The Guelph Community Foundation handed out around $50,000 during a recent event at the River Run Centre.
The foundation, which has established endowments to provide an income stream for community grants, announced its fall grants, supporting 16 local organizations, at an event late last week.
The event was also a chance to celebrate the foundation’s founding chair Ken Hammill, who was honoured with a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, presented by local MPP Liz Sandals.
“Ken has generously shared his leadership with so many organizations and causes in the city, the community foundation being one of them,’ said the foundation’s former executive director, Cindy Lindsay, in a news release. “His vision of a foundation that would help build a stronger Guelph for everyone has inspired many, and this recognition is just one reminder of this legacy that he has built.”
That legacy saw the foundation grow from one fund in 2000 to more than 100 funds today, the release said.
These funds provided the grants for the following organizations this fall:
Career Education Council – $5,000 for Build Your Community, Build Your Resume: A series of interactive assemblies demonstrating how youth can make a difference in their community while gaining valuable workplace experiences.
Chalmers Community Services – $4,000 for Evening Pantry Service Continuation: Additional funding ensures purchases to provide balanced nutrition from fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, milk, etc., and addresses special dietary requirements.
Child Witness Centre – $1,000 for Guelph, Wellington County Youth Symposium: A one-day youth symposium designed to challenge, educate and motivate students at a critical time in their life.
Children’s Foundation of Guelph Wellington – $2,000 for St. John Bosco Lunch Program: The program designed to help students and teachers connect.
Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival – $3,000 for Community Based Initiative for New Festival Program: The Dance Festival will offer a new community based initiative to dream, scheme and create new ways to present dance in Guelph.
Everdale Environmental Learning Centre – $4,000 for Discovery Farm educational items and learning support materials: Funding will provide greenhouse and farmer trainees workstations, tables, shelving and other materials to help upgrade items required for growing and to offer educational and employment opportunities that extend beyond a traditional growing season.
Guelph Youth Music Centre – $3,000 for School of Rock After School Program: A new initiative introduced in 2011 as an outreach program. Students are given the opportunity to play rock band instruments and sing under the guidance of professional musicians and artists.
Julien Project – $3,000 for Harvesting Program for Marginalized Youth: This program will help marginalized youth and youth at risk to develop horticultural, harvesting, and food preservation skills. The program will also help youth acquire credits in science and health.
Pollination Guelph – $2,750 for Hospice Wellington Pollinator Garden: This grant is for a second phase of a collaborative project with Hospice Wellington to design and install a pollinator habitat on the Hospice property to attract and sustain pollinating insects and birds.
Scientists in School – $2,677 for Guelph Capacity Building Project (Engineer Focus): To support the development of Systems at Work, an engineering workshop for Grade 8 classrooms, not previously offered in Guelph.
Guelph Symphony Orchestra – $5,000 for GSO Kids season launch: A program for children between six and 12. Members of GSO Kids will receive a close-up opportunity to learn how an orchestra works through workshops and special rehearsals.
United Way/Poverty Elimination Task Force – $3,500 for Advance Your Voice: A 12-week community training program that will empower community members to share their stories and experiences of poverty.
Upper Grand Learning Foundation: Laurine Avenue School (@ King George) – $3,023 for music program: This grant will be used to purchase instruments to begin an instrumental music program for the Grade 7 and 8 students.
Volunteer Centre of Guelph Wellington – $3,300 for Handbook for Recreation and Sports: The handbook will make information gathered about sports and recreation groups available through the Community Information Guelph database and through other formats.
Upper Grand Learning Foundation: Westwood Public School – $2,750 for Primary Reading Buddies Program: A program matching children who are below grade level reading and who need positive experiences with volunteer-led one-on-one support.
Wyndham House – $2,000 for Client Transportation Program: A program providing youth with supports needed to get to medical/counselling appointments, job interviews, apartment viewings and high school classes.
The fall grants are in addition to spring scholarship and summer camp grants, donor-advised grants and flow-through grants, bringing the foundation’s total for 2012 to over 90 grants totalling more than $170,000, the release said.