What your donation has done for our community!

A refugee claimant family newly arrived in Canada on November 12th and had been living in a shelter since their arrival. Due to limited space within the shelter, they were occupying one room for the whole family. The family consisted of 8 family members: 6 children and two parents. Based on their limited resources, the family was selected to be beneficiary of ISGW temporary housing support.

Family #1
A 2-bedroom accommodation with 5 beds was arranged for the family to move in by December 23, 2024, until end of March 31, 2025. With our support they have begun the process to receive refugee status. They have already received their Acknowledgment of Claim and UCI number, and they have done their medical as well. They had an appointment on December 17 at 8:00am with IRCC officer in Kitchener.

With our staff support the father, mom and youth all have work permits and need help to get a job. Driver’s license has been translated by our TIPS program.
To further support their successful integration, they have received the following:
1) Work permit
2) SIN number
3) Welcome card that gives them a bus pass, access to YMCA and orientation information.
4) They completed an English assessment
5) Referred to several employers as they are super keen to work.
6) We have registered the children in school. Waiting for next step to check documents at each school: Central Public School, Willow Rd Public School and GCVI.

Family # 2
A three-person family with a mother expecting another child had been staying in our shelter. They were selected to be beneficiary of ISGW temporary housing support. Given the mother is expecting and has a two- year-old child we felt it was prudent for us to support with a temporary housing solution. A 2-bedroom basement was arranged for the family to move in by December 23, 2024, till end of April 31, 2025. The unit
is fully furnished and even a crib was prepared since they are expecting new baby in March 2025. Since their move in date, the father started working and hopes to stay at his current residency.

ISGW staff and board of express our sincere appreciation for your generous contribution. With your help 7 children and one expecting mother are warm and safe tonight! It may not seem like a lot but imagine where they would be if you had not supported our mission to help newcomers who choose the City of Guelph
as their home!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Hope House Guelph Extends A Huge Thanks to 100 Women Who Care

It is so good to be back. My name is Jaya James and I have had the privilege of being
the Executive Director of Hope House Guelph since November 2016.

On June 24, 2024, I had the honour of presenting to you, on the affordability crisis that
so many in Guelph are facing. I shared how a growing number of Guelphites must make
increasingly difficult choices like choosing between paying rent and buying food.

Warm with gratitude,

Jaya James
Executive Director – Hope House Guelph

Good evening, everyone.

I am deeply honored to be here tonight to express our heartfelt gratitude for your incredible generosity. On behalf of the Guelph Wish Fund for Children, I want to thank each and every one of you for your donation of $15,500. Your kindness and compassion have truly changed the lives of many children and their families, putting smiles on their faces and giving them hope and joy during challenging times.

Your support has made a profound impact on children like Arya, who is just one year old and suffers from a rare form of epilepsy known as KCNA2. Arya is one of only three cases in Canada and the youngest in the country. Her family needed a specialized monitor that alerts them when a seizure occurs, with the results going directly to her doctor. Thanks to your generosity, Arya’s family can now ensure her safety and well-being, giving them peace of mind and allowing them to focus on cherishing every moment with her.

Maisie, a four-year-old with Mosaic Trisomy 15, a rare chromosomal anomaly syndrome, has growth restrictions, congenital cardiac anomalies, and craniofacial dysmorphism. Maisie loves camping, and her family’s dream was to create lasting memories together in a camping trailer. Your donation made this dream a reality, allowing Maisie to experience the joy and adventure of camping, surrounded by
the love and laughter of her family, including her brother and sister.

Then there’s Weston, who needed a wheelchair lift for his home. Weston’s mobility challenges required significant adjustments to his living environment to ensure he could move around safely and independently. Your contribution provided him with the necessary lift, greatly enhancing his quality of life and enabling him to navigate his home with ease.

Owen, who was born with a cranial disorder, needed two helmets and underwent surgeries to correct his condition. Owen is now four years old and full of energy and enthusiasm. He had a simple wish: to have a water table and a rock climbing wall at home. Your generosity made this possible, bringing immense joy to Owen as he plays and explores, building his strength and confidence.

And finally, Liam, a 16-year-old with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome, a genetic degenerative disease that affects his eyesight and development. Liam finds joy in playing with Lego and collecting vinyl records. His family also used some of his wish fund to go on a movie site tour at Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii during a family vacation. Seeing where some of his favorite movie scenes were filmed and the props up close, including the vehicle that Steven Spielberg himself used in a Jurassic movie, was a dream come true for him. Your support has allowed Liam to continue indulging in his passions, bringing happiness and a sense of normalcy to his life.

These stories are just a few examples of the countless lives you have touched with your kindness. Your donation is not just a financial contribution; it is a gift of hope, love, and joy. You have made dreams come true, provided comfort in times of need, and given these children and their families precious moments to cherish.

Thank you for believing in the mission of the Guelph Wish Fund for Children and for being a a bright light for these children. Your generosity reminds us all of the incredible power of community and compassion. Together, we are making a profound difference, one wish at a time.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you from all of us at the Guelph Wish Fund for Children.

Good evening,
My name is Danielle Gignac, and I am the coordinator for the Guelph-Wellington Master
Gardeners. It is my great pleasure to be here tonight to thank you for your incredible
donation and to share with you some of what we are doing in our community.

The Master Gardeners of Ontario Inc. is an organization dedicated to providing science-
based sustainable horticultural information to the public. The Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) began the Master Gardener Program in
1985, but it is now an independent nonprofit organization. Each region operates as an
independent group under the provincial umbrella. The benefit of this is that members of a group reside in the area they serve, and so can be most effective in their service and provide relevant advice to the particular growing zone.

Master Gardeners receive their certification after completing an educational component (consisting of a series of 3 or 4 university horticulture courses or self-study and a written exam) as well as 2 years of volunteering at 30 hours per year. After becoming certified, members must maintain continuing education as well as their 30 volunteer hours. These rigorous requirements ensure that members stay up-to-date in their knowledge and active in their service so that we can fulfill our mandate. With the overabundance of information available today, it is crucial that people have a trusted resource for unbiased scientific, authoritative information that is backed by practical experience and relevant to particular growing conditions.

Our volunteer activities typically include advice clinics at public events or garden tours;
answer questions through our telephone or email hotline; prepare and present garden
talks and workshops for both adults and children at local venues such as the libraries,
other horticultural societies or garden centres; speak on the radio; create online videos;
respond to gardening questions on social media platforms; and write gardening articles,
to name just a few! Last year, the members of our local group contributed a total of over 2000 volunteer hours in the Guelph-Wellington community.

We are an entirely volunteer-run organization. As a non-profit group focused on
information sharing, most of our activities do not require significant funds. Our
educational events, such as Day in the Garden, are typically offered at-cost to
attendees. Our May Plant Sale is usually the only fundraising event we have each year,
and this is used to cover expenses related to offering our normal services. As such, we
rarely have the opportunity to put together a program like we have been able to do with your generous donation.

You have enabled us to facilitate practical horticulture education for Grade 3 students at 20 Guelph elementary schools. We are able to support and enhance the current
curriculum by creating educational content as well as providing the actual materials and
equipment for students to practice what they learn.

The subject students will be taught is “relating science and technology to our changing
world by assessing ways in which plants are beneficial to society and the environment,
and ways in which human activity has an impact on plants and plant habitats.” We are
providing full growing kits for seed starting, which will support learning on plant growth
and health in general, as well as food security in particular–a growing concern in our
world today. The complete kits would include educational information for starting and
maintaining vegetable plants, a moveable multi-level rack, full spectrum grow lights,
light timer, soil, pots, seeds, labels, and necessary tools. All of this equipment will stay
with the schools and be able to be used from year to year, with only new soil and seeds
needed at a minimal cost. We are also providing teacher support to ensure the growing
process goes smoothly.

We see this program as having great potential to reach beyond the classroom as well.
With concerns around food security, we know these seed starting kits will be extremely
valuable for life skills that may be necessary for a child’s family either now or in the
future. As anyone who grows plants knows, there is also an emotional and
psychological element to the process. The joy and thrill of seeing our seeds germinate
or a bee pollinating our flowers is so good for our well-being. Studies have shown that
gardening is beneficial to mental health. Even with some disappointments with
germination or pests, gardening is ever hopeful. Every seed planted expresses our faith
in a future where it will grow and thrive. We need this more than ever.

All the materials have now been purchased and our volunteers will be assembling the
kits this weekend. On April 15, they will be delivered to the classrooms. We know these
growing kits will be an exciting addition to these 20 classrooms. Transformation begins
with education. By making growing plants accessible to kids, we are equipping them
with lifelong skills to contribute toward a sustainable future. On behalf of the Guelph-
Wellington Master Gardeners, I thank you so very much for supporting us to do this
work. We know the benefits will be far-reaching. You are planting a seed in the lives of
these kids – an act of hope for the future. Thank you.

Sharon Lewis and Tannis Sprott make a 100WWCG cheque presentation to Danielle Gignac of Master Gardeners of Ontario

(Photo Credit: Crista Renner)

Thank You So Much to the 100 Women Who Care Guelph from CMHA Waterloo Wellington!

Hello everyone, it is wonderful to be with you all tonight and to have an opportunity to say thank you to you in person for choosing to support CMHA’s Brief Service model of care at your October meeting.

My name is Helen Fishburn, and I am the CEO of CMHA Waterloo Wellington. CMHA Waterloo Wellington is the second largest CMHA in Canada serving more than 22,000 individuals each year and offering more than 100 unique programs and services to all ages: children, youth, adults, older adults caring for some of the most vulnerable in our community.

At your October meeting Lisa Hood shared some information with you about CMHA’s Brief Service model of care for children, youth, and their families in Guelph. This model of care was created as a direct response to the incredible increase in need for service we were experiencing during the pandemic. Our waitlists for service were growing exponentially reaching more than a year, which was simply unacceptable to us. In response our children’s service team developed a new model of care called Brief Service to move children, youth, and caregivers off the wait list and into care faster.

The Brief Service model of care supports children and youth with mental health difficulties, by building skills and addressing immediate needs. The needs of the children and youth we are seeing are different depending on age. For children 6-8 years of age, we are seeing a lot of emotional dysregulation and challenging behaviours, due to lack of socialization during the pandemic. For children 12-14 we are seeing children experiencing anxiety and loss of control resulting in self-harm and suicidality.

The Brief Service model of care is a very innovative way to serve our local children and families. Through this model children and youth up to age 18, receive up to 10, 1-hour, weekly sessions of therapeuticsupport. Parents and caregivers are always involved and are an important part of this treatment modeland are supported to better understand how to help their child.

CMHA’s Family Support Coordination team comes alongside the family at the same time the child is receiving treatment through Brief Service so that the support of the child and the family go hand-in-hand. Families receive support on key issues like Food Security, Financial Security, Housing, as well asgroup and individual support for parents – providing the wrap around care many of our families need.

The impact of this model is significant – 70% of children and youth who have accessed Brief Service do not require additional service or ongoing care. It has reduced the waitlist for ongoing care for children and youth with more complex mental health needs, from one year to four months.

Funds from 100 Women Who Care Guelph provided the funding needed for One Clinician to support 20 children, youth, and their families through 10 weeks of Brief Service Treatment. Your generous supportprovided children, youth, and their families, with the care and treatment they deserve, when they needed it most.

These are exciting days for CMHA Waterloo Wellington as we watch the final pieces of construction happening on our new Children and Youth Services Building located at 737 Woolwich St N in Guelph. This NEW, 48,000 sq ft, three-floor building will create a “one-stop-shop” for over 30 service providers, making it easy and seamless for 9,000 local children, youth up to age 26, and their families to get what they need to reach their full potential.

As part of the building design, we have included a Gratitude Wall which will be located on the first floor across from the main welcoming space where we will be celebrating gifts made to support our programs and services, 100 Women Who Care Guelph will be added to this wall as a way of expressing our gratitude for your incredible support.

_{Tannis Sprott and Sharon Lewis make a “Big Cheque” donation to Kyle Hare of Community of Hearts}

Thank You So Much to the 100 Women Who Care Guelph from Community of Hearts!

Hello and Good Evening Everyone, 

My name is Kyle Hare and I am the Development and Outreach Coordinator at Community of Hearts Lifelong Learning Centre. Community of Hearts is a not-for-profit organization located in downtown Guelph in the Old Quebec Street Mall which supports youth, adults and seniors (16 years of age and older) with developmental disabilities to achieve the level of independence they desire.

_{Kyle Hare says a wholehearted “Thank you!” on behalf of Community of Hearts}

Community of Hearts began in 2012 in the basements of caregivers seeking to provide quality life and skill-based learning opportunities for their loved ones with developmental disabilities. Noticing a dearth in learning opportunities offered to persons with developmental disabilities (especially after high school), these caregivers worked tirelessly to provide their loved ones with quality learning opportunities, constituting a niche otherwise unavailable in our community.

Since 2016, Community of Hearts has been fortunate to have our Centre in the Old Quebec Street Mall in downtown Guelph. As a charitable organization, the majority of Community of Hearts’ funding comes through us from grants and donations. 

Through a variety of Life Skills based programs, such as our Day Program, our Social Enterprise / Job Skills Program, our Evening Programs and our Sunday Social Club, just to name a few, Community of Hearts provides the opportunity for persons with developmental disabilities to continue learning beyond secondary education and work towards their goal of independence and becoming more active and engaged members of our community. 

At the 100 Women Who Care Guelph and 100+ Men Who Give a Damn Guelph’s combined quarterly meeting in June, Community of Hearts was extremely fortunate to be chosen as the recipient for the quarter’s combined funding. The funding Community of Hearts received from the 100 Women Who Care Guelph and 100+ Men Who Give a Damn Guelph will be used to construct an accessible washroom in our Lifelong Learning Centre. To date, the funding received from the 100 WWCG and 100+ MWGDG has reached just over $25,000. Currently, we are in the process of having the drawings created and soon will be acquiring the permits necessary to begin construction for this amazing project. Chris from FS Build Co., a contractor who has performed renovations in our Centre in the past and also a member of the 100+ Men Who Give a Damn Guelph will be doing the construction. It was funny, because the day after the past meeting, Chris had messaged me saying “Congratulations on your win!” and I thought to myself “Wow, good news travels fast!” and he told me about how he was actually “A member of the 100+ Men Who Give a Damn Guelph.” This was a nice reminder of how wonderful and well-knit our incredible community truly is. 

As for most if not all charities and not-for-profit organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on Community of Hearts. Not only did we suffer from a decline in participant numbers, but also, many of our participants suffered from isolation, affecting both their personal growth and development of social skills during this time. For that reason, we are very happy to be back in-person in the Lifelong Learning Centre, and are all very excited to be getting this incredible project underway. An accessible washroom in our space means that we will be better able to serve a larger demographic of people in our community who would wish to access our programs and services, better supporting them on their journey towards personal independence.

It is a pleasure to be here alongside all of these other phenomenal organizations and to know we have such wonderful resources and support in our community. Best of luck to this evening’s presenters. No matter what the outcome is, we are all winners for simply being here tonight and for the changes that we play a role in making each and every day. Together, we can and are making our community a better place. 

I would like to express a giant thank you once again to the 100 Women Who Care Guelph for all of the incredible work you do and have done for our wonderful community and for allowing me the opportunity to speak here on behalf of Community of Hearts. As someone who is fortunate to see great changes occur each day with the People We Support at Community of Hearts, I have come to understand that the biggest, most positive changes happen by having someone first believe in you, empowering you to believe more in yourself. Thank you for believing in us. We are so very grateful at the Lifelong Learning Centre.

Thank you and have a great evening,

Kyle Hare

Thank you so much for your time and for being part of these incredible groups. I know that collectively, you are each making a big difference in our communities and I hope you know how much your donations mean to small, local organizations like ours. 

A few months ago, I spoke to the 100 Men and 100 Women to tell you about our organization, Art Not Shame. 

We were absolutely thrilled to be selected as a charity for both groups, AND selected as a finalist with 100 Women in April. As a small, grass roots local organization, every single dollar goes directly toward our mission and we are in a very exciting stage of growth this year. 

Located in downtown Guelph, we are a community-engaged, multidisciplinary arts organization serving youth and adults in Guelph and across Ontario. Art Not Shame was founded in 2017 from the belief that we all belong, we all deserve and need community, and we all have something unique and creative within us.

The organization was created to address the lack of informal and welcoming spaces and sense of belonging in a community that play a vital role in our sense of ourselves, the health of our communities, and our collective mental health and well-being.

It was inspired, in part by the memory of my brother James, who died by suicide 23 years ago. On the surface, James had everything. When he died, it was a shock to our family, his friends, and the wider community, and it devastated us all.    

We ran a golf tournament in his memory for 17 years. And that golf tournament created a beautiful and supportive community that offered the permission to be vulnerable, and perhaps most significantly, the space to show up in our grief and humanness without apology.

When the golf tournament ended, I took what I knew about mental health, the arts (I am a self-taught photographer), community work, belonging (I have a PhD on love and belonging, but the real learning was in the living), and launched our first workshops series in 2017.

I wanted to create spaces and programs that welcomed people as they are, in their whole humanness, without need for apology, in the hopes that it would make the world a more inhabitable place for those who suffer like my brother James did. 

From that first program in 2017, we’ve reached over 5,650 people (from Guelph and virtually to participants across Ontario), collaborated with 40 community organizations, employed 38 artists, and grown our team from 1 full-time position to 4 full-time equivalents (all through individual donations and one-time grants). Our revenue has grown year over year since we began. 

We’ve seen a 557% increase in our reach annually since March 2020. And most importantly, we typically see between 75 and 90% increases in well-being measures as a result of participating in our programming.

This year, together with many partners and friends, like you, we are thrilled to be in the process of transforming a vacant street-level storefront at 119 Wyndham St Guelph into 2,602 square feet of permanent, fully accessible space for Art Not Shame programming and other community organizations and arts practitioners working in the service of well-being who have been priced out of downtown.

The donation from 100 Women Who Care is vital to making this happen. Your gift will go directly towards making this space and our programs truly accessible and welcome with the purchase of 8 flip top tables around which people will gather and create, and 4 height adjustable tables and workstations to meet the diverse needs of the people who will use this space.

We can’t wait to welcome you to our new space once it’s ready. Our renovations have begun and we have a tentative opening date this fall. 

I will share additional updates as our new space emerges and our expanded programming begins. You can follow along on our website as well, or stop by and peek in our windows at 119 Wyndham St N. 

Thank you so much for your time and your heart. With deep gratitude from the entire Art Not Shame team, we thank you.

Terrie Jarvis, Program Director of Food4Kids Guelph expressed her organization’s sincere thanks for our January 2023 donation. Here’s what she had to say…

It’s hard to know where to start in thanking all of you, my colleagues at 100 Women Who Care Guelph, for your generosity in supporting FOOD4KIDS GUELPH with your donations in the past quarter.

100 Women Who Care Guelph

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Notes from Terrie Jarvis – Food4Kids Guelph Appreciation

Just to recap the role of this charity, now five years old …

• Food4Kids addresses a situation that most people haven’t thought about, that a number of children in our very own community are at risk of going hungry at weekends.
• That’s because about 5% of the children attending local schools live in families that are struggling to make ends meet, with not enough money left over to properly feed their families after paying for rent, transport, clothing, medical and other essential expenses. 
• Those of us with children or grandchildren in our lives can predict the first thing most kids say when they walk in the door: I’m hungry! What can I eat? 
• But some children often go home to almost empty cupboards and fridges. 
• Those kids really depend upon getting some free food at school, Monday to Friday, through the many wonderful breakfast and snack programs run at most schools in Guelph. But then what do they do on weekends?
• Sadly, weekends can be a terrible struggle for them with inadequate food at home, and these elementary school children are too small and young to solve the problem for themselves.
• That’s where the Food4Kids program kicks in, by providing the most needy children with a nutritious weekend food bag to take home from school.
• Currently, we are supporting 400 school children out of the 700 we think need our help in Guelph, and we are at 30 out of 39 elementary schools.
• Through our bulk buying, we are able to provide each child with a great food bag containing 16-18 healthy items, for the low cost of around $15 per child per weekend. And what a difference this makes!
• By feeding the children on the weekend, it helps their whole family by reducing stress and allowing them to spend limited funds elsewhere.
• And during school holidays, when schools are closed, Food4Kids provides grocery gift cards to help the families purchase food.

So right now, Food4Kids is spending your donations on food to provide healthy weekend food bags for kids that really, really need this support from our community.

Collectively, our 100 Women team donated $13,775 to help the Food4Kids Guelph program.

And saving the best news for last, this generous donation has allowed us to take all 20 children off our waiting list to start receiving weekend food bags, and there’s enough money left over to create space for another 5 children as well!

Thank you so much for helping Food4Kids to help even more children in Guelph, who no longer leave school on a Friday wondering how they will be fed on the weekend.

And thank you also for the wonderful volunteering from 100 Women who have stepped up to help on a regular basis. We welcome any of you to find out more from us about how YOU could become a Food4Kids volunteer, too.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making a difference in children’s lives!

Tannis Sprott makes a 100WWCG cheque presentation to
G2G Executive Director Doug Cerson  and Executive Co-ordinator Willow Hall 

Hello everyone,

It’s so good to be with you all. My name is Willow Hall I am the Executive Coordinator for G2G Rail Trail Inc.

First, I extend my gratitude on behalf of our organization, stakeholders, and trail users to the 100 Women Who Care Guelph Organization. Together as individuals, you represent a powerful example of what can happen when people band together to create change within their community.

Working in collaboration with the City of Guelph and local stakeholder organizations we have developed a plan to create a launch point at York Road Park right before the Guelph “Covered bridge”. The launch point will include an 8-foot double-sided Kiosk adjacent to the parking area.

This will be the first kiosk of its kind in Guelph and will direct those wishing to participate in the G2G Rail Trail Experience to KM 0 of the trail. The map board will also include emergency and location information for those who are unfamiliar with the area. Working with the city the map board will also highlight local trail sections for the community to enjoy.

The installation of the kiosk and map board is anticipated for the spring of this year. The map board will be created with the required accessibility features to ensure it meets AODA standards,

Through the support of your organization, a strong message has been sent to the City of Guelph Staff and Counselors. Safe, accessible, and easy-to-navigate pedestrian pathways are essential to the people of Guelph. As a direct result of your group’s support for this project, conversations have taken place with the city of Guelph that allows G2G Rail Trail a seat at the table. We are currently in conversation with the City and like-minded groups to create further signage and wayfinding along the trail that will enable trail users to easily navigate to the start of the Kissing Bridge Trailway. All of this would not have been possible if not for your group’s investment in your community’s assets.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you tonight. I would be happy to chat or answer any questions you may have after the meeting.

Willow Hall ([email protected])

Executive Co-ordinator

G2G Rail Trail Inc. 36- 620 Davenport Rd Waterloo, ON N2V 2C2

Registration #83590 6231 RR 0001

Compass Community Services has grown in size and complexity since its inception in 1964 as a prevention-oriented program of the Children’s Aid Society. As the needs of the community grew and changed, the program incorporated as an independent non-profit agency. Formerly Family Counselling and Support Services for Guelph-Wellington, the agency rebranded to Compass Community Services in 2021. The change reflects the evolution of the organization, its current vision, and range of services.

The name Compass Community Services was chosen to capture the reliable, trusted direction, and support the agency brings to community members. Compass is an integral part of the community and provides mental health and social services to individuals, families, and children. These services guide people through life’s challenges, whether they are emotional, developmental, or professional. The programs deeply impact people’s lives.

Compass provides a full range of services to help people deal with relationships, emotional wellbeing, and physical and/or emotional trauma as well as service coordination and intensive behavioural consultation for adults and children with developmental disabilities. Agency services also include weekly no appointment Walk-in Counselling and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

Your donation for our Telephone Support program currently has four service areas: Distress Line (a call in service), TeleConnect (a call out service), LGBTQ+ (a call and text service); and, Seniors Offering Support (a call out service recently acquired in April ‘22). These services operate 14 hours/day/365 days a year. None of these services currently have permanent annualized funding. We are grateful for support from the United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin and private donations, such as yours, to be able to offer the service. Weekly calls of individuals in distress, suicidal situations, alleged abuse, depression, anxiety, trauma and more are increasing every month (see image below) saving $1M+ in emergency services. 

Thank you on behalf of our entire community and for saving lives. We will continue to be there for anyone who needs us with your help.

Compass Community Services

Telephone Support