Torchlight Services Receives the Donation Cheques From 100WWCG
September 23, 2021
Dear 100 Women Who Care,
It has been 3 months since Torchlight received the great news that our organization was the successful charity. Your generous donation enabled us to continue to engage with our participants in a meaningful way through the Connect Virtual Program.
The Connect program offers virtual programming to underserved (due to pandemic restrictions) and isolated participants with disabilities.
Your donation amounted to just under $10,000. This allowed us the opportunity to continue to connect our participants with their community through the purchase of outside instructors. We were also able to re-hire our student program facilitators.
Your donation not only helped Torchlight Services and our participants, but it also supported small local businesses and students who have been struggling locating employment during this pandemic.
I know that there are many worthy charities that need support, especially during this time; and Torchlight is grateful for your generosity.
Hats off to the three dedicated 100WWCG members who volunteered to describe the significant work their charity undertakes and how our donation would be deployed to improve the service they provide to our community!
Our donation will allow Torchlight Services to continue their mission to “advocate for, promote, and facilitate the full participation, inclusion and empowerment of people who have a disability within the community.”
Torchlight has earmarked these funds to continue running virtual programs which help clients to socialize and engage in fun games and activities. The expected outcome will be a reduction of boredom and loneliness and an increased feeling of emotional well-being for program participants.
For more information, follow this link to our most recent press release.
The Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition would like to extend our huge gratitude to the 100 Women Who Care and your amazing gift. The NEHM provides fresh and nutritious food to hundreds of community members each week. Over the past year the pandemic has caused a lot of stress and trauma in the lives of so many of our friends. This has created more need for the NEHM’s work and increased our food budget. Your gift could not have come at a better time. I’d like all of us to reflect on why so many in our community need to access emergency food programs and the inequity in our city and country.
Thanks from Brendan Johnson – Executive Director GNSC.
The North End Harvest Market would like to thank 100 Women Who Care Guelph for your amazing dedication to our community and especially to our vulnerable citizens struggling daily and even more during this pandemic to put good nutritious food on their tables with a special shout out to Linda Cowbrough who was our nominator and is a great market supporter and volunteer.
Thanks from Barb McPhee – NEHM Manager
The North End Harvest Market started in July of 2013 as a pilot project to provide fresh produce in the north end of Guelph (which was a food desert) to low income families. With no sustainable funding, just donations and help from grants and our ADOPT-A-WEEK program, the market has been able to provide this service for the past 7 years.
May 28th – 2021 – Carol Dilworth (100WWCG) presents donation cheques to Barb (NEHM), Brendan (GNSC)
The Market provides fresh produce to approximately 560 individuals and families each week. Marketers are allowed to access the market every two weeks. The market started in the north end of Guelph and now because of COVID we provide produce to all corners of the City. We deliver to around 80 homes and we have a Curbside service where the marketer pulls up in their car and a bag of produce is put in their back seat or trunk and they drive away. It is a real safe – COVID way to make sure everyone gets their produce in a safe way.
“My name is Molly and I am a delivery driver for the North End Harvest Market and just wanted you to know that your financial support is such an amazing donation. The market does such an amazing job at making sure the most vulnerable are fed. As a driver – each week – I have been able to make a distant covid connection with some of the marketers receiving this service and I can tell you that they are so very greatful to the market. I take my kids along to help deliver and it is a fun experience to share as a family. – Thanks for your gift.”
Cobs Bread Bakery has an End of Day Giving program where at the end of each day – left over bread is given to community charities and the market is lucky enough to be one of those charities and we are able to give bread, buns, scones and treats out to the families as well as the produce. We also have a connection with one of the Zehrs Stores and we receive their left over goods and combined with a Cobs Bread pick up on Saturday nights, we are able to provide a free bread market on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and we see around 40 families a week.
“My name is Ellie Gains and I am a single mother with 3 children – I had to quit my job because of COVID , to stay home and help with home schooling. I am so grateful for the North End Harvest Market who provides our family with the fresh produce that we could not afford to purchase and my children actually love vegetables. It has also been a blessing that they deliver as I could not carry the produce and my children on the bus. There is also a bonus now with Harveys free bread market that helps us with free bread and treats on Sundays.”
“My name is Norine Wagner and I was a marketer for over two years and the fresh produce actually saved my life as I was diabetic and could not afford to eat properly. I now have my health in line and have a part time job to continue with produce. I also now volunteer each week at the market to give back.”
“My Name is Kent Wagner and the North End Harvest Market helped me tremendously during my addiction recovery – they not only provided me with Fresh Produce, but treated me like part of the market family and supported me to find resources I needed. I volunteered at the market to give back and now I have a job at a men’s shelter which the market now supports once a month with fresh produce. Thanks for your generous donation. The market works hard at fundraising and these kind of donations are a blessing for their survival.”
Pearl is one of our marketers who is such an inspiration – she just turned 89 and we were able to give her a cake from our Free Bread Market and celebrated with balloons and air hugs. Your donation makes the little things in life happen with love, caring and dignity.
Carol Dilworth presents a cheque from 100WWCG to Chalmers Community Services Centre
Thank You 100 Women Who Care Guelph!
I don’t know where to start…. Your donation has meant that many families can stay in their homes. Families get to choose from the following list of items they need:
Fruit and Vegetables
Canned goods
Salt
SugarPancake Mix
Dried Soups
Meat
Hummus
Peanut Butter
Bread
Toilet Paper
Soap
Razors
Shaving cream
Shower gel
Hygiene products
Diapers
Baby wipes
Toothpaste
Socks
Gloves
You can imagine the relief a family feels when the above needs are met so they can spend the little money they have left on rent. Because of you 700 families will receive FULL baskets of what they need and they can stay in their homes..Many of the families that visit have 4-5 children so the need is great. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many families.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Vicki Olatundun,
Excutive Director,
Chalmers Community Services Centre, Guelph
Meeting rooms and microphones aren’t necessary for virtual meetings. The most important component of our “gathering” is the information provided by the three committed 100WWCG members who have volunteered to detail the important work their charity is undertaking and how they would make use of a donation.
Our donation will give NEHM the opportunity to continue to safely provide much-needed food security to many struggling individuals and families during the ongoing pandemic. Their mission is to ensure that Covid is not a barrier to fresh produce for the city’s most vulnerable population.For more information, follow this link to our most recent press release.
Meeting rooms and microphones aren’t necessary for virtual meetings. The most important component of our “gathering” is the information provided by the three committed 100WWCG members who have volunteered to detail the important work their charity is undertaking and how they would make use of a donation.
Kween and Denise from Black Heritage Society were happy to receive 100WWCG’s October donation
Guelph Black Heritage Society is so thankful for the opportunities that 100 Women provided us.
This has made a huge impact on our nonprofit during such a watershed moment in history.
The funding has enabled us to purchase resources for the Flora Francis Library of Black Literature. Education is key for our organization and this allows education to be brought to our safe haven. This Library will be housed in the lower level of the Heritage Hall. The space will be full of resources materials and works of Black authors and books significant to the Black community and our allies.
Additionally, we were able to contract Uli Walle from Old World Woodworking to construct the new doors and transom window. This work is very precise and highly priced due to the Heritage it must upkeep. The work has started and they are expected to be installed in the spring (Covid premitting).
Thank you so much
Kween, Executive Director, Guelph Black Heritage Society
We don’t have a meeting room or a microphone for our virtual meetings. That said the three members selected in our nomination draw have been invited to make a brief written presentation about their charities, as part of our nomination and selection process. In these presentations, they describe the work they do and how they would make use of a donation from 100 Women Who Care.
Guelph Chalmers Community Services Centre Is the Recipient of our January 2021 Donation!
Money will be allocated to provide support to their very necessary Food Pantry program, which has been in great demand during the Covid-19 pandemic.For more information, follow this link to our most recent press release.
Carol Dilworth presents a cheque from 100WWCG to Chalmers Community Services Centre
We may not have a meeting room or a microphone, but as part of our virtual nomination and selection process, the three members selected in our nomination draw have been invited to make a brief written presentation about their nominated charities, to describe the work they do and how they would make use of a donation from 100 Women Who Care.
