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.
Torchlight Services Receives the Donation Cheques From 100WWCG
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.
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.
Hats off to the three dedicated 100WWCG members who volunteered to describe the significant work their charity undertakes and how our donation would be deployed to improve the service they provide to our community!
Our donation will allow Torchlight Services to continue their mission to “advocate for, promote, and facilitate the full participation, inclusion and empowerment of people who have a disability within the community.”
Torchlight has earmarked these funds to continue running virtual programs which help clients to socialize and engage in fun games and activities. The expected outcome will be a reduction of boredom and loneliness and an increased feeling of emotional well-being for program participants.
For more information, follow this link to our most recent press release.
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.
May 28th – 2021 – Carol Dilworth (100WWCG) presents donation cheques to Barb (NEHM), Brendan (GNSC)
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.
Carol Dilworth presents a cheque from 100WWCG to Chalmers Community Services Centre
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
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.
Meeting rooms and microphones aren’t necessary for virtual meetings. The most important component of our “gathering” is the information provided by the three committed 100WWCG members who have volunteered to detail the important work their charity is undertaking and how they would make use of a donation.
Our donation will give NEHM the opportunity to continue to safely provide much-needed food security to many struggling individuals and families during the ongoing pandemic. Their mission is to ensure that Covid is not a barrier to fresh produce for the city’s most vulnerable population.For more information, follow this link to our most recent press release.
Meeting rooms and microphones aren’t necessary for virtual meetings. The most important component of our “gathering” is the information provided by the three committed 100WWCG members who have volunteered to detail the important work their charity is undertaking and how they would make use of a donation.
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.
