You’ve helped us provide some light in the darkness for grieving families….

The Nightingale Centre for Grieving Children, Youth, and Families is so grateful for the donation from 100 Women Who Care.  The Nightingale Centre is a young organization; we only came into existence in 2019, one year before the pandemic. It was founded because a few individuals who work in mental health services with grieving families, and a few individuals who had experienced significant deaths in their family, recognized the need for a dedicated centre to support the unique needs of grieving children and families.  Research has shown us that children grieve differently from adults and these differences are crucial in understanding how to support children through the anticipation, immediate aftermath, and long-term management of a significant death in their lives.  Parents and caregivers, who are typically grieving themselves, need guidance in how to support their children through these periods while also supporting themselves through their own grief. 

This is where the Nightingale Centre comes in for families of Guelph and Wellington County, and where your donation dollars have made a significant impact for these families.  

To begin, your dollars helped fund the spring 2022 programs for the Family Bereavement Program and the Youth Bereavement Program. These programs bring grieving children and adolescents together with trained facilitators and volunteers, over several weeks, to help them identify their feelings related to their grief, give words to their feelings and experiences, and coping methods to manage them, and help them feel less alone and like they are part of a community of others sharing this significant experience.  In addition, the parents receive support and guidance in what to expect from their grieving children and youth and how to support them during their own grief journey.  Your dollars helped us pay for our facilitators for these groups, amazing women who are incredibly dedicated to the work that Nightingale does and its mission to help these vulnerable families.

Secondly, your donation dollars helped fund the purchase of the therapeutic materials we used with the different groups in the Family Bereavement and Youth Bereavement Programs.  While the groups have been online, packages of materials have been put together by the facilitators and distributed to the families prior to the sessions so that they are accessible to the children and adolescents during each session.  These materials include art supplies, related readings, and building materials – all with the mind to facilitate activities to help them through their grief journey. In addition, the parents receive information packages about how to continue to support their grieving children.  We know that this is a long journey and it’s important that these parents have material to which to refer in the coming months and years following the end of the programs.

We have also used your donation dollars to expand our library of children’s books and other resources that are helpful in opening the discussion of dying, death, and grief with children, and providing parents, caregivers, community support people, and educators, with the words and tools necessary to support these children outside of Nightingale. This furthers our goal of helping our community become more grief literate for our children, so they are supported well beyond specific mental health services, and no longer left out of conversations and experiences that have such a huge impact on their lives.

Our families tell us constantly how grateful they are that we are in place for them.  They feel supported with their unique needs and that the programs are a safe place for them to express themselves to compassionate, like-minded individuals. The children find words to explain how they’re feeling to parents, caregivers, friends, and teachers so that they can get their needs met more readily.

The pandemic has been devastating for organizations, especially young charitable ones like the Nightingale Centre. But your donation dollars are helping us to continue our support of these families during dark times in their lives and helps us to help them find some light.

Thank you so much.

The Nightingale Centre for Grieving Children, Youth, and Families

April 8, 2022

Thank you to ‘100 Women Who Care Guelph’!

The Guelph/Wellington Van Team would like to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to 100 Women Who Care Guelph for their generous donation to our Mobile Community Health Van Program. The Van program provides accessible harm reduction support and supplies, social support, and nursing care to individuals in Guelph and Wellington County. Our outreach team includes a registered nurse, peer support worker, and social support worker all of whom work to build relationships with those who visit the van, as well as build connections to other community and health services.  We also collaborate with other local services and agencies such as Legal Aid to bring information and referrals to folks who can’t easily access mainstream support.  

Sanguen believes in providing barrier-free health care and support using an interdisciplinary approach.  We provide Hepatitis C testing, information and treatment, wound care for abscesses and blisters, vein care, rapid testing for HIV and Hep C, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and counselling on safer sex and birth control. We also provide COVID-19 testing and vaccination, overdose prevention support and naloxone, and collection of used injection equipment. The Community Health Van also distributes food, hygiene items and clothing on our regular stops across Guelph and Wellington County.  With generous support from organizations such as 100 Women Who Care Guelph we are able to purchase essential items for the van such as socks, hats, mitts, snacks, hygiene products (sunscreen, soap, shampoo, and sanitizer), blankets, clothing, and phones.    

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the way individuals who face barriers to care have been able to access support in the community.  Over the past two years the Community Health Van has been heavily focused on providing as many items as possible to help alleviate the lack of access to resources, service, and basic necessities due to the pandemic. Some of these items include diapers, footwear, meal replacements, pet food, and camping supplies. With new stops added to Wellington County (Harriston, Palmerston, Arthur, Rockwood, Mount Forest, Erin, Fergus), we are working to better support harm reduction, overdose prevention and social support for those facing barriers in rural areas.

Thank you to 100 Women Who Care Guelph for choosing us as the recipients!  With your support we can continue our work to bring health care and support directly to those who need it in Guelph and Wellington County!

With many thanks,

The Guelph/Wellington Van Outreach Team

Here for Good, Because of You…

Thank you for your generous donation to our March Break Camps. The YMCA is Canada’s largest camp provider, and locally, the YMCA of Three Rivers is well-known for providing safe and inclusive camp experiences for all children ages 4 -12 years. Through camp, children are provided a chance to learn, grow, and explore in a place where they feel they truly belong. Together, children from across our community come together to try new activities and build lasting friendships. 

While COVID-19 disrupted what camp has looked like for us, we’re looking forward to welcoming more children back to our Guelph Y Day Camps in 2022. And, your support of nearly $12,000 couldn’t have come at a better time. 

For many families, March Break Camp is necessary child care to allow them to continue work. At the Y, we’re committed to providing equitable access to all. In 2019, of our 118 Guelph March Break Campers, 47% were subsidized. That’s 56 individual children who might not otherwise have had the chance to experience Y camps. 

Families in our community continue to struggle with the realities of the pandemic. From school shutdowns to remote learning, balancing working from home and caring for your family to layoffs and job uncertainty, our families need access to subsidized March Break programming now more than ever. And, thanks to your generous gift, we can meet this need. 

Through your support, you’re providing children the opportunity to get outside, have new experiences, and connect with friends – all of which contribute to their improved health and well-being. On behalf of all our campers – thank you. 

Sincerely, 

The YMCA of Three Rivers Philanthropy Team: Chantelle, Patricia and Victoria

September 23, 2021

Dear 100 Women Who Care,

It has been 3 months since Torchlight received the great news that our organization was the successful charity.   Your generous donation enabled us to continue to engage with our participants in a meaningful way through the Connect Virtual Program.

The Connect program offers virtual programming to underserved (due to pandemic restrictions) and isolated participants with disabilities.

Your donation amounted to just under $10,000.  This allowed us the opportunity to continue to connect our participants with their community through the purchase of outside instructors.  We were also able to re-hire our student program facilitators.

Your donation not only helped Torchlight Services and our participants, but it also supported small local businesses and students who have been struggling locating employment during this pandemic.

I know that there are many worthy charities that need support, especially during this time; and Torchlight is grateful for your generosity. 

Thank you for the work you do in our community. 

Sincerely,

Kim Court,

Program Co-ordinator, Torchlight Services [email protected]

 May 31st, 2021 

The Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition would like to extend our huge gratitude to the 100 Women Who Care and your amazing gift. The NEHM provides fresh and nutritious food to hundreds of community members each week. Over the past year the pandemic has caused a lot of stress and trauma in the lives of so many of our friends. This has created more need for the NEHM’s work and increased our food budget. Your gift could not have come at a better time. I’d like all of us to reflect on why so many in our community need to access emergency food programs and the inequity in our city and country.               

Thanks from Brendan Johnson  –  Executive Director GNSC. 

The North End Harvest Market would like to thank 100 Women Who Care Guelph for your amazing dedication to our community and especially to our vulnerable citizens struggling daily and even more during this pandemic to put good nutritious food on their tables with a special shout out to Linda Cowbrough who was our nominator and is a great market supporter and volunteer.  

Thanks from Barb McPhee – NEHM Manager 

The North End Harvest Market started in July of 2013 as a pilot project to provide fresh produce in the north end of Guelph (which was a food desert) to low income families.  With no sustainable funding, just donations and help from grants and our ADOPT-A-WEEK program, the market has been able to provide this service for the past 7 years. 

The Market provides fresh produce to approximately 560 individuals and families each week.  Marketers are allowed to access the market every two weeks.  The market started in the north end of Guelph and now because of COVID we provide produce to all corners of the City.  We deliver to around 80 homes and we have a Curbside service where the marketer pulls up in their car and a bag of produce is put in their back seat or trunk and they drive away.  It is a real safe – COVID way to make sure everyone gets their produce in a safe way. 

“My name is Molly and I am a delivery driver for the North End Harvest Market and just wanted you to know that your financial support is such an amazing donation.  The market does such an amazing job at making sure the most vulnerable are fed.  As a driver – each week – I have been able to make a distant covid connection with some of the marketers receiving this service and I can tell you that they are so very greatful to the market.  I take my kids along to help deliver and it is a fun experience to share as a family.  – Thanks for your gift.” 

Cobs Bread Bakery has an End of Day Giving program where at the end of each day – left over bread is given to community charities and the market is lucky enough to be one of those charities and we are able to give bread, buns, scones and treats out to the families as well as the produce. We also have a connection with one of the Zehrs Stores and we receive their left over goods and combined with a Cobs Bread pick up on Saturday nights, we are able to provide a free bread market on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and we see around 40 families a week. 

“My name is Ellie Gains and I am a single mother with 3 children – I had to quit my job because of COVID , to stay home and help with home schooling.  I am so grateful for the North End Harvest Market who provides our family with the fresh produce that we could not afford to purchase and my children actually love vegetables.  It has also been a blessing that they deliver as I could not carry the produce and my children on the bus.  There is also a bonus now with Harveys free bread market that helps us with free bread and treats on Sundays.”

“My name is Norine Wagner and I was a marketer for over two years and the fresh produce actually saved my life as I was diabetic and could not afford to eat properly.  I now have my health in line and have a part time job to continue with produce.  I also now volunteer each week at the market to give back.” 

“My Name is Kent Wagner and the North End Harvest Market helped me tremendously during my addiction recovery – they not only provided me with Fresh Produce, but treated me like part of the market family and supported me to find resources I needed.  I volunteered at the market to give back and now I have a job at a men’s shelter which the market now supports once a month with fresh produce.  Thanks for your generous donation.  The market works hard at fundraising and these kind of donations are a blessing for their survival.”

Pearl is one of our marketers who is such an inspiration – she just turned 89 and we were able to give her a cake from our Free Bread Market and celebrated with balloons and air hugs.  Your donation makes the little things in life happen with love, caring and dignity. 

THANK YOU 100 WOMEN WHO CARE GUELPH!!!!!!!! 

Barb McPhee, Manager, North End Harvest Market

Thank You 100 Women Who Care Guelph!

I don’t know where to start….
Your donation has meant that many families can stay in their homes. Families get to choose from the following list of items they need: 

• Fruit and Vegetables
• Canned  goods
• Salt 
• SugarPancake Mix
• Dried Soups
• Meat
• Hummus
• Peanut Butter 
• Bread
• Toilet Paper
• Soap
• Razors
• Shaving cream
• Shower gel
• Hygiene products
• Diapers
• Baby wipes
• Toothpaste
• Socks
• Gloves

You can imagine the relief a family feels when the above needs are met so they can spend the little money they have left on rent. Because of you 700 families will receive FULL baskets of what they need and they can stay in their homes..Many of the families that visit have 4-5 children so the need is great. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many families.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely, 

Vicki Olatundun, Excutive Director, Chalmers Community Services Centre, Guelph

Guelph Black Heritage Society is so thankful for the opportunities that 100 Women provided us.

This has made a huge impact on our nonprofit during such a watershed moment in history.

The funding has enabled us to purchase resources for the Flora Francis Library of Black Literature. Education is key for our organization and this allows education to be brought to our safe haven. This Library will be housed in the lower level of the Heritage Hall. The space will be full of resources materials and works of Black authors and books significant to the Black community and our allies.

Additionally, we were able to contract Uli Walle from Old World Woodworking to construct the new doors and transom window. This work is very precise and highly priced due to the Heritage it must upkeep. The work has started and they are expected to be installed in the spring (Covid premitting).

Thank you so much

Kween, Executive Director, Guelph Black Heritage Society 

100 Women Who Care Guelph

When the 100 Women Who Care Guelph team entrusted Food4Kids Guelph with its quarterly donations in January 2020, our volunteer-run charity was over the moon. While the funding was extremely valuable for our small charity, your support and encouragement was, too.

Receiving the extra money from 100 Women meant that we could immediately enroll more children in our weekend food bag program and reduce our waiting list. In fact, our 180 enrolled children soon grew to 200 by March and we were on track for even more growth. Then Covid-19 struck. 

With schools closed, we were unable to deliver our weekend food bags and we immediately switched to mailing grocery gift cards to the children’s caregivers, in the amount of $15 per child per week. 

Sadly, the Covid closures also forced us to cancel our signature fundraising event of the year, our “Closing The Weekend Gap Breakfast” that was already well planned and scheduled for April 28. Ouch.  

We were also “stuck” with a lot of pre-purchased, shelf-stable food on our shelves which we donated to Guelph’s wonderful Chalmers charity to supplement their free food bags. We also lent some of our equipment like freezers and delivery trolleys to other agencies providing food deliveries during Covid. The response of Guelph agencies for food-security has been remarkable. 

It soon became clear that Covid was making family struggles even more dire, so Food4Kids Guelph made a difficult decision. That was to “blow our budget” by dipping into funds already raised for the next school year so that we could provide grocery gift cards to our families throughout the 2020 summer months as well. We  realized that this decision would deplete our carefully planned budget by some $40,000 and that it could mean starting the 2020-21 school year supporting fewer children. However, we felt it was the right thing to support families when they needed it most.

And then our little team of volunteers got to work, as hard as we could. We applied to every possible grant program and reached out to our donors.  

With great relief we are happy to report that since April we have raised $40,000 and then some. Our program is back on track financially and now aims to support up to 300 children in the next school year. Our hearts are happy, and we are sleeping much better!

Thank you so much for supporting Food4Kids Guelph. As I am a regular member of our 100 Women Who Care Guelph team, I will gladly share updates at future meetings.

Sincerely,

Terrie Jarvis

Program Coordinator

Food4Kids Guelph

 

Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County Children First Fund

 

It is my pleasure to speak to you about the work of our organization and to thank you for your generous donation to the Children First Fund.

Jean Vanier said “One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn’t as individuals.”

 

 

 

100 Women Who Care is a marvelous example of community coming together to support programs and services that the members of our community benefit from.

A compassionate and caring community is vital to ensure children and youth are safe and nurtured and to ensure that much needed services and supports not provided through government programs or funding are available to help fill in gaps that exist, and they do exist.

The Children First Fund, through generous donations such as yours, provides tangible support to youth who are transitioning to adulthood with very little support from family, material assets or access to financial resources.

Let me tell you a couple of stories:

Tom (not his real name) achieved a goal he didn’t think possible with the support of the Children First Fund.

As an older youth, Tom moved out on his own and worked as a security guard to support himself. A hard worker, he kept to himself

He was holding his own but felt unable to move beyond what he had achieved and certainly not towards his dream of becoming a law enforcement officer.

In his own words:

Education Support “showed me a way out of a rut that could have damaged my life for quite some time.  It opened a world of opportunities that I had never event given thought to and showed me that there was so much more out there for me.  It also showed me that there are people who care a tremendous amount about the well-being and success of others.”

“I had never fathomed that [going to college] was possible. Learning that [there was Education Support] gave me a huge push to go back to school and not waste the chance. It made me realize that I could afford to make a career choice and pursue something that could really get me somewhere in life.”

“It is hard to measure this kind of impact on people but just speaking from my experience I can say that this [Education Support] has opened my eyes to so much more and put me on a path that I am really excited to continue down.  Supporting programs like this are supporting the hopes and dreams of individuals.”

Tom was able to reduce his work commitments so that he could attend college. He successfully completed his program and has moved closer to achieving his dream, recently accepting his job as a law enforcement officer with the RCMP.

The Children First Fund opened a door to possibilities for Mindy (not her real name) which can be pursued at any time. Growing up, Mindy had an interest in photography which with support developed into a passion. Supported by our organization to pursue this interest, the CFF provided her with access to a summer program.  Her work caught the eye of a local photographer who mentored her. Mindy’s creative drive found an outlet and after high school she enrolled in a college program specializing in photographic arts.

Mindy found the adjustment to college life challenging and with continued support from her worker problem solved to overcome the challenges to successfully complete the first year. With the increased workload of the second year, the challenges increased triggering past trauma issues – all of which significantly impacting her ability to cope so she took a break from her program.

In her words:

“It’s scary out there in the real world, with remembering to pay bills and do taxes.  It’s not something I’m amazing at yet.  It’s like learning to swim in a pool of salt water with a whole lot of paper cuts.  What made it easier for me to overcome these things is that I know I have people waiting to bandage up the areas that I can’t.”

When Mindy works through her trauma issues enough, she knows that she can return to college with our support.  The children we assist are not always ready to follow transition pathways at the same time as their peers.  They may do so at a later time.  Through the CFF we are able to continue to assist them to pursue their dreams when they are ready to do so.  The CFF opens doors to the potential of opportunity that our youth often do not know existed.

Donations to our Children First Fund really do make a difference in the lives of the children and youth we support and we thank you tonight for your donations. We know that opportunity is often the difference between success and failure. With donations from generous individuals like yourselves, we are able to resolve barriers and create community solutions. Ultimately those solutions help children, youth, young adults and families to not only survive but thrive.

Sheila Markle,
Executive Director
January 2020