2019

CATALOGUE 100% of YOUR will go directly to GIVE meaningfully the project(s) of your this holiday season. choice- No credit card fees

Heartfelt gifts for PLUS everyone on your list, unique MATCHING GIFT while also making local opportunities long-term impact in your local Oakville community. Welcome!

This is the first edition of the Oakville Community ’s GIVEOakville Catalogue.

This catalogue is designed to help you give where your passions lie, while learning about the important charities and programs supporting some of the most vulnerable in our community. You can feel confident that by giving through GIVEOakville, you will be directly supporting critical issues facing our community.

Why GIVEOakville?

Oakville is a ‘Community of Contrasts’, while Oakville is home to some of the wealthiest in Canada, Oakville also has more Thank You For Wanting To Donate to than 1 in 10 residents and 1 in 8 living in poverty. GIVEOakville is our way of showcasing where the local needs are and how you can be part of supporting local needs, and building belonging in your back yard. GIVEOakville Projects - its Easy

HOW TO GIVE

1 Choose Your Project(s) from this Catalogue

1 in 8 2 Now go to http://bit.ly/GIVEOakville Under 18 in Oakville are living in poverty. 3 Find your Projects in the Electronic GIVEOakville Catalogue

4 Choose the Donate button attached to the project you would like More Great Reasons To Give Via GIVEOakville to support. A new page will open showing the project you have • Your gift of $20, $50, $100, or $1,000 or more, helps the entire community become stronger. chosen. • All receive an automatic tax receipt* • 100% of your gift goes directly to the organization you support - The Foundation covers all credit card fees. 5 Enter your DONATION • All projects support one or more of Oakville’s community priorities, The Foundation has identified through our research including Equity Gap; Affordable Housing; Inclusion & Belonging; Mental Health; Environment; Resettlement; Heritage; Youth; and Indigenous needs. 6 To make Multiple Donations for Projects, simply go back to the • Every Gift Counts - No donation is too small! list and repeat instructions. • Whether it be a family member, teacher, colleague or friend, we have a GIVE project for everyone on your list. Or make a donation by choosing the project that means the most to you. 7 When you’ve made all your Donations - go to the ‘shopping cart’, Encourage your friends and family. to complete the Donation process

Local charities need support to reach their goals. Consider sharing our GIVE program on your social media platforms, or simply share by word of mouth. It’s a meaningful gift anyone can give to. Having trouble? Make a difference in Oakville! For questions on how to donate to GIVEOakville, please contact [email protected] or Your gift will fund and support the projects described in the catalogue, and make a difference in the Oakville community 905.844.3562 ext 300 for the better.

*min $20 donation required – for gifts under $20, you can email [email protected] to receive a tax receipt. Make a real difference for Your Acclaim Health ArtHouse for Children and Youth Build Oakville’s New Dementia Care Centre. ArtHouse Leans Green

You helped us purchase our site - now help us transform ArtHouse Leans Green will oversee children and youth the building into a state of the art dementia care centre from across Halton as they participate in two special Local for Oakville. With your help, we will be further supporting projects; “Canoe Gardens” and “Waste to Art.” Both mental health and reducing social isolation for over 1,400 projects serve as a call for action, using the power of arts people with dementia and their families each year. With and to help promote environmental stewardship your generous support we can build our new centre and through our community. Charities. transform dementia care in our Town forever.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton Camp Oochigeas Girls Linking Our World (GLOW) The Gift of Camp- for three kids in Oakville affected by childhood cancer. Girls Linking Our Worlds - (GLOW), an after-school mentoring program for young adolescent girls, aged 12-14. Each year, thousands of kids will have their lives changed GLOW promotes healthy lifestyles to empower and build forever because someone gave them the gift of Camp. leadership skills. Girls run the world! Give them the skills Your gift will equip campers with the essential supplies to become our leaders of tomorrow, today. they need to give every child affected by cancer the experience of a lifetime. Consider giving a child the gift of camp, and the ability to just be a kid again! Give today! Diabetes Canada Durham Association for Family Resources and Canadian Mental Health Association, Halton Canadian National Institute for the Blind Light a spark that lasts a lifetime for Oakville children and Support | The Community Oak Park Region Branch Envision Oakville - Reducing Social Isolation for Seniors youth with type 1 diabetes. Family Support Network for Adults with Developmental Free Walk-In Counselling in Oakville with Sight Loss. Disabilities For ten per cent of Canadians, Type 1 diabetes will not go In Ontario, the burden of mental illness is one and a half For many seniors, adjusting to life with sight loss is one of away and will require lifelong treatment. So how can kids A place to belong is the best gift for someone in need, and times higher than all cancers put together, and more than the most difficult experiences they’ll ever face - especially and teens learn to navigate their disease? Give children the you can give those with developmental disabilities that seven times that of all infectious diseases. We will provide if the loss is sudden. CNIB’s Peer Support program, opportunity to attend Diabetes Camp during the summer opportunity today. Many adults with developmental free walk-in counselling in Oakville to adults, seniors, and ENVision Oakville, is an active peer support group, and of 2020, and learn that together we will take charge of disabilities are unemployed, living in isolation in the youth age 16+ who are in need of mental health/addictions your support will help us as we support others, to build an diabetes and never let it define us. Give a child the homes of aging parents, and not participating in their support and referrals to community services. Healthy Oakville that is inclusive for everyone. confidence and knowledge to improve their quality of life community. Funding will support inclusive community minds mean healthy communities, build a healthy com- with this life-long disease- give a child a summer they’ll programs in fitness, nutrition and the arts that are munity for everyone who lives here and support us today! never forget! accessible to those with and without disabilities.

Halton Children’s Aid Foundation Community Living Oakville Youth out of Care Success Program Raise Your Voice Council ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Fare Share Food Bank (Oakville) Inc. For youth coming out of the care of the Halton Children’s How can we make Oakville a more inclusive place for Development Project Halal Aid, the transition into work is extremely unpredictable. 4 everyone? We believe it’s giving everyone the ErinoakKids Independent Living Program times as many of these youth fall into the NEET opportunity to use their voice! Our focus is to increase Feeding over 400 families per month, and with an category (Not in Employment, Education or Training) than equitable access and participation in community life for Each July, 12 young people with disabilities participate in increasing number of Muslim residents, the daily need for the average Halton youth in their age group. Your adults with developmental disabilities. We encourage full ErinoakKids Independent Living Program. Over a period of Halal products has increased rapidly. We want to ensure donation will assist these youth on their journey to community participation so we can work at decreasing 11 days and 10 nights, these youth learn and practice all Oakville residents are provided equal opportunity when self-sufficiency, with this intensive individualized isolation and work towards a more inclusive community. independent living skills in a safe and encouraging it comes to food services. Support our newest neighbours, program, including: mentorship, networking opportunities, Your generous donation will give someone the power to environment. Give youth living with disabilities the gift of and give everyone the opportunity to prosper in our and access to rec and leisure programs. raise their voice, give today! independence, and make their futures brighter. community. Food For Life Canada Food4Kids Speaking Each Other’s Language: Fostering Inclusion and Weekends Without Hunger Oakville. Belonging at Food Programs. Halton Learning Foundation (HLF) Heartache2Hope The plateau was 500, now at the end of the 2019 school Eliminating Barriers Program for Oakville Students First Steps to Healing After Suicide Loss (First Steps) Being new in Canada has its own set of challenges, and year, Food4Kids is feeding more than 600 children every sometimes even getting food in your new community can week, providing a bag of healthy food every Friday. Help When students lack the basics, such as clothing, toilet Did you know that Heartache2Hope is the only in be an enormous obstacle. This is the reality faced by many provide healthy food to support this drastic increase of -ries, food or school supplies, so does their ability to learn. Oakville dedicated to supporting suicide loss grievers? The new to Oakville, as language barriers cause our community children needing help. Goal - no child in Oakville should HLF helps eliminate these barriers with emergency First Steps to Healing After Suicide Loss initiative to be confusing, uninviting and challenging to navigate. suffer from hunger at any point during the week. Your subsidies. We provide support within 24 hours- ensuring provides support to suicide loss grievers right from the Help Food For Life eliminate this burden and better serve help is needed to feed these children. that students-in-need can have the chance to fit in at start of their journey. Sadly, waitlist exists for this our multilingual Oakville community. Ensure none of your public school, participate in school activities, and explore program, and funding will help reduce the wait. No one neighbours go hungry, donate today! possibilities for their future. touched by suicide will stand alone, donate today!

Halton Catholic Children’s Education Foundation Halton Food For Thought HIPPY Oakville HomeSuiteHope (HCCEF) Halton Food for Thought Oakville Student Nutrition Programs Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters in Oakville HomewardBound Halton and Jill of all Trades School Trips for Oakville Kids Project. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many Children who lag at school entry seldom, if ever, catch Homeward Bound Halton (HBH) is an education program Poverty remains a powerful factor in whether a student people don’t realize just how important a morning meal up to their peers and are at risk of dropping out of high for homeless and precariously housed single mothers, and can succeed in school, and learning opportunities outside is to a child’s ability to learn- and how many children in school. The best way to combat this is to start building is designed to aid participants on their journey to self- of the classroom often have costs associated with them, Oakville go without. 3 new Oakville Student Nutrition children’s skills and confidence at the very beginning of sufficiency through education and employment. The HBH therefore acting as barriers for children living in low- Programs (SNPs) are needed to meet the demand. For their school careers. HIPPY Oakville provides a free program is an up to 3 year program with a full scholarship income households. School Trips for Kids identifies and as little as $10 per child, you can ensure all students are preschool education for children between the ages of 3 to complete a two-year diploma program at Sheridan removes barriers that support 50 Oakville children in need reaching their full potential. and 5 who have been identified in vulnerable families. College, intensive case management, a housing rental so they are afforded the same opportunities as their peers. subsidy, and wrap around support, just to name a few. March of Dimes Canada Non-Profit Housing Moorelands Kids Corporation LEDGE (Learn, Experience, Deepen, Grow, Empower) - An Kitchen Renovations at Oakville’s Jean & Howard Caine immersive, experiential leadership program for Oakville Youth. Apartments Junior Achievement of Central Ontraio Kerr Street Mission (KSM) Meet kids at the critical juncture between childhood and Transforming Oakville Students’ Economic Future with Critical KSM Youth Development Program enhancement and expansion. March of Dimes wants to continue to make an impact adolescence to provide the guidance, mentorship, support Life Skills. for people living with physical disabilities, right here in and skill-building that they need to really thrive. LEDGE For more than two decades, KSM has been providing Oakville. In 2017, we began a multi-year kitchen (Learn, Experience, Deepen, Grow, Empower) is an Did you know that among the 50 per cent of students who essential programs and services for families, and in renovation project at the Jean & Howard Caine opportunity for 12 Oakville youth in Grade 9 to participate borrow money to finance their post-secondary education, particular their children. The Youth Development program Apartments, to bring them to fully modern accessibility in an immersive, experiential learning program. With as the average debt on graduation is $26,819? Providing is focused on equipping youth for success: in school, standards, but we’re not done yet! Help us meet our goal little as $25, you can help give youth the opportunity to financial literacy skills and knowledge to ensure relationships, work and in life. Youth are our future, of renovating the last three apartments, and give those build stable foundations for their futures. students understand their potential, to help give all let’s make sure they have tools in place to make a great living with physical disabilities the ultimate comfort in youth in Oakville the possibility of a successful future. one, donate today! their homes this holiday season.

Kids Help Phone/Jeunesse, J’ecoute Learning Disabilities Association of Halton- Expanding access to virtual care for Oakville youth. Hamilton Reading Rocks: A Motivational Reading Intervention Program Oakville Community Foundation Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre The demand for lifesaving services is at an all time high. for Vulnerable Readers. Community Classroom Financial Literacy To address this need, Kids Help Phone will give Oakville youth access to critical lifesaving services. Your donations For some children, struggling to read will become a Provide a free arts, culture, heritage, or environmental Did you know that in Canada household debt is at an all will help ensure no child is left behind. struggle with learning, and eventually a struggle with experience to every student in a publicly-funded Oakville time high? Now more than ever, financial literacy self-esteem and resilience in the classroom. With Reading school from JK to Grade 8! This initiative allows for all programs are needed within our community. The Rocks, Oakville children who struggle with the attainment students to be able to build a sense of connection and opportunity to become independent and make informed of early literacy skills will be paired with a trained tutor belonging within their community. It also supports local and effective decisions when it comes to finances, with who will develop hands-on activities and games to teach cultural organizations and institutions who provide less reliance on Money marts and a better understanding the essential literacy concepts. Donate to Reading Rocks programs. Invest in students, in local organizations & our of financial security, helps us all. and give a child confidence that will last a life-time. community. Peel Halton Dufferin Acquired Brain (PHD) Oakville Nutrition and Gardening Program for Brain Health and Radius Child and Youth Services Community Wellness Increasing access to counselling and support to children and Oakville & Milton Humane Society Oakville Chamber Orchestra (OCO) youth affected by abuse. Families in Transition OCO in the Community - Music for the Mind PHD provides community based rehabilitation to survivors of acquired brain injury (ABI). ABI is damage to the brain With approximately 125,000 child maltreatment Families in crisis doesn’t just affect the people involved, it Music is a language the whole world speaks! The OCO’s that occurs after birth from a traumatic or non-traumatic investigations per year in Ontario, we know that no city or affects their pets as well. The Families in Transition (FIT) Wind Quintet and String Quartet will bring classical music event. We know that what we eat directly affects our community is left untouched. The therapeutic programs, program allows OMHS to help families who are in to adults, seniors and people with disabilities - helping cognition, so our goal is to increase awareness and combining one-on-one counselling and group therapy, transition by providing temporary foster care, boarding, build inclusivity, reducing inequality, improving the knowledge of “brain foods” through teaching, will support and provide 7 children and youth in Oakville medical care, and food for pets. Let’s keep families quality of life, and leveraging community partnerships. rehabilitation and education. a chance of a lifetime. Give youth a chance - change our together, and give every pet the chance to be with their Let’s ensure that no one is left behind this holiday, donate community for the better, one child at a time. families this holiday season. now!

Sexual Assault & Violence Intervention Services Shifra Homes Inc. Oakville Meals on Wheels Oakville Strokers (SAVIS) of Halton Wellness Program Comfort Food- Increasing Cultural and Dietary Meal Offerings Help defer the cost of facility rental. Voice of Change, Advocacy and Leadership (VOCAL) from Oakville Meals on Wheels. Shifra Homes provide a safe haven, and an empowering Oakville Strokers, an entirely volunteer run registered Over the past two years, SAVIS of Halton has environment that promotes dignity and a sense of hope After 44 years, infinite kilometers and countless meals, it’s charity, provides a weekly stroke recovery program in supported over 100 survivors of human trafficking in the for young homeless pregnant women. Rehabilitation time for new wheels. This project aims to increase cultural Oakville. Our program helps stroke survivors overcome Halton region. Support VOCAL, a trauma-informed group services are offered through art therapy sessions, to and dietary food offerings to serve our diverse population the aftermath of a stroke. Help stroke survivors recovery. counselling program that is facilitated by a survivor of ensure that each mental health and rehabilitation session in Oakville. Whether it be for the individual who has food Support this important program. human trafficking. The program addresses the unique can be facilitated through a trained and certified sensitivities/need, or the vegetarian who wants more than needs of these survivors, using through psychotherapy practitioner. mixed vegetables, or the person who longs for the smell of emotional, life, and practical skill building programing curry bubbling on the stove. Do you crave a more inclusive while also connecting them to other survivors of human Oakville? Donate to Meals on Wheels today! trafficking. The Lighthouse for Grieving Children The Oakville Choir for Children & Youth Special Olympics Inc. St. Luke’s Anglican Church Multicultural Outreach Project Youth Development and Inclusion Special Olympics Unified Sports Oakville Reaching Out to Oakville The death of a loved one happens to everyone at some The youth of today are facing significant challenges when Special Olympics Unified Sports will promote social St. Luke’s works with more than 25 community point. As our community continues to grow and become it comes to mental health, and The Oakville Choir for inclusion by bringing young people with and without organizations with a principle - we want to help more. increasingly diverse, we recognize a growing need to reach Children & Youth would like to combat this by offering an intellectual disabilities together, by building year-round Installing a static electronic message board as an upgrade out to the multicultural community and lend our support inclusive program that offers a safe place for teens to not basketball programs in Oakville. Through these sports to outdoor signage, St. Luke’s will increase overall to everyone in times of need. Your generous donations will only sing, but also participate in a variety of other programs, students will overcome barriers, and move inclusion within our community, as the signage will help fund a part-time Multicultural Outreach Coordinator programming. We want to aid as many youth in our towards inclusion. Unify everyone by promoting physical provide increased awareness of address the major issues to connect and build trusting relationships with key community as possible, help us offset some of the barriers activity as a catalyst for social inclusion, attitude and affecting the quality of life in the Oakville community. leaders and stakeholders from the multicultural/faith youth are facing by donating today. behavioral change, donate now! Everyone deserves the right to be in-the-know, give the communities. Grief reaches everyone, so help us to reach gift of inclusion this holiday season! everyone too, donate today!

Start2Finish The Darling Home for Kids Oakville Running & Reading Club Therapeutic Programs The Tempus Choral Society The Women’s Centre of Halton Tempus4Us Children’s Choir Mental Health Promotion- Community Poetry Project The Start2Finish Running & Reading Club is an ater-school The Darling Home for Kids is dedicated to bringing program that addresses the need for enhanced literacy comfort and joy to families and for children who are To help build inclusion in Oakville, we have established The Women’s Centre is the first point of contact for and physical activity among children experiencing poverty/ medically fragile and technology dependent, many of Tempus4Us, a no-fee, non-auditioned choir for children women leaving shelters who are in urgent need of deprivation in the Oakville community. With your whom suffer from progressive illness. Every child, aged 5 to 14. Participants are provided with a binder of aftercare to successfully return to the community. assistance, the Start2Finish will be able to maintain its regardless of their physical and/or mental limitations, sheet music, enjoyable practices, special occasion snacks, Writing is a means of expression, and through poetry, this highly successful Running & Reading Club after-school should be in an environment where they can thrive and performance golf shirts, and training to foster their program will provide 10 participants the opportunity to program in Oakville. Help make the dream of graduation can live to their full potential. That’s why Darling Home musical growth and sense of community. Music brings promote awareness about mental health and wellbeing a reality for children in poverty, give a kid their “start” offers essential Therapeutic Programs that enable these everyone together, so support us in bringing community to through their writing. The Community Poetry Project will today. children the ability to participate in activities that are Oakville’s young vocalists! create an e-book through an artistic facilitated workshop, unavailable to them in the broader community and which will allow participants to create poems of resilience, promote an improved quality of life and well-being. courage and strength. What is the Oakville Community Foundation?

What does The Toronto Wildlife Centre United Way Halton & Hamilton Helping Oakville’s Wildlife (HOWL)- Providing care to sick and injured wild species. Are you undecided? If you can’t decide what charity you Foundation would like to support, to improve lives, build community Wild animals living in and around urban areas face and ignite action- donate to the United Way Halton & challenges of human activities and infrastructure-and Hamilton for your year-end giving. do? many become sick and/or injured. For these animals, Toronto Wildlife Centre is often their only hope. This Every day, United Way Halton & Hamilton has a profound project will provide medical and rehabilitative care to sick impact on the community by ensuring an essential and injured wildlife found in Oakville, with the ultimate network of programs and services work together to goal of releasing healthy animals back to the wild. Help achieve lasting, positive change. create a caring community for creatures big and small, right here in Oakville! • We are Oakville’s leading philanthropic solutions provider, assisting philanthropists in giving locally and across the country.

• We were founded in 1994 by a small group of Oakville residents dedicated to the future of our Town and are governed by a volunteer Board of community leaders.

• We are a trusted steward of investments, with more than $100 million in charitable assets.

• Our very first grant was made to fund construction of the Coronation Park Band shell in 1996 and since then we’ve granted more than $40 million.

• We are the lead funder for the Oakville Heritage Trail System and Moccasin Trails, with more than 46 kilometers of public trails and growing.

• Our Community Classroom program provides Arts, Culture, Environment and Heritage programs for every publicly funded elementary school student in Oakville.

• We use Belong Oakville to provide open doors and free activities across Oakville through many partner organizations.

Wellspring Birmingham Gilgan House Zonta Club of Oakville • Our Youth initiative engages Oakville High School students in learning Wellspring Skills and Strategies Workshop First Response Bags about local strategic philanthropy.

With cancer on the rise, funding is needed to bring critical The Zonta Club of Oakville will partner with Sexual • Our Fearless Women Giving Collective engages Oakville women to share their cancer coping skills to people in Oakville, in a new, creative Assault & Violence Intervention Services (SAVIS) of Halton, philanthropic journey and co-invest in high-impact solutions. format. Wellspring’s new Skills and Strategies Workshops Shifra Homes and Home Suite Hope to provide a total of couples highly-effective professional expertise, with 40 Dignity Baskets to their respective clients. Women who • We were a founding member of the Oakville Partnership for Truth & Reconciliation expressive therapies - writing, meditation, music and art are attempting to begin a ‘new life’ after escaping and convene the Halton Granter’s RoundTable. therapy - to help participants cope with feelings of situations such as abuse, financial hardship and isolation, and related emotional issues. Your donations trafficking/prostitution will be provided a Dignity Basket to will be directed toward piloting this program, for those help meet critical first needs upon moving into their new living and affected by cancer in Oakville. permanent household. The Dignity Baskets contain supplies such as housewares, bathroom supplies and personal care products for a family unit of four. Vital Signs Reports are The Foundation’s most extensive community-driven data program. Using local knowledge, the Reports unveil key local issues that are affecting the quality of life for residents in our community. Local data gathered through the program is used to support evidence-based, locally-relevant solutions to Vital Signs®, Belonging improve the quality of life at the community level. Vital Signs aims to inspire civic engagement, to provide focus for public discussion, and to help a range of ‘actors,’ inclusive of people, corporations and the public-sector, take action and direct And Community resources where they will have the greatest impact.

Conversation Reports The history of our Vital Signs Reports started in 2008, and we’ve now completed 8 Vital Reports highlighting issues focused on affordable housing, equity gap, safety, the environment and more recent emerging issues such as Belonging. While highlighting these issues is a key outcome of the reports, The Foundation is focused Momentum For Future Community Well-Being. on solutions and how we together can fund key initiatives that address the most vulnerable in our community.

All past reports are available at theocf.org.

“The reports like Vital Signs that the Community Foundation conducts will play a key role in directing the needs of future New Report Available @ philanthropists in order to provide maximum impact in the www.theocf.org community.” Lisa Helsdon, Founding Family, Oakville Community Foundation

2019 Report Building Community Through Philanthropy.

The basic idea of a Community Foundation is that we Pool and Invest community donations and funds held by charities, to create new money for our community and charitable sector.

As a community foundation, we understand Oakville – from the local issues and needs, to the agencies doing the best work to address these issues, to the people and organizations who are teaming up to make change possible.

By conducting original local research and developing collaborative solutions, we can guide you through the creation of your legacy in the community. You can trust us to help you make a significant impact.

We facilitate community initiatives and programs like building Oakville’s Heritage Trails, in partnership with the Town of Oakville and establishing the Community Classroom program to fund arts, heritage, environment and culture programming for all of Oakville’s publicly funded elementary students.

Learn more about our Foundation at www.theocf.org

Photos provided by Charities and other sources.

410 North Service Road Suite 200 Oakville, ON L6H 5R2 www.theocf.org | 905.844.3562