Our October meeting marked the first meeting of the 11^th year of 100WWCG!  And it was a packed room again!

The meeting started with thanks to our sponsors – the Delta Hotel and Sandra Lastovic from Skip the Bank.

New members were welcomed, with a few joining us at the meeting.  The organization currently boasts 198 active members, and since 2014, the organization has donated more than $590,000.

There were some updates regarding the 100WWCG team:

• Melodie is stepping down as the press release writer, and a new volunteer is needed for this role (estimated commitment: a couple of hours per quarter).
  • A new donation follow-up team has been established:
    • Priscilla will handle cheque tracking.
    • Rachel will manage CanadaHelps tracking.
    • Vicki will be responsible for follow-up calls for forgotten donations.

Service pins were awarded to members for their tenure: nine 3-year pins, ten 5-year pins, and fourteen 10-year pins.

The Nominated Charities

The three nominated charities this meeting were:

1. Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail Inc. – Nominated by: Cyndy and Sharon McLean and Presented by: Cyndy McLean and Willow Hall
2. Community FEWD Program (Food Equity with Dignity) – Nominated by: Trudy Dickinson and Presented by: Yasemin Zorlutuna
3. The Guelph Enabling Garden – Nominated by: Annette Anderson and Presented by: Annette Anderson and Heidi Torreiter

Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail Inc.

The presentation by Cyndy McLean and Willow Hall focused on the Guelph to Goderich (G2G) Rail Trail and a critical initiative called the “Bridge the Gap” project, aimed at creating a safe, off-road connection between the G2G trail and downtown Guelph.

The G2G is a 130-132 kilometer multi-use trail connecting Guelph to Goderich.  It serves users of all ages and abilities, including multi-generational families and individuals using mobility aids. Currently, the Guelph section of the trail requires an on-road detour via Silvercreek to reach the trailhead.  This detour is extremely dangerous.  The “Bridge the Gap” project would allow direct, safe access from downtown Guelph and connecting trails.

The critical next step is to fund the “detailed design,” which serves as the blueprint for the trail’s construction phase. Securing funds for this design is vital to move the project forward.  While the City of Guelph is supportive, they require continued commitment from the community to match funds.  The detailed design will produce visual representations and plans necessary for a larger capital fundraising push of $1.5 to $2 million for the actual construction.  If chosen, the donation would fund this design.

Community FEWD Program (Food Equity with Dignity)

Yasemin Zorlutuna began by advocating for a more sustainable food system, with a focus on reducing the amount of donated food that goes to waste.  She shared that existing food security solutions, such as food banks, often receive large donations of raw food but lack the capacity to process it quickly.

FEWD accepts large quantities of raw, surplus food and transforms it into hot meals for the community. The program works within Guelph’s network of food security groups (e.g., the food bank, The Seed, North End Harvest Market). Volunteers cook and serve meals via mobile pop-up stands 2-3 days a week at accessible community locations. All meals are offered for free to everyone, without questions, emphasizing dignity. The program also prepares and provides meals to other local groups, such as Wyndham House (a youth shelter).

Over the last 3 ½ years, 25,000 pounds of food has been saved from landfills and 60,000 meals provided to the community. It relies on grants, donors, and revenue generated from catering services offered on the side.  If chosen, the donation would go towards covering operational costs.

The Guelph Enabling Garden

Annette Anderson and Heidi Torreiter shared the impact of the Guelph Enabling Garden (GEG). Located in Riverside Park along the Speed River, GEG provides free horticultural therapy programs for individuals and groups.  GEG collaborates with various agencies to provide structured therapeutic experiences. 

Programs serve about 600 regular participants annually, ranging from one-time visits to weekly sessions over several months.  Beyond formal programs, the garden encourages passive engagement for its approximately 20,000 annual visitors through interactive sensory experiences, a fairy garden, an invitations-for-play area (with toys, games, and books), and a community food garden where produce can be harvested for free.  If chosen, funding would support the horticultural therapy program delivery.

Chosen Charity

Our chosen charity was Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail Inc.  Congratulations!

Due to an ongoing postal strike, please donate online if you can. 

Online through our 100WWCG CanadaHelps fundraising page:

Follow this link to make your donation online. 

• If you choose this option, please make a payment of $104.00 to our chosen charity, to cover your donation plus processing fees.
• Choose the selected charity from those listed on the webpage.
• A charitable receipt will be issued for online donations, as soon as your payment has been made.

Payment by Cheque (before Oct 29th)

• Please drop your cheque off at the home of Priscilla Monteith @ 25 Arthur St N in Guelph.
• Please make your cheque payable to G2G Rail Trail Inc (add Bridge the Gap Project to the memo line)
• To the amount of $100.00 

Thank You from Michael House

Karen Kamphuis joined us with an update on the impact of being the chosen charity at our June meeting.  With over $18,000 donated, Michael House was able to support 6 months of programming.  This included counselling sessions and life skills programs.  For Karen’s full comments, please click here.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Jan 8^th.  The tradition of drawing our nominees for the next meeting from the hat has returned (and the hat was decorated beautifully if you weren’t there to see it)!   Here are the charities drawn:

• Up and Running Guelph.
• Parkinson Society of Southwestern Ontario.
• GCHC Pathways to Remembering.

Organizers will contact these individuals to confirm their availability. If a nominee cannot attend, another name will be drawn.  Stay tuned!!