100 Women Who Care Guelph Fight Hunger With Food4Kids Guelph

100WWCG joins the fight against childhood hunger here at home by choosing Food4Kids Guelph as the latest recipient of their $13,000+ donation.

Food insecurity in Canada has doubled since the advent of COVID in 2020. There are many reasons contributing to a family’s inability to provide enough food at home, and difficulties surrounding the pandemic have exacerbated many of them, from job loss or illness to our current state of food inflation.

While there are many breakfast and snack programs run at schools in Guelph, the weekend can seemingly stretch on endlessly for a hungry child, leading to Food4Kids “Closing the Weekend Gap” initiative.

Once children in need are identified by the schools, Food4Kids Guelph packages up and delivers a weekend food bag for each child to the schools every Friday. This work continues like clockwork every week, thanks to the efforts of one paid employee, 25 regular volunteers, and many occasional volunteers.

Now in it’s fifth year of operation, Food4Kids Guelph provides weekend food bags to 400 children in our city. Since September alone, they have sent home 5,000 food bags.

Even while utilizing bulk food purchases, at a cost of $15 per child per weekend it amounts to $6,000 per week. With no government support, Food4Kids Guelph faces a yearly fundraising goal of $400,000 to keep the program running. Even at that level, they have had to cap the numbers at 400 children and have started a waiting list.

The benefits of adequate and consistent nutrition on the immediate, short, and long-term developmental outcomes for children is immense. 100WWCG is proud to partner with Food4Kids Guelph to battle chronic hunger, investing in the present and the future of our smallest, most vulnerable citizens.

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

100 WWCG Supports Signage on the Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail

The Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail, a 132-kilometre abandoned railbed, has been refurbished to become a year-round, easily accessible recreation trail.

Exercise is well known to contribute to our physical health, and there are proven benefits from getting out and enjoying nature to mental health as well. The G2G trail has seen a marked increase in use since the beginning of of the pandemic.

This well graded and volunteer-maintained trail, with 25 access points along its route, is fully inclusive. Cyclists, hikers, and families with strollers can be seen sharing the trail through all seasons.

The trail ends at the north end of the city, where it detours around the active portion of the railway to connect to city trails and downtown Guelph.

The generous donation of $10,000+ from 100 Women Who Care Guelph will be used to improve safety and accessibility along this detour route. Providing a detailed route map, QR codes to locate positioning on Google Maps, and regular “You are Here” markers, the safety of the trail will be increased for all users and will be critical in the case of an emergency.

100WWCG is delighted to find ways to encourage all citizens of Guelph to connect with nature, while bringing awareness to rural agriculture, heritage, and the environment.

To find more information on the fundraising efforts of 100 WWCG, or to become a member and join in contributing to local charities, visit their website at www.100womenwhocareguelph.com.

100 WWCG Supports Compass Community Services

Compass Community Services (formerly known as Family Counselling and Support Services) was chosen to receive the latest $10,000+ donation from 100 Women Who Care Guelph.

Working toward a vision of a resilient and supported community, Compass Community Services offers support to people in our community through four main pillars. Through their Therapy Services, Developmental Services, Workplace Wellness, and Telephone Support Services programs, they assist those dealing with physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; trauma; financial problems; and developmental challenges.

This generous donation from 100WWCG will go towards their four Telephone Support Lines, which are anonymous, confidential and free to all residents.

In January of 2020, support was offered to 200 individuals per month, utilizing 4 volunteers with limited hours. The program has expanded in 2 ½ years to supporting 3,000 individuals per month, 14 hours a day, seven days a week including holidays, utilizing over 125 trained volunteers.

Their Distress Line provides emotional support through active listening and empathy at times when people may feel stressed, overwhelmed, hopeless, or suicidal.

Their LGTBQ+ Support Line provides an inclusive space to LGTBQ+ youth or those who may be questioning their identity or sexuality.

Their TeleConnect Line sees community members receiving calls offering emotional support, casual conversation, or establishing medical reminders and prompts to support the needs of the individual.

Their Seniors Offering Support line is a telephone visiting services for isolated seniors, helping them combat their loneliness and isolation by sharing stories or reminiscences with other seniors.

Not only do these telephone services help people feel more connected and give them access to the mental health resources they need, but it can literally save lives.

100WWCG is proud to support this critical service for our community members.

To find more information on the fundraising efforts of 100 WWCG, or to become a member and join in contributing to local charities, visit their website at www.100womenwhocareguelph.com.

100 WWCG Supports The Nightingale Centre

The Nightingale Centre for Grieving Children, Youth and Families is the most recent recipient of the $10,000+ donation from 100 Women Who Care Guelph.

The Nightingale Centre provides grief and bereavement support through programs tailored to the differing needs of children, youth, and families who are experiencing the death of a parent or sibling through illness or suicide.

Death, especially when it comes unexpectedly, is one of the most psychologically devastating events a child will experience, leaving them in a vulnerable state. The Nightingale Centre was created to help prevent traumatic consequences for the bereaved by providing well-informed support on their grief journey.

Counsellors trained in grief and bereavement work with parents to support them in their own grief, but also to guide them in how to help their children grieve.

The counsellors work with the children, taking them through activities designed to help them identify their feelings of grief, learn coping strategies, and build resilience.

The Nightingale Centre was created to ensure that no child will have to make that grief journey alone. Unfortunately, demand for their services has increased due to heightened social isolation experienced during COVID-19.

The nightingale, one of the few birds known to sing at night, is symbolic of the work The Nightingale Centre does. In their own words, “If darkness is symbolic of grief, and singing is symbolic of hope – it is our goal to support our grieving children and young people as they learn to sing in the dark.”

100 WWCG offers their latest donation in support of grieving hearts.

To find more information on the fundraising efforts of 100 WWCG, or to become a member and join in contributing to local charities, visit their website at www.100womenwhocareguelph.com.

100 WWCG Supports the Marginalized Through the Guelph Community Health Van

The marginalized in our society are among the most at risk of contracting and experiencing serious effects from COVID-19. Whether the marginalization stems from homelessness, mental health, substance use or chronic poverty, access to critical services for this group has been severely impacted by the pandemic. 

Sanguen Community Health, based in Waterloo, has provided support to those in need in Guelph through the Guelph Community Health Van since October 2016. 

The marginalized often feel invisible or unwanted. When so many doors have been closed throughout the pandemic, the Van staff have been there to serve the most vulnerable and isolated members of our community by meeting them where they are.

The Van is staffed by an interdisciplinary and multi-agency team made up of a Harm Reduction Coordinator, Peer Support Worker, Public Health Nurse, and a Social Support Coordinator.

On top of offering harm reduction supplies, food and basic hygiene items, the Van provides nursing supports such as wound care, vaccines, STI testing, and peer and social supports to this vulnerable group.

As the pandemic stretches on through another cold winter, no one should be left behind. 100 Women Who Care Guelph, dedicated to supporting local charities, has chosen the Guelph Community Health Van to be the recipient of their $10,000+ donation this quarter in support of our community’s most at risk members. 

The 100 WWCG donation will go towards purchasing some of the most urgently needed winter items, including sleeping bags, warm clothing, tarps, blankets, and hygiene supplies.

To find more information on the fundraising efforts of 100 WWCG, or to become a member and join in contributing to local charities, visit their website at www.100womenwhocareguelph.com.

100 WWCG Invests in the YMCA PD Day, School Break Camp Program

Life has become much more complex for everyone with the advent of COVID-19, but none more so than for those who have children.

Working parents unable to work from home have faced the particular challenge of finding adequate care for their children during the week, when sending them to school is not an option.

For those already facing financial hurdles, needing to stay home with your children can mean risking losing your job or not being able to bring home enough money to make ends meet.

While parents face one kind of stress, children face another. Children desperately need connection and socialization with others to retain their physical and mental health, to keep on an even keel during challenging and unsettling times. Never has this need been greater.

The Guelph YMCA offers their support for both parents and children through their PD Day and School Break Day Camp. For the ten PD days and five days of March break this school year, parents can rest easy knowing their children are receiving quality care.

This Day Camp experience is offered to all children ages 4-12 years, providing a safe place to have essential childhood experiences while learning new skills and building resilience and confidence.

Last year, the YMCA in Guelph was able to provide subsidized camp experiences for 97 families who otherwise would not have been able to afford to send their children to Day Camp.

To ensure that the financial costs of the Day Camp are not an obstacle this year, 100 Women Who Care Guelph is pleased to invest their $10,000+ donation this quarter in families, helping provide necessary childcare when parents need to work.

To find more information on the fundraising efforts of 100 WWCG, or to become a member and join in contributing to local charities, visit their website at www.100womenwhocareguelph.com.

100 WWCG Pushes Back Against COVID Isolation By Supporting Torchlight Services

Torchlight Services has been working with individuals with disabilities since 1974 to ensure that each person is able to reach their full potential, helping them achieve full participation and inclusion within our community, and allowing the community in turn to celebrate their potential and citizenship.

Torchlight strives to positively impact each individual’s quality of life by offering a number of day programs. The participants work on honing their daily living skills, and experience personal growth through volunteer opportunities, recreational, cultural and social activities, and attention to health and fitness.

There is no doubt that the restrictions surrounding COVID-19 have led to an increased sense of isolation for everyone. For those in our community with disabilities, those feelings have been particularly acute.

Knowing how vital a sense of connection is to their participants’ health and well being, Torchlight went right to work to create their Connect Virtual Programs, providing a supervised, inclusive platform to help make connections, bolster friendships, and diminish that sense of isolation.

Their Virtual Program team provides 1-1 interaction to assist and support the participants in accessing the programs, while simultaneously offering critical person-centred support and engagement.

In response to the need to continue that program for our most vulnerable citizens, 100 Women Who Care Guelph has chosen Torchlight Services as the recipient of their $10,000+ donation this quarter.

To find more information on the fundraising efforts of 100 WWCG, or to become a member and join in contributing to local charities, visit their website at www.100womenwhocareguelph.com.

100 WWCG Helps North End Harvest Market Combat Food Insecurity

The North End Harvest Market, dedicated to providing food insecure families with fresh fruit and vegetables, was given a boost with a $10,000+ donation from 100 Women Who Care Guelph at their latest quarterly meeting.

Food insecurity in Guelph has been on the rise for the past year as COVID continues to relentlessly impact our society.

With a Public Health Inspector safety approval plan in place, the volunteer run North End Harvest Market was able to pivot to curb side pickup of pre-selected food bags, as well as institute a home delivery service for those unable to drive to their location at Waverley Drive Public School.

The need is so great they have expanded their catchment area outside of the north end, and have increased their weekly support from 50 families pre-COVID to 160 families today, with the budget rising from $600 to $1500 a week as a result.

Healthy food should not be one of the things anyone has to give up because of COVID.

As we all work together to see each other through these difficult times, 100 WWCG is delighted to help support the efforts of the North End Harvest Market.

To find more information on the fundraising efforts of 100 WWCG, or to become a member and join in contributing to local charities, visit their website at www.100womenwhocareguelph.com.

100 WWCG Supports Chalmers Community Services Centre

As COVID-19 continues to race around the globe, and our society continues to experience massive disruption, Chalmers Community Services Centre is the latest local charity to be supported by 100 Women Who Care Guelph.

Food insecurity has become even more of an issue throughout the pandemic, and CCSC’s Food Pantry program is struggling to keep up with demand. In 2020 CCSC served 11,914 guests, many of them for the first time. That amounts to over 300 visits per week to the Pantry.

Chalmers does not require proof of need from any of their guests, simply a first and last name on their first visit, thus removing any barriers to accessing their services.

The “community” part of CCSC is central to their purpose, with many guests in turn joining the army of over 90 volunteers. Volunteers great guests outside (masked and physically distanced) and chat with them until it is their turn to enter and choose their food, helping create that sense of community and belonging so important in these difficult times.

With this most recent $10,000 donation from 100 Women Who Care Guelph, CCSC will be able to provide 645 full grocery baskets, almost a month’s worth for every person coming through their door. 100 WWCG is proud to support this community effort.

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

100 WWCG Supports the Guelph Black Heritage Society

The Guelph Black Heritage Society is the latest charitable organization to be funded by 100 Women Who Care Guelph.

In these troubled times, there is an increasing demand from Guelph residents to explore  Black History, and to develop an understanding of the social issues of importance to Black Canadian communities. Heritage Hall, located at 83 Essex Street, began as the Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church and was founded by Black migrants, many of whom were fugitive slaves from the American south who came here via the Underground Railroad. Their history in Guelph is long and rich, and the Society is a valuable resource as our community looks for knowledge and understanding.

The Guelph Black Heritage Society has created a project called “Change Starts Now” in response to this increased interest. Educational programming events at Heritage Hall, as well as on-line information resources, are in the process of being developed. They are also working on a resource library, a treasure trove of information to be made available to our local school boards. In addition, the donation from 100 WWCG will provide a badly needed new front door for Heritage Hall, symbolizing a “Welcome” to all.

It is important for everyone to be able to tell their own story. This donation will ensure that the Guelph Black Heritage Society’s story, detailing Black history from the Underground Railroad right through to today from a local perspective, can be widely disseminated throughout our community.

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