100 Women Who Care Guelph may not have been able to meet in person this quarter, but we weren’t deterred from finding a way to give to a deserving local charity. As part of our “virtual” nomination and selection process, three charities selected in our nomination draw have made written presentations and members have reviewed them and voted. The process was remarkably smooth and feedback from members has been positive. It’s great to know that in these difficult times, 100WWCG can still “go the distance” to make positive change within our community.
The contribution from 100WWCG will be used to support their Free to Grow at Home initiative, providing kits that will get kids’ hands and feet moving, spark their imagination, and support their learning and healthy childhood development, while also providing some respite for parents who have been parenting and teaching 24/7 during the COVID shut-downs.
Our donation will be put to work immediately through the purchase of supplies from local retail partners, to bring nutritious food, fun, creativity and learning to kids this summer. For more information, follow this link to our most recent press release.
Carol Dilworth of 100WWCG presents our donation to representatives of Children’s Foundation of Guelph-Wellington.
Food4Kids Guelph Says “Thank You!” For Our January Donation
As is the tradition at our quarterly meetings, the winning charity which is the recipient of the previous quarter’s donation, addresses the meeting and updates the group and provides an update on how the funds received have been used. Terrie Jarvis, the Program Co-ordinator of Food4Kids, has provided a written transcript of her expression of thanks.
Like everyone else, the steering committee of 100 Women Who Care Guelph is working hard to plan for how the group proceeds in the future, given the changing situation related to COVID-19. We are in discussions with the Delta Hotel, to firm up our meeting dates for 2020-21. As soon as we have information about “in person” meetings, we will notify everyone by email and post information on the Upcoming Meetings page on our website.
Meanwhile, we would like to thank all of our members for their patience and support during this incredibly challenging time. The Guelph community is the major beneficiary of your commitment to give generously, even when life is complicated.
Thanks for all you do,
Sharon, Tannis, Miriam, Lisa, Carol, Peggy and Dianne The 100 Women Team
Due to ongoing COVID 19 concerns, 100 Women Who Care Guelph decided to replace our “in person” July meeting with a “virtual” nomination and selection process. To that end, we invited nominations for local charities to make presentations to our group. New nominations were vetted and previously qualified charities were also considered. Sharon and Tannis drew names from a hat and created a video announcement which was circulated to members.
We may not have a meeting room or a microphone for this meeting, but as part of our “virtual” nomination and selection process, the three charities selected in our nomination draw have been invited to make a brief written presentation to describe the work they do and how they would make use of a donation from 100 Women Who Care.
Due to ongoing COVID 19 concerns, 100 Women Who Care Guelph decided to replace our “in person” July meeting with a “virtual” nomination and selection process. To that end, we invited nominations for local charities to make presentations to our group. New nominations were vetted and previously qualified charities were also considered. Sharon and Tannis drew names from a hat and created a video announcement which was circulated to members.
We may not have a meeting room or a microphone for this meeting, but as part of our “virtual” nomination and selection process, the three charities selected in our nomination draw have been invited to make a brief written presentation to describe the work they do and how they would make use of a donation from 100 Women Who Care.
I joined the Children’s Foundation team six years ago, and in that time I’ve had the privilege of seeing first-hand the profound impact donors have on the lives of thousands of children and youth living in poverty in our community. Life can be challenging when there is barely enough money to cover basic human essentials like housing and proper nutrition. For many families in Guelph and Wellington, the reality is that ‘barely enough’ seems like a luxury.
Thanks to donor support, our four core programs nurture the well-being of the whole child – physically, mentally, socially and emotionally – by giving kids equal opportunities to be nourished with healthy food, to play and develop valuable life skills, to be educated, and to have the hope and inspiration they need to not only dream of a brighter future, but to have the building blocks to achieve it for themselves.
When COVID-19 first hit, our immediate concern was for the kids who rely on food support through our Food & Friendsstudent nutrition programs. For many, the food they receive at school is their primary source of nourishment for the day. To respond to this emergency, we created a new initiative called Fresh Food for Kidswhich is currently delivering about 5,400 family food kits weekly to over 1,400 children and youth in Guelph, Wellington and Dufferin. This food support is continuing into the summer months due to the urgent food insecurity that needs to be addressed beyond the usual school year.
Now, we are providing even more support by adapting our Free to Grow program to bring physical and creative activities, learning, and fun to kids’ doorsteps this summer. Normally, our program helps kids participate in recreational programs and life-skill activities, but with so many cancelled this summer, our Free to Grow at Home initiative is providing kits that will get kids’ hands and feet moving, spark their imagination, and support their learning and healthy childhood development, while also providing some respite for parents who have been parenting and teaching 24/7 during the shut-downs.
As a potential first-time recipient of 100 Women Who Care, the timing couldn’t be better as the need is significantly increasing while our fundraising through signature events has been negatively impacted with COVID restrictions. Your donations would be put to work immediately by purchasing supplies from local retail partners to bring nutritious food, fun, creativity and learning to kids this summer.
What gets me up in the morning is making a real difference in the lives of kids and their families. But what keeps me up at night is the thought of having to say ‘no’ to any child because of lack of funds. We currently have 423 kids on a wait list to receive a recreation kit. With your donations, you would be reducing our wait list significantly, saying ‘Yes!’ to bringing books, games, puzzles, arts and crafts, and outdoor games to 150 kids, as well as bringing nutritious food to 100 kids.
Beyond the crucial, tangible support provided during this time, your donations would also show the kids and their families that there are 100+ women who care about them and their health and well-being.
If you have any questions or would like more information, I would be happy to speak with you.
A serious problem for youth in our community has become a crisis, and it needs our collective support.
The basic problem is this. Canada’s health care system is a jigsaw puzzle with many different pieces that can be very hard to navigate – even for health care professionals. For youth seeking help, navigating the system can be a nightmare, and it often fails them. This was a serious problem before Covid, but now with the added mental distress from lockdowns and uncertainty, it has become an even bigger and more urgent problem in helping our young people to cope.
But there is a solution at hand, and our 100 Women Who Care Guelph team can help move it forward with our donations.
The solution is most simply described as having “Youth Hubs” where young people can access a range of services through one place. More technically, here in Guelph Wellington we’re building an “Integrated Youth Services Network.” The intention is to provide INTERVENTION and PREVENTION services utilizing the service providers we already have in our community, so we are all working together. In fact, over 30 community organizations have already come together in this shared vision. The Youth Hubs are being designed to be welcoming spaces that provide help to young people in navigating the system, both physically and virtually. Youth Hubs are not a magic bullet that will solve our youth crisis, but they are a piece of the puzzle that will make it easier for youth to access services.
Here in Guelph Wellington, we’re building on successful Youth Hub experiences from other Canadian cities and regions, and we’ve enhanced the local model to have not only one centre but SEVEN locations in Guelph Wellington where youth between the ages of 12 and 26 can have immediate access to services, including tutoring, housing support, employment counselling, primary care, mental health and substance abuse. The seven micro-sites will be networked together so service providers can access files, and youth will not have to repeat their story each time they request help. Furthermore, youth will be deeply engaged in the design of these sites to serve them in the most meaningful way.
This Guelph Wellington Youth Hub program is a highly significant new development for our city and county, partnered with CMHA-WW (Canadian Mental Health Association – Waterloo Wellington) for health care and the Guelph Community Foundation to help raise funds.
I am asking 100 Women Who Care to invest our collective donations so we can immediately provide virtual care to 70 youth in our community. These funds would be used to provide youth with activities in helping to design the Youth Hub space they want to see, for access to the services that are often out of reach. This will also help us determine the necessary steps to scale up across all of our micro-sites.
Our community needs this, and our young people need it, now more urgently than ever. Please help the program move forward with our donation.
Cyndy Moffat Forsyth
Member of 100 Women Who Care Guelph I began working on the IYSN concept in November 2018 as a Rotary volunteer. In July 2020, I accepted a fulltime role as the IYSN’s first director.
Lakeside HOPE House is a well-established poverty relief organization and care provider in the Guelph area advocating that poverty, food insecurity, inequality, health and community are all interconnected. They currently offer services and programs to over 1100 households per year and have assisted over 5100 households since their inception in 2012. They challenge stigmas surrounding poverty and allow community members to maintain dignity while providing them with tactical skills developed in a community environment. The focus is not about “hand out, but hand up” by creating long term skills to facilitate self sufficiency. Approximately 30-45 new household intakes are received each month and are community funded.
The Community Backpack Project, in partnership with the Guelph Neighborhood Support Coalition. is a program in need. Children in our community have been under additional stress and challenged during the pandemic and starting school is something they look forward to. Whether the school year begins virtually, live or a combination of both, HOPE House would like to provide needed supplies to children in poverty across the community to assist them to thrive and learn. New this year is an online application form and additional supplies to support at home learning. There have been 895 registrations as of June 30th. The goal is to provide 1500 new, fully stocked backpacks to children at a cost of $45,000. HOPE House receives NO government funding for this project and relies on community sponsors in order to provide students with confidence, excitement and readiness to learn – HOPE!
I visited HOPE House in downtown Guelph and was impressed with the volunteers and staff who provide a caring, respectful atmosphere to those in need. I was introduced to the organization through a client who volunteers at the centre. The environment at HOPE House is a friendly, positive and caring one in a family setting. Children in poverty are especially vulnerable to stress and judgement. I believe that education is critical at an early age and giving children more opportunity to achieve their goals will benefit our community as a whole.
I learned of a few stories from recipients who spoke of the benefits of the Backpack Project:
One parent was speaking of how she was trying to manage the clothing, shoes, boots, etc. and how much it meant to her children to be able to choose a new backpack for school that contained needed supplies for school.
Another mom is starting a new job, stressed about the demands of working and household tasks plus preparing children for school. Without the support of HOPE House, she would not have been able to provide her children with a new backpack. She was worried her children would be stigmatised by other, more privileged children. With the children receiving their backpacks and her starting a new job, they are ready to begin a new year together and have a fresh start.
A young lady spoke of how HOPE House helped her family when she was younger and how happy she was when she received a new backpack. Now she visits HOPE House to volunteer and give back.
It is documented that youth and children living in poverty have poorer educational outcomes compared to wealthier peers leading to struggles with truancy and dropout. We can change that by giving children HOPE in our community and contributing to an excellent cause.
Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County Children First Fund
Sheila Markle of Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County, says, “Thank you.”
It is my pleasure to speak to you about the work of our organization and to thank you for your generous donation to the Children First Fund.
Jean Vanier said “One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn’t as individuals.”
100 Women Who Care is a marvelous example of community coming together to support programs and services that the members of our community benefit from.
A compassionate and caring community is vital to ensure children and youth are safe and nurtured and to ensure that much needed services and supports not provided through government programs or funding are available to help fill in gaps that exist, and they do exist.
The Children First Fund, through generous donations such as yours, provides tangible support to youth who are transitioning to adulthood with very little support from family, material assets or access to financial resources.
Let me tell you a couple of stories:
Tom (not his real name) achieved a goal he didn’t think possible with the support of the Children First Fund.
As an older youth, Tom moved out on his own and worked as a security guard to support himself. A hard worker, he kept to himself
He was holding his own but felt unable to move beyond what he had achieved and certainly not towards his dream of becoming a law enforcement officer.
In his own words:
Education Support “showed me a way out of a rut that could have damaged my life for quite some time. It opened a world of opportunities that I had never event given thought to and showed me that there was so much more out there for me. It also showed me that there are people who care a tremendous amount about the well-being and success of others.”
“I had never fathomed that [going to college] was possible. Learning that [there was Education Support] gave me a huge push to go back to school and not waste the chance. It made me realize that I could afford to make a career choice and pursue something that could really get me somewhere in life.”
“It is hard to measure this kind of impact on people but just speaking from my experience I can say that this [Education Support] has opened my eyes to so much more and put me on a path that I am really excited to continue down. Supporting programs like this are supporting the hopes and dreams of individuals.”
Tom was able to reduce his work commitments so that he could attend college. He successfully completed his program and has moved closer to achieving his dream, recently accepting his job as a law enforcement officer with the RCMP.
The Children First Fund opened a door to possibilities for Mindy (not her real name) which can be pursued at any time. Growing up, Mindy had an interest in photography which with support developed into a passion. Supported by our organization to pursue this interest, the CFF provided her with access to a summer program. Her work caught the eye of a local photographer who mentored her. Mindy’s creative drive found an outlet and after high school she enrolled in a college program specializing in photographic arts.
Mindy found the adjustment to college life challenging and with continued support from her worker problem solved to overcome the challenges to successfully complete the first year. With the increased workload of the second year, the challenges increased triggering past trauma issues – all of which significantly impacting her ability to cope so she took a break from her program.
In her words:
“It’s scary out there in the real world, with remembering to pay bills and do taxes. It’s not something I’m amazing at yet. It’s like learning to swim in a pool of salt water with a whole lot of paper cuts. What made it easier for me to overcome these things is that I know I have people waiting to bandage up the areas that I can’t.”
When Mindy works through her trauma issues enough, she knows that she can return to college with our support. The children we assist are not always ready to follow transition pathways at the same time as their peers. They may do so at a later time. Through the CFF we are able to continue to assist them to pursue their dreams when they are ready to do so. The CFF opens doors to the potential of opportunity that our youth often do not know existed.
Donations to our Children First Fund really do make a difference in the lives of the children and youth we support and we thank you tonight for your donations. We know that opportunity is often the difference between success and failure. With donations from generous individuals like yourselves, we are able to resolve barriers and create community solutions. Ultimately those solutions help children, youth, young adults and families to not only survive but thrive.
Here is everything you need to know about the meeting on January 9th 2020…
AND
If you still have to submit your cheque, payment instructions are at the bottom
100 Women Who Care Guelph began 2020 with great excitement, new members and worthwhile new charities to support. Sharon opened the meeting with thanks to Sandra Lastovic of Skip the Bank. a valued 100WWCG member and the generous sponsor of our meetings at the Delta Hotel.
Great News!
In the past five years, we have raised $265,150 in support of local charities!
Sharon took the opportunity to thank the dedicated volunteers who work so hard to make our organization a success – our cheque collectors, Carol Dilworth and Peggy Brightwell and our volunteer co-ordinator, Erin Moore.
She also stressed that we still need people to step up and help 100WWCG. After a year of laudible service Erin has stepped back from her position and we will need to find a replacement volunteer co-ordinator. We are also still hoping to find someone who is interested in taking photographs at our monthly meetings.
If you or someone you know might be willing to step into one of these roles, please call us for details as soon as possible. Our next meeting is April 7th, 2020 and we would really like to fill these essential positions as soon as possible.
After opening remarks we drew names of charity nominees from the 100WWCG hat.
After Sharon’s opening remarks, Sheila Markle, the Executive Director of Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County, drew the names of this quarter’s nominees from a hat and members listened intently to the selected charities’ presentations:
Cyndy Forsyth presented on behalf of Guelph Community Foundation’s Integrated Youth Services Initiative, agrassroots community initiative, led by the Rotary Club of Guelph, which would bring an integrated youth services centre to Wellington County and the City of Guelph. Youth age 12-26 would be at the centre of, and have equal access to, a continuum of programs, from employment to mental health and addiction services. Funds dedicated would be used to engage in outreach with local youth through workshops and activities, with the aim of establishing an effective service model for the organization’s target audience.
Wendy Clayson presented on behalf of Michael House, a pregnancy and parenting support service which provides programming and residential support to women coping with a crisis pregnancy. This organization gives shelter to pregnant women and new mothers as well as affordable housing, after-care programming and a drop-in program for existing clients. Money donated would be earmarked for specialized staff training to deal with the challenges faced by pregnant women in crisis.
Terrie Jarvis presented on behalf of Food4Kids Guelph. This organization bridges the weekend food gap for severely food-insecure children in our community. Most Guelph children can get some food at school, Monday to Friday, but some go home to empty cupboards and fridges and struggle through weekends with little or no food. Food4Kids provides healthy food bags for those kids to take home from school for the weekend. Money donated would be used to reduce numbers of children still on the waiting list for service in local schools.
After each presentation, members spent some time asking presenters for more information about the programs supported and the funding models of each organization. Following these astute and thoughtful questions, members took a few moments to make their choice and cast a vote.
Sheila Markle of Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County, says, “Thank you.”
While members were voting, Sheila Markle, Executive Director of Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County took the opportunity to thank members for our Meeting Twenty One donation. To read the full transcript of her comments, follow this link.
100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen
Food4Kids Guelph
as the recipient of our Meeting 22 donation!
Our donation will be used to increase the numbers of hungry children which Food4Kids Guelph can serve.
John Gilbert, Events Co-ordinator of Hospice Wellington, says, “Thank you.”
Our donation helped to create this wonderful renovated sunroom at Hospice Wellington,
On behalf of Hospice Wellington, we would like to thank 100 Women Who Care for exactly that, caring. Thank you for your generosity and for your thoughtfulness. Your generosity has brought improved sunlight to our residence at Kortright and Scottsdale in Guelph. Your thoughtfulness shows you are aware of the fact that many people within our community need our services, supports and our compassion.
Helen Keller once said, “Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.”
Sunshine does something for us…it does something to us. It makes bad days a little bit better…and it makes good days, great. Sunshine grabs our attention. How often have you been sitting somewhere and the sun comes out from around a cloud and shines a beam of light through a window. Often times you turn and look to appreciate that beam of light, even just for a moment.
Morris West said, “If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.”
That is what this solarium is all about. Moments created, laughs remembered, a place to be in the moment. These residents know that the storm is coming, but this renovated solarium gives them the ability to appreciate that sunshine.
So what have the funds allowed us to do in this sacred space that overlooks the beautiful Gosling Gardens…
We replaced all window coverings. Even the beautiful sunshine can be a little bit too much sometimes. We upgraded all of the furniture to ensure comfort for loved ones, while leaving enough space to wheel a resident’s bed into the room also. We updated the room with a fresh coat of paint in a calming colour and will soon be adding a fan to the room, as the sunshine can make the room quite warm at times.
We thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for making such an impactful decision. This solarium means so much to so many.
“The moment won’t last forever. The memory will.” – Michelle A. Homme
100 Women Who Care Guelph began its sixth year with a return to the Delta Hotel, sponsored by our valued 100WWCG member, Sandra Lastovic of Skip the Bank.
Sharon opened the meeting with thanks to our sponsors, acknowledged Sandra and her organization’s generosity and encouraged members to check them out at skipthebank.ca or on Instagram and Facebook.
Our recent move back to the Delta means that the sponsorship dollars formerly allocated to refreshments at the meetings have had to be re-allocated to room setup fees. We need your help!
We are beyond grateful that Sandra Lastovic of Skip the Bankhas continued her generous support for those room charges at The Delta Hotel for this year. But if we still want refreshments for these meetings we’ve got to find another sponsor. If you or someone you know might be willing to take this on, please call us for details as soon as possible. Our next meeting is coming up fast on January 9th 2020 and we really need your help!
Members were excited to learn that 100 Women Who Care Guelph has reached a remarkable milestone.
In the past five years, we have raised more than a quarter of a million dollars in support of local charities!
Sharon Lewis talks about our quarter million dollar milestone and the importance of sponsorship.
Following Sharon’s presentation, John Gilbert, the Events Co-ordinator of Hospice Wellington,
drew the names of this quarter’s nominees from a hat and our charity presentations began in
earnest.
Jennifer Harrison presented on behalf ofCommunity of Hearts. Thisnot-for-profit supports adults with developmental exceptionalities, to achieve success in curriculum-based quality programming, build self confidence and become more engaged in our community as they grow and learn. Program content teaches the three pillars of Self-Awareness, Self-Management & Self-Advocacy/Expression to ensure participants achieve the level of independence they desire.
Laurie Graham presented on behalf of the Canadian Improv Games. This organization is dedicated to enriching the lives of youth with improvisational theatre programs that promote invaluable skills including positivity, communication, leadership, commitment and teamwork. This goal is achieved through a variety of annually programmed workshops, training sessions and performance opportunities.
Trish Schreiber presented on behalf of Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington’s Children First Fund. This organization provides support to 16 to 18 year olds who are no longer eligible for foster care, and thus struggling to make it on their own. Children in that situation have no parental or family support, and find themselves adrift, living on their own with extremely limited financial resources. .Members took the opportunity after each presentation to “drill down” into the details with each presenter. Members asked for more information about the programs supported and the funding models of each organization. With presentations complete and questions answered, members took a moment to make a decision and cast a vote.
John Gilbert, Events Co-ordinator of Hospice Wellington, says, “Thank you.”
John Gilbert, Events Co-ordinator of Hospice Wellington took the opportunity to thank members for our Meeting Twenty donation. To read the full transcript of his comments, follow this link.
100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen
Family & Children’s Services
of Guelph and Wellington County (The Children First Fund) as the recipient of our Meeting 21 donation!
Our donation will be used to support kids in two different streams. If the child is going on to college or university, they will be provided with a $400 set-up kit consisting of a backpack and other necessary supplies. In the second stream, where kids have found work, $1000 worth of kitchen supplies, bedding, towels, and furniture will help them transition to living on their own.
In spite of Wednesday’s oppressive heat and the siren call of vacation time up at the lake, many members took the opportunity to attend our twentieth meeting and listen to new ways to support valuable community organizations. With 153 committed donations, we knew that we had a chance to make a huge difference to a local not for profit. We kicked off the evening with our networking session, including an option to have a glass of wine, sponsored by our valued 100WWCG member, Sandra Lastovic of The Mortgage Centre.
Sharon began the meeting with some brief remarks. She expressed the group’s sincere gratitude for Sandra Lastovic and her organization’s generosity and encouraged members to check them out skipthebank.ca or on Instagram and Facebook. She also encouraged people who have missed donations, to catch up with our Canada Helps option for payment, by using the Donate Now button on our website – 100womenwhocareguelph.com.
Members of the organizing team were thanked for their efforts to keep the group running smoothly and once again, Sharon sent out a request for a member who would act as our meeting photographer. If anyone is willing to help us out, please contact Sharon Lewis (519) 780-0468 or Tannis Sprott (519) 763-1172 as soon as possible.
Sharon made a major announcement about next year’s meeting details…
First up, we will once again be holding our meetings at the Delta Hotel (corner of Stone Road and Gordon Street). The Delta has graciously agreed to reduce its rates to accommodate our group and Sandra Lastovic and skipthebank.ca will generously be sponsoring the setup costs for our meetings.
Our meeting dates for 2019/2020 are:
Thursday, October 17
Thursday, January 9
Tuesday, April 7 and
Monday, July 13
Mark your calendars!
Please note that that this is the last meeting of Year Five and that our first Five Year pins will be handed out at our next meeting, in October!
Tannis Sprott and Margaret Middleton pose with a “big cheque” for Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
How inspiring it was to learn that currently, 100WWCG has raised more than $237,000 for local
charities! After Sharon’s presentation, Margaret Middleton, president of Society of St.Vincent
de Paul – St. Joseph’s Conference, Guelph, drew the names of this quarter’s nominees from a
hat and our charity presentations began in earnest.
Rosemary Fernandes-Walker presented on behalf of Guelph YMCA/YWCA. This organization provides values-based programs and services that teach the importance of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility and inclusiveness. Money requested would be dedicated towards two specific programs for pre-teens. Safe Sisters provides girls aged 10 to 14, with a safe place to share, with an emphasis on concerns for safety within the community. The Two Rivers Club provides activities and programming for kids aged 5 to 12 years in challenged neighbourhoods.
Sonia Jacyk-Bukata presented on behalf of the St. Ignatius Jesuit Centre. This organization’s program objectives are designed to foster an ecological way of life, for the healing of the world, nurture a deeper spirituality in people, leading to inner freedom, promote the production of local sustainable food, and provide a welcoming space for individual and communal discernment, and education. Monies donated would be used to hire an orchardist and equipment to support the Neighbourhood Farm Project.
Peggy Brightwell presented on behalf of Hospice Wellington. This organization provides a variety of services to support those individuals of Wellington County living with a life-limiting illness, as well as to their families and caregivers. Hospice Wellington offers group support programming, art therapy, one-to-one volunteer visiting, hospice palliative care in a 10-bed residence and Day Away respite for caregivers. Money requested would be dedicated towards refurbishing the residence’s sunroom, a comforting space where patients share memories, reflect and make final plans.After each presentation, members had the opportunity to ask a few questions with the aim of digging deeper into any issues which had not been discussed. Members asked for more information about the programs supported by our targeted donations, as well as the funding models of each organization. Following the presentations and the follow-up questions, members voted for this quarter’s successful charity.Margaret Middleton, President of Society of St.Vincent de Paul – St. Joseph’s Conference, Guelph says, “Thank you.”
As members’ votes were being counted, Margaret Middleton, the president of last quarter’s
successful charity, took the opportunity to express her sincere thanks to members. To read
Since WWC kindly donated money in April, we have given away 15 single beds and 5 double beds. The St Vincent de Paul store pays part of the costs from the revenue at the store, so St. Joe’s covers $1,712.50. Extrapolating from there, the donations from 100 WWC will cover 21 or 22 months of beds!
Another benefit from 100 WWC is the increased exposure. We have had more referrals from other agencies, such as someone from Family and Child Services who reached out to refer a young family. It is why we volunteer, to be able to reach those who need some extra help. One lady who moved to Guelph with her family with hardly anything and no support network in town, was referred by her new neighbour and we were able to supply beds and some other necessities. What a great way to show how generous Guelph is.
We are very grateful for the ability to serve those who find themselves in need, thanks to the generosity of our parishioners and the 100 WWCG.
Spirits were high among members at our meeting on Wednesday night – perhaps it was the appearance of the sun on a day where Spring seems to be slow to bloom. Perhaps it was just our enthusiasm to listen to new ways to support valuable community not-for-profits. With 153 committed donations, we held our nineteenth meeting of 100 Women Who Care Guelph at Cutten Fields.
At 6:00 pm, we kicked off the evening with our networking session, sponsored by our valued 100WWCG member,Sandra Lastovic of The Mortgage Centre. Sharon expressed the group’s sincere gratitude for Sandra and her organization’s generosity and encouraged members to check them out skipthebank.ca or on Instagram and Facebook.
Sharon also let those assembled know that several members had stepped forward to take on volunteer positions in charge of specific tasks which will help the organization. At this point, Erin Moore has assumed the role of volunteer co-ordinator and Carol Dillworth and Peggy Brightwell will be our cheque chasers. Sharon thanked our new volunteer “work crew” for offering up their time to the organization and invited them to the front for a photo op. (missing from tonight’s admin team introduction was our charity nomination vetter, Lisa Hood). We are still hoping a member will step forward to become our meeting photographer. Interested members should contact Sharon Lewis (519) 780-0468 or Tannis Sprott (519) 763-1172 as soon as possible.
Tannis Sprott and Jennifer Harrison pose with a “big cheque” for Rainbow Day Camp.
How inspiring it was to know that currently 100WWCG will have raised more than $220,000 for
local charities! After Sharon’s short presentation, Jennifer Harrison, Executive Director of
Rainbow Day Camp, drew the names of this quarter’s nominees from a hat and our charity
presentations began in earnest.
Lillian Wilson presented on behalf of Hospice Wellington. This organization provides a variety of services to support those individuals of Wellington County living with a life-limiting illness, as well as to their families and caregivers. Hospice Wellington offers group support programming, art therapy, one-to-one volunteer visiting, hospice palliative care in a 10-bed residence and Day Away respite for caregivers. Money requested would be dedicated towards refurbishing the residence’s sun room, a comforting space where patients share memories, reflect and make final plans.
Lorna Ronald presented on behalf of Hope House, a poverty relief organization which provides compassionate assistance, with the emphasis on providing clients with “a hand-up, rather than a handout”. This organization’s initiatives include backpack and hamper drives and a free choice food market, as well as dental and haircut programs. Money requested would be dedicated towards the Hope House community backpack program which provides children with a backpack filled with school supplies for the first day of a new year of school.
Margaret Middleton presented on behalf of Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a lay catholic organization with branches found around the world, which has been active in our community for decades. This organization has the goal of serving those in poverty among us with love, respect, justice and joy, regardless of religious affiliation, and with a heavy emphasis on the personal touch. As part of that mandate, the organization supports local thrift stores within impoverished communities. The Guelph thrift store is committed to providing emergency food, clothing, furniture and household items to its clients. Money requested would be dedicated to a bed program which would furnish brand new clean beds to clients in need.After each presentation, we took the opportunity to dig a bit deeper into the charities with a few questions to clarify any issues which had not been addressed. Members enthusiastically asked for more information about the programs supported by our targeted donations and funding models of each organization. Once all presentations had been made and all questions were answered, members voted for this quarter’s successful charity.As members’ votes were being tallied, Jennifer Harrison, the administrator of last quarter’s successful charity, took the opportunity to express her sincere thanks to members. At a time when Rainbow Day Campis facing cuts to grant money and when families with children who have special needs are seeing reductions in funding, the support we are providing through our January donation will pay for 3 inclusion counselors for the entire summer – an incredible benefit to the organization and the children it serves. Members were thrilled to watch a short video which demonstrated the substantial impact their donations will make to this valuable Guelph community organization.To read the full transcript of her comments, follow this link.
Congratulations to our newest 3 Year Pin recipients!
Congratulations to our newest 5 Year Pin recipients!
Margaret Middleton, President of 
Congratulations to our newest 3 Year Pin recipients!
Congratulations to our newest 3 Year Pin recipients!