Author Archives: Tannis Sprott

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.

A Grateful Michael House Offers Their Thanks

Good Evening, 100 Women Who Care,

It is such a pleasure to be here with you again this evening.

I can’t begin to express the gratitude of everyone on the Michael House team for your
over-the-top generosity and goodness to us. Over $18,000 was raised by you, this
amazing group of caring women. That is so amazing and incredible to think about.

As I shared the last time, I was with you, Michael House has 2 separate live-in
programs that support single moms and their little ones as they learn and grow, adapt to motherhood and learn how to do life as single moms. Once they move into the
community, we have our family outreach program that continues to provide life-changing and ongoing support.

It is through our programs that the moms begin to see themselves in a light that says I
can do this, I am capable of change, I want to become the best mom I can be
regardless of the circumstances I was raised in or am leaving behind to raise my child.

The resilience of our women is profound and is encouraging to all of us on the team as
we walk alongside them on their journeys.

Our counselling program continues to walk with our moms as they deal with big things
to overcome and that continues to be a game-changer in their lives and is making the
difference from surviving to thriving. This amazing gift to MH is helping to fund our
programming. These funds will be used for our group counselling, our parenting
programs, our life skills programming and our one-on-one counselling which has given
us the ability to plan and prepare and serve into the needs of our families for over 6
months. THANK YOU!!

So, thank you for walking with us, for your gifts, your generosity and your support. We
cannot do this work without the time and effort from many community members. And it blesses me so much to see us as women linking arms and helping other women
through the ups and downs of life.

Karen Kamphuis, ED of Michael House

100 Women Who Care Guelph Supports Michael House

100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen Michael House to receive its most recent
$18,000+ donation, helping provide vital programming for pregnant and parenting
mothers and their children in need.

For over two decades, MH Pregnancy and Parent Support Services has dedicated itself
as a home and resource for women in crisis pregnancy situations. Together with
community partnerships, this Guelph-based charity provides Residential, Supportive
Housing, Aftercare and Drop-in programs, accessed as women transition to independent living in the community.

Much has already been done by MH. Since 2002, over 500 women and children hae
received shelter and support. In 2024 alone, over 760 hours of counseling and coaching
have been provided, 22 mothers lived in the Residential and Supportive Housing
programs and 25 children were supported.

However, these are unsettled times. Survivors of domestic violence, deep trauma and/or homelessness are often in the middle of a crisis, experiencing a sense of isolation, overwhelming uncertainty and are completely alone. They may also be navigating a sobriety journey.

Over the past few years, MH has seen an overwhelming need for mental health support
and increasing demand for help. There are significant waitlists for both its Residential
and Supported Housing programs which cannot be met until the summer of 2026.

MH would use 100WWCG’s $18,000+ donation to help address the growing need for
mental health support through more intensive counseling and vital life skills
programming such as cooking, etc. to help stabilize and build clients’ lives so they can
live independently. Through these programs, MH aims to transform the trajectory of lives for generations to come.

Three local charities (North End Harvest Market, Guelph Chamber Choir, Ignatius Jesuit
Centre Farm) were also awarded approximately $8,000 each from a bequest given to
100WWCG from the Estate of Gale Dudnick, another caring woman.

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

Chalmers Community Services Centre Offers Their Thanks for our April 2025 Donation

Good evening everyone. My name is Crystle Avery. It is my pleasure as the Executive Director of Chalmers Community Services Centre to report back to you and thank the 100 Women Who Care for your incredible support.

After being chosen as your charity in April, 176 members supported this choice. We are extremely grateful to all of you. This very generous support comes at a time when the needs in our community are growing by the month. As folks in Guelph feel the impact of these uncertain economic times, the number of guests accessing our services at Chalmers is also increasing. We have seen this both in our three weekly food pantries and in our cafés.

As the demand for food increases, thanks to all of you, we are now in a much better position to order more food which we have already started doing. Last Thursday at our west location, we served 231 food baskets. This was a record for us for one day. As the lineups grow longer, Chalmers is committed to ensuring that no guest or family leaves without a complete food basket. More and more families are turning to us for help and we must be there for them.

Your generous support is helping us meet the needs of these guests. We are ordering more food and have expanded our food pantry distribution. Thanks to you, we have put oranges, eggplant and cheese permanently back on the food line. Our guests are thrilled that they once again have these healthy options to feed to their families. I often hear exclamations of delight as our guests go down the food line and see the amazing choices. They are incredibly grateful. And so are we.

Our Monday and Tuesday cafes downtown are also seeing increased numbers of guests walking in the door. A typical café morning would normally see 25-30 guests. Two weeks ago, we had 54 guests on a Tuesday morning! Our volunteers couldn’t believe how many folks there were. One of the guests commented that he had not eaten since the previous Saturday. We were very shocked by this and worked hard to make sure that he left with food that he could eat. Many of our café guests experience housing insecurity as well, so thanks to your support we are able to purchase more packaged food that does not require cooking for these folks.

This trend of growing numbers seems to be continuing. Last week we had 43 guests on Tuesday. Remember an average morning would see 25-30 guests in the door. These increased numbers are a signal to us that more and more folks are struggling with food insecurity. Your donation has made it possible for us to increase the food that we provide during these cafes. Both in choice and in volume. Our cafe guests are so grateful that they have a place to go where they can have hot coffee, fresh pastries, breakfast and a sense of community. And our volunteers are very grateful as well. We all find it very hard to turn guests away due to lack of food. Your donations are ensuring that we do not have to do this.

In conclusion, every dollar that you have donated is being spent on food. It is ensuring that we will not have to turn guests away and children will be fed. Thanks to you we now have cheese, oranges, and eggplant on the food line again. Thanks to you, we are able to purchase more food to meet the increased demand. Together, we are providing folks in Guelph with a safety net in these very turbulent times. As our community of Guelph struggles with higher unemployment and higher prices, Chalmers is committed to being ready to help them get through this. And the donations from the 100 Women who Care are ensuring that we can respond to the needs of thousands of guests and their children. Together, we are making a tremendous difference. Together we are showing that we care! On behalf of our guests, we say thank you to the 100 Women Who Care. We are very grateful for your support! Thank you for supporting Chalmers.

Bequest from Gale Dudnick

Gale Dudnick, long a champion of women and children, bequeathed $25,000 to 100WWCG in recognition of our shared dedication. While Gale was never a member of 100WWCG, she was touched by the impact our group has made in Guelph since 2014, and entrusted us with dispersing these funds to local charities.

For more information on Gale Dudnick, please see the article below, written by Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, another grateful beneficiary of this amazing woman’s compassion for others.

We are honoured to share this heartwarming donor story with you.

GALE’S GIFT – An Inspiring Legacy of Generosity

One year ago, we received a very special phone call. The caller, Donald Kirk, shared that we had been left a $25,000 gift in the will of Gale Dudnick, his partner who died in May of 2022.

Gifts of this size are incredible to receive and allow us to serve our community better, but they are also incredibly moving. To think that our mission was what this woman chose to support as one of her final acts on earth. Humbling.

Gale was a real champion of women and wanted to help those vulnerable to abuse or exploitation. She served as an unofficial therapist to many women friends. Gale supported other women who engage in philanthropy through a gift to the 100 Women Who Care Guelph group. She also cared about youth and donated $25,000 each to Food4Kids, the Children’s Foundation of Guelph & Wellington and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guelph. Collectively, what an impact her $125,000 of giving will have for our community!

Donald shared, “Gale was a private and complex person who wanted to remain out of the limelight. Yet, I believe she would be happy to have this story about her giving made public, especially if it inspires others to give part of their estate to worthy organizations. I am so proud of how she used her estate to give back to others.”

Donald shared that Gale comforted many a passenger on Air Canada, through her role as a Flight Attendant, listening with kindness and offering “tidbits from her endless font of wisdom.” A number of these passengers were quite famous, especially those in the film and entertainment industry, however she treated everyone equally and was never star-struck. She continued this tradition in her small clothing and design boutique business in Rockwood and shoppers felt special through her treatment and attention. She also dutifully cared for both her aging parents, Peter and Madeline, in their last years and made sure their every need was fulfilled, despite the amount of time it took and mental exhaustion it caused.

Her dearest friend, Yvonne, had this to say about Gale after their shared 49 years of friendship:

“I know firsthand the countless number of people she helped mentally, physically and financially, many times putting her well-being to the side. I vividly remember the first time I met her. She made me feel I was the most important person in the room and that I really mattered, right when I needed that most. Gale held her cards close… you would never know by looking at her what personal struggles she herself endured. She always had a smiling face and a listening ear and was more interested in you than anything else. She was highly intelligent and the most well-spoken person I ever met.”

Yvonne also noted, “Even at an early age, she wisely used her gift to comfort others. Gale had great empathy for anyone struggling, but especially for women and children; they held a special place in her heart.”

We are grateful to Gale for her generosity. Gale lived her values until her last breath and now her legacy gifts will help create the kind of community where women and children are supported and lifted higher.