at the January meeting.

Our donation was used to create a program for Grade 3 students which educates them about the opportunities of growing food gardens with their families.  The program encourages kids to learn life skills which will be beneficial in the long term and funds were used to build kits for approximately 20 classrooms, including educational information for starting and maintaining vegetable gardens – along with a raised planter, full spectrum grow lights, soil, trays, seeds, and necessary tools. Danielle shared that this program will now be ready to launch on April 15th!  You can read Danielle’s full comments here.

Thank you for your continued generosity, involvement and passion!
The 100WWCG Team
Sharon, Tannis, Lisa, Peggy, Dianne and Denise