Category Archives: Notes on Meetings

Victim Services Wellington’s Project Lifesaver is the Recipient of our Meeting 12 Donation!

Meeting Four of Year Three!

Three phenomenal presentations and one successful charity!   In case you missed the meeting, here’s a recap…
AND
If you still have to submit your cheque, payment instructions are at the bottom
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You are now able to make payments online, as well!

Our twelfth meeting of 100 Women Who Care Guelph demonstrated once again, that our 146 members are steadfast in their support of local community charities! Thank you to everyone present for your thoughtful and attentive questions.  We appreciate your engagement with our presenters and as always, we would like to thank all of you for your continued generosity!

Last night we heard from three articulate and enthusiastic nominators:

  1.  Claire D’Arville presented on behalf oFocus on Nature, a local organization which brings trained volunteers and photographers into classrooms to engage students in creative workshops, hands-on nature and photography activities, plus photo editing and feedback sessions.  Their mission is to inspire young people to explore and connect with the natural world, using these outdoor experiences to enhance development of technical photographic skills.
  2. Robin Smart presented on behalf of Victim Services Wellington, in support of their Project Lifesaver  program, which provides wrist transmitters to families dealing with members suffering cognitive impairment due to a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Autism, Down Syndrome and acquired brain injury.
  3. Suzanne Longpre presented on behalf of Better Beginnings, Better Futures, a community hub located in the Shelldale Centre.  Their multicultural approach strives to meet the needs of the Onward Willow community, offering programs and client support in more 29 languages.  Specifically, they offer residents of this underprivileged neighbourhood a variety of programs including preschool and early literacy programs, a breakfast club and a women’s circle.

Diane Nelson congratulates Robin Smart, nominator of Victim Services Wellington’s “Project Lifesaver” program.

After these engaging and informative presentations, members voted, and the selected charity was Victim Services Wellington, in support of their Project Lifesaver  program. When pledges come in from all members, our contributions will be used to purchase new transmitters, which would eliminate the need for a waiting list for clients who qualify for the program, as well as additional receivers for emergency services personnel. We look forward to hearing about the impact of that donation at our next meeting in October 2017. You can read more about the program in Tannis’s press release online.

Dawn Matheson, interdisciplinary artist and former board member of Ed Video, says a wholehearted “Thank you!” for our April donation, which purchased audio and video equipment to support upcoming local video projects.

While we were waiting for the results of our voting, members had the pleasure of listening to an inspiring presentation from  Dawn Matheson, an artist and past board member of Ed Video. Dawn delivered a wholehearted “Thank you!” to the group for the donation made by 100WWCG in April.  Funds were used  to purchase video, audio and lighting equipment and to enhance computer storage capacity, in support of current and upcoming video projects within our community.

Many of those in attendance joined us for our after-meeting networking event sponsored by Irene Szabo of Sotheby’s Realty and Sandra Lastovic of The Mortgage Centre, valued members of 100WWCG.

Ed Video Is the Successful Recipient of Our Meeting 11 Cheque!

Meeting Three of Year Three!

Three fascinating and uplifting presentations and one successful charity! 

 

In case you missed the meeting, here’s a recap…
AND
If you still have to submit your cheque, payment instructions are at the bottom.
You are now able to make payments online, as well!

Our eleventh meeting of 100 Women Who Care Guelph demonstrated the incredible commitment of our 146 members to giving generously to local community charities! We value our members and thank everyone present for their engagement and for their insightful questions. Most important, we would like to thank all of you for your continued generosity!

Last night we listened to compelling presentations from three very passionate nominators:

  1. Robin Smart presented on behalf of Victim Services Wellington, in support of their Project Lifesaver  program, which provides wrist transmitters to families dealing with members suffering cognitive impairment due to a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Autism, Down Syndrome and acquired brain injury.
  2. Greta Haanstra presented on behalf of The Life Centre (Daily Bread For Everyone).  Each week this downtown mission provides up to 600 meals and a variety of programming, at no charge, to anyone who is in need.
  3. Liz Dent presented on behalf of Ed Video, an organization which, since 1976, has helped members create video-based projects that represent the diversity, spirit and viewpoints of the people in our region.

After these engaging and enlightening presentations, the membership voted, and the selected charity was Ed Video. When pledges come in from all members, our contributions will be used to purchase new audio, video and lighting equipment to support current and upcoming programs within our community. We look forward to hearing about that impact at our next meeting on July 10th, 2017. You can read more about the program in Tannis’s press release online.

While we were waiting for the results of our voting, members had the pleasure of listening to an inspiring presentation from Marie Dennison, Regional Director of Start2Finish Running and Reading Clubs.  Marie expressed her gratitude for the donation made by 100WWCG in January, to the Guelph chapter of Start2Finish, to assist with the creation of a new running and reading club at Westwood Public School.  

 

Funds were used to purchase shoes, shirts, fitness equipment and books for the program participants.  Membership is currently 36 kids and it is anticipated that up to 60 children will be welcomed into this exciting and innovative project.

 

After the meeting, many of those in attendance joined us for our after-meeting networking event sponsored by our very own members, Sandra Lastovic of The Mortgage Centre and Irene Szabo of Royal City Realty.

Start2Finish Guelph is Successful Recipient of our Meeting 10 Cheque!

Meeting Two of Year Three!

Three informative and inspiring presentations and one successful charity!

In case you missed the meeting, here’s a recap…
AND
If you still have to submit your cheque, payment instructions are at the bottom.

You are now able to make payments online, as well!

 Our Tenth meeting of 100 Women Who Care Guelph reinforced the commitment of our 151 members, to giving generously to local community charities!  We welcome our new members and thank everyone present for their thoughtful questions. Most important, we would like to thank all of you for your continued generosity!

Last night we listened to well-prepared presentations from three enthusiastic nominators:

  1. Wendy Clayson presented on behalf of Start2FinishGuelph.  Start2Finish Running and Reading Clubs provide a supportive environment for children to accomplish academic and physical goals, as part of a 32 week program which culminates in the Start2Finish 5K Running & Reading Challenge, at the end of the school year.
  2. Irene Szabo presented on behalf of Trillium Waldorf School, an institution which provides a developmentally appropriate and experiential-based approach to education, to inspire life-long learning and enable children to fully develop their unique capacities.
  3. Carol Tyler presented on behalf of The Seed, a collaborative initiative of community partners in Guelph & Wellington with the shared vision of strengthening the local emergency food system through the distribution of healthy fresh food to local providers and their clients, community kitchen & garden programs, and healthy food education and cooking programs

Diane Nelson congratulates Wendy Clayson, nominator of Start2Finish Guelph, the successful recipient of our Meeting 10 donation.

After these thoughtful and informative presentations, the membership voted, and our selected charity was Start2Finish Guelph. When pledges come in from all members, our contributions will provide a substantial portion of the $20,000 start up costs for the new Westwood Public School running and reading program, including the purchase of books, running shoes, and t-shirts for up to 60 kids. We look forward to hearing about that impact at our next meeting on April 10th, 2017.  You can read more about the program in Tannis’s press release by following this link.

While we were waiting for the results of our voting, members had the pleasure of listening to a heartfelt presentation from Randy Betts, Head Parenting Coach, and a volunteer for the Guelph chapter of APSGO (Association of Parent Support Groups Ontario). His talk was an inspiring description of the significant contribution APSGO has made to supporting the lives of parents and young people in crisis. Randy expressed gratitude for the contribution that 100WWCG made at their October meeting.After the meeting, many of those in attendance joined us for our after-meeting networking event sponsored by our very own members, Sandra Lastovic of The Mortgage Centre and Irene Szabo of Royal City Realty.

Meeting 9 of 100 Women Who Care Raised $15,000 for the Association of Parent Support Groups of Ontario (APSGO)

Our Ninth meeting of 100 Women Who Care Guelph kicked of 100WWCG’s third year!

Our membership count now stands at 150 committed membership pledges. We welcome our new members and thank everyone present for their thoughtful questions and all of you for your continued generosity!

On the evening of October 3rd 2016, we listened to well-prepared presentations from three enthusiastic nominators:

  1. Irene Szabo presented on behalf of Trillium Waldorf School, an institution which provides a developmentally appropriate and experiential-based approach to education, to inspire life-long learning and enable children to fully develop their unique capacities.
  2. Robin Smart presented on behalf of Victim Services Wellington, in support of their Project Lifesaver  program, which provides wrist transmitters to families dealing with members suffering cognitive impairment due to a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Autism, Down’s Syndrome and acquired brain injury.
  3. Rosemary Fernandez-Walker presented on behalf of the Guelph chapter of the Association of Parent Support Groups of Ontario.  APSGO is an organization of parents of disruptive youth who have joined together to provide support and empower parents to deal with their situation. The organization provides weekly meetings, workshops and other resources to assist parents in acquiring the skills to help themselves and their children.
Sharon Lewis presents our Meeting 9 donation to Rosemary Fernandez-Walker, nominator of the Guelph chapter of Association of Parent Support Groups of Ontario (APSGO),

Sharon Lewis presents our Meeting 9 donation to Rosemary Fernandez-Walker, nominator of the Guelph chapter of Association of Parent Support Groups of Ontario (APSGO),

 

After these fascinating and inspiring presentations, a vote was taken, and our selected charity was Association of Parent Support Groups of Ontario ( APSGO)  When pledges come in from all members we will be contributing $15,000 to fund a conference in Guelph. We look forward to hearing about that impact at our next meeting on January 9th, 2017. You can read more about the program in Tannis’s press release online.

Executive director Michelle Martin and program co-ordinator Thayna Walker express their thanks to 100WWCG for their July donation.

Executive director Michelle Martin and program co-ordinator Thayna Walker express their thanks to 100WWCG for their July donation

 

We had the pleasure of listening to an inspiring presentation from Michelle Martin, executive director of  Alzheimer Society Waterloo Wellington and Thayna Walker, program co-ordinator.  They gave us a moving description of how our July 2016 donation to their Minds in Motion  program has improved the lives of people with dementia and their care partners. Our $15,100 donation has really made a difference and changed some lives!

Post-meeting networking is a great way to connect!

Post-meeting networking is a great way to connect!

 

 

After the event, many of those in attendance joined us for our after-meeting networking event sponsored by our very own members Sandra Lastovic of The Mortgage Centre and Irene Szabo of Royal City Realty.

Meeting 8 of 100 Women Who Care Raised $15,100 for Alzheimer Waterloo Wellington’s Minds in Motion Program

Our 8th meeting of 100 Women Who Care Guelph raised the bar on donations higher than ever before!
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Barb McPhee, manager of the North End Harvest Market and Harvey, the Market's mascot.

Barb McPhee, manager of the North End Harvest Market and Harvey, the Market’s mascot.

Thank you to all of the women who joined us on the evening of July 11, 2016.  We had the pleasure of listening to an inspiring presentation from Barb McPhee, manager of the North End Harvest Market regarding the impact of our April 2016 donation to the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition, in support of the market.  Our $14,600 donation has really made a difference to their day to day operation and changed some lives!

Prior to the presentation by North End Harvest Market, we selected three of our nominated charities at random and heard from our three nominating members as to what our support for that charity could contribute to the community.  Below is a list of the selected charities and their nominators:

  • Robin Smart presented on behalf of Alzheimer Society Waterloo Wellington, in support of their Minds in Motion program, which incorporates physical activity and mental stimulation for people with early to mid-stage signs of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias and their care partners.
  • Paula Alblas presented on behalf of Civil K9 Youth Services, a  non-profit charitable organization focusing on the use of service dog training as a means to mentor youth, specifically boys aged 12-18 years old.
  • Karen Bilton presented on behalf of Victim Services Wellington and their program which provides support to victims of crime, accident or loss, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year round.

All three charity presentations were thorough and enthusiastic. The audience was fully engaged and asked thoughtful questions. In spite of the fact that all three charities were worthy contenders, a choice had to be made!

As we listened to Barb McPhee’s presentation, votes were tallied and our selected charity was the Alzheimer Society Waterloo Wellington. When pledges come in from all members we will be contributing $15,100 to their Minds in Motion program.  We look forward to hearing about that impact at our next meeting on October 3, 2016.

Here’s a photo of your combined donation and our nominating member.

Alzheimer cheque

Diane presents a cheque to Robin Smart, the nominator of Alzheimer Society Waterloo Wellington.

Meeting 7 of 100 Women Who Care Guelph Raised $14,600 for  Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition’s North End Harvest Market

Our 7th meeting of 100 Women Who Care Guelph raised the bar on donations!

Thank you to all of the women who joined us last evening to hear from Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County Executive Director,  Sheila Markle who helped us to understand the far reaching impact of our donation to their pilot fund to assist young adults make the transition from supported living in foster care or other teen programs to independent living in a moving presentation.  You can find a transcript of Sheila’s talk on our website here!

Prior to the presentation by Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County, we selected three of our nominated charities at random and heard from our three nominating members as to what our support for that charity could contribute to the community.  Selected charities were:

All three charity presentations were thorough and enthusiastic. The audience was fully engaged and asked thoughtful questions.  In spite of the fact that all three charities were worthy contenders, a choice had to be made!

Meeting 7 pic 2

Nominator Linda Cowbrough and Member / Sponsor Irene Szabo showcase our Meeting 7 Donation to the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition in support of the North End Harvest Market.

As we listened to Sheila Markle’s Thank You presentation, votes were tallied and Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition  was this month’s successful recipient!   They will receive this meeting’s quarterly donation to fund their North End Harvest Market.   Here’s a photo of your combined donation and our nominating member.

Harvest Volunteers

North End Harvest volunteers pose with a big cheque from 100 Women Who Care

Some additional great news from the April 11th meeting; We’ve had a number of new members sign up over the past 4 months, so this month’s donation reflects our Voting Membership count which now stands at 146, meaning when all the pledges come in, our donation will total $14,600!

Congratulations to all of our 100+ Women Who Care for making a real contribution to your local community.  (Once again, we didn’t even have an accurate count on new members when we filled out the big cheque!)   Congratulations as well to Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition!

 

 

 

Another very important outcome from this meeting

was the result of the vote on removing the restriction on Operational funding. After a thoughtful presentation by Cathy Barr of Imagine Canada and our own Diane Nelson, the members in attendance voted overwhelmingly in favour of removing the restriction. 83 % of the votes cast were YES to removing that restriction.

Our membership’s generosity is an inspiration….

Harvest Sign

North End Harvest Market Sign

Following Meeting 7 we enjoyed a fun Social & Networking hour sponsored by members Sandra Lastovic and Irene Szabo  (see our sponsor’s page for more details.)

Didn’t stay after this meeting? We hope you can stay after the next one so you can make some new connections, enjoy some refreshments and have a fantastic time.

And thank you again to all the women who participated.

Together we are all making a difference!

 

Meeting 6 of 100 Women who Care Guelph Raised $13,800 for Family and Children’s Services

Our 6th meeting of 100 Women Who Care Guelph was another incredible success!

Thank you to all of the women who joined us last evening to hear from the Dunara Homes for Recovery. Yvonne Bowes from Dunara let us know about the impact of our donation in a funny, and engaging talk. You can find a transcript of Yvonne’s talk on our website here!

Laura Greenway-Balnar was the member who nominated and presented for Family and Children’s Services

Following the presentation from Dunara, we again selected three of the nominated charities at random (Family & Children’s Services, Special Olympics Ontario and Community of Hearts) and heard from our three nominating members as to what our support for that charity could contribute to the community. All three charity presentations were well thought out and wonderfully presented. A hard choice it was, but a hard choice we made!

With much enthusiasm we tallied the votes and selected this month’s recipient! We have selected Family and Children’s Services to receive this meeting’s quarterly donation! Specifically a pilot fund to assist young adults make the transition from supported living in foster care or other teen programs to independent living. Here’s a photo of your combined donation and our nominating member Laura Greenway-Balnar.

Some additional great news from the January 11th meeting; We had a number of new signups after some wonderful press from the Mercury on January 3rd. So this month’s donation reflects our Voting Membership count which now stands at 138 women who care, meaning when all the pledges come in, our donation will total $ 13,800.00! Well Done Ladies! (as you can see, we didn’t even have a perfectly accurate count on new members when we filled out the big cheque!)

Congratulations to Family and Children’s Services!

And thank you again to all the women who participated.

Photo of members who all live in the Village on the Green

The Village on the Green Contingent. Melodie, Willemina and Sharon

Following Meeting 6 we enjoyed a fun Social & Networking hour sponsored by members Sandra Lastovic and Irene Szabo (see our sponsor’s page for more details.)

Great women getting to know each other!

Great women getting to know each other! Terrie and Sandra are flanked by new members Wendy and Brenda! Welcome Ladies.

As if these meetings could possibly get any more fun. Well, apparently they did. Here are some of the goings-on. We hope you can stay after the next meeting so you can be showcased having a great time making a difference.

 

Wait? Who's Harvey and did he leave a cheque?

Wait? Who’s Harvey and did he leave a cheque?

Obviously, a good time was had by all!  What would it take to have fundraising be this easy every month? We have cracked the code.

Come on in and enjoy yourselves!

Rosemary, ???, Nancy. Look at those Happy Shiny Faces. We made a difference tonight

Rosemary, Robin & Nancy. Look at those happy, shiny faces. We made a difference tonight

 

 

 

 

Tell your friends. 100WWCG has it going ON! There was lots of action at our new “Materials Table” as well. At the next meeting, if you’ve got some information about a fun or important local charity or business event we now have a place for you to share that information. See? Someone just discovered a cool event!

Where to find out about local charity initiatives.

Where to find out about local charity initiatives.

Notes from Meeting 5 – October 5, 2015

We can’t believe it’s year two already!

After extending a warm welcome back to our members, a reminder of the $46,600 we contributed to Guelph last year, and a brief update on procedures, we launched right into picking our three charities up for contention.

We heard three very passionate speeches on behalf of the Alzheimer Society of Waterloo Wellington, The Children’s Foundation of Guelph Wellington, and our eventual winner (drum roll please) Dunara Homes For Recovery Inc., who received approximately $12,400 to aid their cause.

Dunara Homes for Recovery, our 5th winner! Michele Mactaggart (left), proud presenter on behalf of Dunara Homes, and Tannis Sprott of 100 WWCG (right) celebrate our newest winner.

Dunara Homes for Recovery, our 5th winner! Michele Mactaggart (left), proud presenter on behalf of Dunara Homes, and Tannis Sprott of 100 WWCG (right) celebrate our newest winner.

Many of our members were unfamiliar with Dunara Homes for Recovery. They have been quietly working away in our community since 1981, helping those suffering from mental illness as they transition from an institutional setting to a community setting, providing all the support they need on their road to recovery. They work towards autonomy, individual responsibility, engagement in the community, empowerment, hope, self determination, the elimination of stigma, and the opportunity for meaningful choice for their clients.

Our latest gift to Dunara Homes for Recovery was graciously accepted by Executive Director Yvonne Bowes (on right) and Yoland Webster, their Program Manager (on left), presented by 100 WWCG Organizing Member Tannis Sprott (centre).

Our latest gift to Dunara Homes for Recovery was graciously accepted by Executive Director Yvonne Bowes (on right) and Yoland Webster, their Program Manager (on left), presented by 100 WWCG Organizing Member Tannis Sprott (centre).

We were delighted to hear back from Sly Castaldi from Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, our winner from July. She was able to draw a parallel between the beginnings of GWWIC and 100 WWCG (other than the obvious alphabet soup of Gs, Ws and Cs), saying you never know when you start something how important and far reaching it can become, and she applauded 100 Women Who Care Guelph for making an incredible difference to all the charities here in Guelph.

We hope to have her comments posted here shortly so those of you who missed her wonderful thank you will have a chance to hear it, so check back soon!

You have until January 4th to get your charity nominations in before our next meeting on Monday, January 11th, 2016, from 7 – 8 pm (registration begins at 6:30) at the Delta Guelph Hotel and Conference Centre, where we will choose our next member nominated charity! Help us to grow by inviting your friends to join you in this amazing venture. See you there!

Notes from Meeting 4 – July 13, 2015

David's Thank you

David Jackson – Rainbow Teen Camp Leader

100 Women Who Care Guelph concluded it’s first year of operation with the fourth meeting of the season.

Giulanna Giancotta & Diane Nelson

Giulianna Giancotta from Rainbow Day Camp selects this month’s nominees with Diane Nelson.

We opened with some updates and then  heard a heartfelt description of the results of last meeting’s donation to Rainbow Day Camp from the passionate and committed David Jackson – Teen Camp leader. We’re reaching out to David to get the text of his speech if we can. Stay tuned for that.

Following David’s talk we went through our usual selection process and…

July 13 winner

Nominating Member and Organizer Tannis Sprott (centre) receives the quarterly donation cheque on behalf of Guelph Wellington Women In Crisis From Sharon Lewis (left) and Diane Nelson (right) also organizers of 100 Women Who Care Guelph

Congratulations! The donation from this meeting goes to Guelph Wellington Women in Crisis’s Transitional Housing and Support Program. They have been chosen at our
fourth charity selection meeting to receive an award of approximately $12,500 from the membership of 100 Women Who Care Guelph. The Transitional Housing and Support program provides counselling and levels of services so desperately needed by women and their children who are experiencing or have experienced abuse, helping them to start over, with both practical and emotional support.

Group shot

Many of our current members joined us for this impromptu group shot – we hope you can join us next meeting!

Keep your eyes and ears open for other worthy charities, and get those nominations in by the deadline of September 29th for our next meeting set for Monday, October 5th, 2015, from 7 – 8 pm (registration begins at 6:30) at the Delta Guelph Hotel and Conference Centre, where we will choose our next member nominated charity! See you there!

We celebrate all the members of 100 Women Who Care Guelph who have made such an amazing difference this year. Together we’ve raised $46,600 for area causes. And we’ve only just begun!

Previous charity nominations

July 13, 2015 1) Guelph Wellington Women in Crisis (winner) 2) Beginnings Family Services 3) Chalmers Community Services
Apr. 13, 2015: 1) Rainbow Day Camp (winner), 2) 2nd Chance Employment, 3) Focus On Nature
Jan. 12, 2015: 1) Michael House (winner), 2) Rainbow Chorus, 3) The Children’s Foundation
Oct. 28, 2014: 1) Rainbow Chorus, 2) Ed Video, 3) Hospice Wellington (winner)

Notes from Meeting Three April 13, 2015

Congratulations to Rainbow Day Camp, our most recent winning charity! Collectively we have pledged $12,700 to this worthy organization.

Start thinking of other worthy charities, and get those nominations in by the deadline of July 6th for our next meeting set for Monday, July 13, 2015, from 7 – 8 pm (registration begins at 6:30) at the Delta Guelph Hotel and Conference Centre, where we will choose our next member nominated charity! See you there!Big Chq Rainbow Day Camp

Need some ideas?

If you are looking for a charity to champion, click here for a partial list of registered charities in Guelph, and then fill out a Charity Nomination Form. Remember, it must be a registered charity, and the funds must remain in Guelph.

Let’s put our passion to work for our friends, neighbours and community!

Previous charity nominations

Apr. 13, 2015: 1) Rainbow Day Camp (winner), 2) 2nd Chance Employment, 3) Focus On Nature
Jan. 12, 2015: 1) Michael House (winner), 2) Rainbow Chorus, 3) The Children’s Foundation
Oct. 28, 2014: 1) Rainbow Chorus, 2) Ed Video, 3) Hospice Wellington (winner)