Program Stories
Our core programs (Adopt-A-Family, Food & Friends, Free to Grow & Scholarships) help support local children and youth all year long. Our Program Stories highlight all the good that our programs have done throughout the years - from the magic of the holidays, to stories of success, and so much more.
Fusion Homes and the Children's Foundation proudly announce a significant effort aimed at providing essential food security to families in our community this holiday season. In light of rising food costs and continued financial challenges for many families, Fusion Homes is generously donating $60,000 to the Children's Foundation's Adopt-A-Family program. This gift will contribute significantly to providing grocery gift cards...
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington is delighted to announce the appointment of Karyn Kirkwood as its new Executive Director, effective October 2nd. “We are fortunate to have Karyn take over this pivotal leadership role,” says Joe Migliaccio, Chair of the Foundation’s Board. “We have seen first-hand that Karyn’s skills, experience, and values align seamlessly with our vision. Her...
As the sun sets on the final week of summer holidays, the air is still filled with the contagious laughter of children. These joyful echoes reverberate with the vibrant memories they've crafted over the past few months - from splashing in pools, scoring goals in soccer, dancing with abandon, to the captivating allure of summer camps. Thanks to the unwavering...
The Children’s Foundation Free to Grow program has been funding life-skills, including tutoring, since 2018. During the pandemic, in response to the growing educational crisis of children lagging in school, the Children’s Foundation teamed up with Sylvan Learning of Guelph and the Guelph Giving Pledge to launch a new Tutoring Pilot Project to provide access to in-depth educational support for...
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington recognizes that the overall health and well-being of children and youth must include equitable access to intersectional mental health services. To ensure that all children, youth, and families have access to these services, the Foundation is excited to announce a partnership with Compass Community Services which will help to bridge the financial gap....
As 2020 comes to an end, we wanted to take a moment to look back at the incredible impact that YOU helped us make in the community this year. Though 2020 has been a year with many challenges, it has also been a year where we have seen so much compassion, community support, and kindness! At the start of the pandemic,...
Donors to the Adopt-A-Family Program have supported over 1,400 families in 2020! That's a big number. In all the hustle and bustle at Santa's Workshop, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that every family has their own unique story. But each year, some stories leap out and remind us of the struggles and pain so many kids and...
Last school year Food & Friends helped to support over 19,000 students, each who benefit differently from this program. For some, it may be that parents or guardians have to choose between putting food on the table or paying the rent. For others, there is a lack of skill to prepare a healthy meal or snack. For some, the...
Our theme this month has been Showing Gratitude. While we do our best to practice gratitude every day, we wanted to set aside this month to take extra time to express our heartfelt thanks to you, our community. You have fed hungry tummies breakfast, you have helped...
For the last three years, a fruitful partnership with the Orangeville Food Bank (OFB) has benefited so many of our Food & Friends programs within the town of Orangeville. Heather Hayes, Executive Director of the Orangeville Food Bank, had reached out to our Food & Friends’ program manager with the opportunity to provide donated food to a handful of...
“Going to camp, making new friends, and spending so much time outdoors swimming and playing games, was the highlight of my son’s summer!” For many youth, spending time outside playing is not their daily experience. The statistics on screen time versus physical activity can be alarming with Stats Canada reporting that 60% of kids do not meet the recommended...
Janine’s career goals changed a few times throughout her youth, but one thing that never changed was her perspective of what a meaningful career meant to her. The common denominator was always the same - she wanted to work with oppressed people who were in need of help. Once she settled on social work she then had to address the...
Empowerment is often reciprocal in nature. You become empowered so that you can work hard, achieve your goals and, in turn, empower others along the way. That’s exactly what Hannah Petty did. You might recognize Hannah as the inspiring young woman who told her story at the Around the World Gala four years ago. In 2015, Hannah spoke to our...
For one 10-year-old girl, Speed River Track & Field Club (SRTFC) changed her life for the better. Kariann had experienced some really tough times in her young life. Along with her older sister and mother, she has suffered trauma including the loss of a beloved brother to Cystic Fibrosis, domestic violence and abuse, and the temporary loss of her home...
Do you believe in the power of play? According to the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) “evidence shows that play enables factors that support good mental health and is important to children’s overall wellbeing.” Our focus this month is on taking a break to play. We believe in the power of play for kids and their development. Free to Grow...
In one of our Food & Friends programs the students that attend are very undernourished so the daily morning meal program is vital to the well-being and success of the school. The Principal has shared that every day the staff see substantial changes in the students since implementing the program. This program offers a fresh salad bar once a month...
For one youth who was referred to the Adopt-A-Family program, one “wish” on his list really stood out. In addition to needing things like a new winter coat and boots, bed sheets and towels, Tyler*, a 17-year old independent youth, really wanted family favourite recipes to cook his own meals. The teacher who referred Tyler described him as a...
Spring has finally arrived and everywhere things are blossoming. Flowers are emerging, birds are singing and the air is warm. To blossom is to mature or develop in a promising or healthy way. We often talk of children blossoming if they are given the right opportunities to develop and flourish. Through your support of our four programs -...
Story provided by Danielle Stafford- Rockwood Cenntennial Public School Our program serves the obvious purpose of providing healthy nutrition to those students in need, whatever the reason. We have worked diligently in past years to remove the stigma of needing to access the program and feel all students know they are welcome to access the program. One mother has...
Jessie Pegelo received the Children’s Foundation Tait and the Promoli scholarships in 2013 to help with her tuition and residence costs. She moved from Guelph to Sudbury to pursue her education and was transitioning from being a youth in the care of Family & Children’s Services (F&CS) to standing on her own two feet. Like any young person embarking on...
"Sometimes hard things happen in life. Things we have no control over like divorce, your parents losing their job or mental health issues. These circumstances can leave children feeling alone, scared, unloved and unwanted. Personally they affected my self-confidence, my self-esteem, and made me feel like I had done something wrong.The Children's Foundation was there for my family when...
Story by Emily Jones So often, within a city it is normal for some truth to go unnoticed. But there comes a time where the truth needs to be shared and paid attention to. Although many people may see Guelph as it appears – a beautiful city, where people go on about their days, and feel a sense...
A big part of gift giving is the surprise. Imagine for a moment what it would be like to be going through a difficult time in your life with each day being filled with the stress of meeting your children’s needs. Now picture what it would be like to feel the relief of knowing your children’s Christmas wishes would...
A young student named James attends the breakfast, snack and lunch program at a local school in Guelph each day. He's the child who would also visit the student nutrition program at the end of the day and take home anything that was leftover from the day. One morning, James was particularly hungry and after eating his sixth...
It’s amazing to think about how much of an impact an extracurricular activity can have on a child. For some children, their families don’t have the means to provide them with these life enriching experiences. For this single mother of three, her daughter would not have had the opportunity to manage her severe social anxiety disorder had it not...
"To a very kind family, I wish to express my heartfelt and true thanks for your very generous ‘gifts from the heart’ to my children and me. We felt truly blessed and cared for. The children were ecstatic about receiving so many things on their wish lists. Their eyes shone with delight and gratitude. Please know that I have...
As a supporter of the Adopt-A-Family Program and a father of two university-aged students, Dr. John Tait and his wife Kim understand the importance of supporting children as they grow so they can become successful adults. One element of that growth which is particularly important to John is having the opportunity to not only attend post-secondary education but to...
Year end celebrations are underway for schools in our community. And a favorite is the graduation of the Give Yourself Credit students. These are some of our community’s most vulnerable students who have risen above very challenging odds to accomplish their goal of accumulating enough high school credits to graduate. Our Food & Friends student nutrition program has supported these...
It's the season for registering for summer programs - which may have many families worrying that they cannot afford to have their children participate in their favourite activities. One family wanted their eldest son to be able to play soccer, his favourite sport, throughout the summer and not just because he would work off some excess energy. Their son, just...
Beryl Bain, who was a recipient of a 2001 Promoli Scholarship (now known as the Future Fund Scholarship) recently took a moment to reflect on how the scholarship helped inspire and support her to begin her journey as an actress. On March 16th, Beryl opened in her latest role in I Marcus Garvey with Theatre Archipelago. Beryl began her formal training in...
One mom carefully detailed each gift that they received from her Adopt-A-Family donor and how perfect they were – from the Lego "he jumped up and down with sheer delight”, the novel "he loves to just fall into a story” to the Welch’s Grape Jelly she received "my favourite!” For families in the program, many find themselves in a situation...
It can be lonely when your siblings are 7 years older than you. Eight year old Emily knows that feeling. Her friends do not live nearby and her older brothers aren’t interested in crafts so she spends a lot of time with her mummy. An opportunity like attending summer camp would allow Emily to have fun with kids her own...
My name is Matt Timberlake, and I am a teacher with Youth Moving Forward Alternative Education. Along with Youth Worker, Lynda Wilk, I would like to sincerely thank you for your generous donation of holiday gifts for our students. It was much more than we could ever ask for! When we received the gifts from Adopt-A-Family, we took a look...
Below are just a few examples of feedback straight from the kids you have participated in activities funded by Free to Play: "I learned how to cook complete meals outside, and that no matter how many socks you pack, it's never enough." (Scouts camping) In response to the question "Would you do it again?" ~ "Of course I will...
There is some serious end zone celebrations going on for Mark; this past football season he not only scored a touchdown, he learned the importance of being part of a team and met a positive role model. This would not have happened without the support of the Grants Program. His mom is a single-parent and currently looking for work,...
During the Adopt-A-Family program, we get to see firsthand how much time each donor puts into carefully selecting the gifts for their family. The joy they express in showing how they were able to find the exact gifts that their children put on their wish lists is evident. This thoughtfulness doesn’t go unnoticed. The families that receive gifts through...
How quickly can a student nutrition program change things? When beginning a new Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington’s Food & Friends program at local schools, our staff meets with the school principal and program coordinator to assess the needs of the school and what type of student nutrition program would benefit their student population. After discussing the many benefits...
Dear Amazing Family, We are very grateful for you this holiday! We love that you took the time to love us and think of us. You are too kind Merry Christmas. ...
There is a great sense of love and accomplishment felt by all who have taken part in the Adopt-A-Family Program this year. We have had a record-breaking year, supporting 1,109 families and reaching 2,385 children to date. These numbers will continue to grow as we receive emergency referals that right up until Christmas Day. We have had 926 donors...
The Children's Foundation's scholarship awards are unique in that they do not focus on academic standing, but rather on achievement in graduating in light of unusual educational, family, or social challenges faced during high school. Each school's guidance department and/or commencement committee nominates the Future Fund recipient for their school, and the stories of these students' perserverence in light...
Nothing makes us happier than hearing from families and kids about the impact of funding from the Children's Foundation of Guelph and Wellington. Life is busy, so to take the time to fill out a feedback form and send in a picture really means a lot to us! We recently heard from the mom of three-year-old Preslee, a rising...
The Children's Foundation Scholarships Program is the (graduating) cap of our support for local kids; a culmination of providing them with the tools they need to be nourished, educated, active, creative and filled with hope for the future. What makes our scholarships so unique is that the criteria does not focus solely on academic standing but rather on achievements in...
Every parent wants the same things for their children; to be happy, to be safe and healthy, and to have a fulfilling life. Imagine arriving in a new country as an immigrant or a refugee fleeing from war and conflict. Imagine the powerful need to feel a sense of safety and belonging. More and more immigrants will be calling...
Our programs focus on providing brighter futures for children but it really is the whole family that benefits. James, at 10 was thrilled to score a goal in hockey from the blue line for the first time. Luckily the Grants Program was able to be there with the financial means to make that possible. His family found themselves in...
Princess Elizabeth Public School is located in the centre of Orangeville with 590 students enrolled. This busy English and French immersion school offers two Food & Friends student nutrition programs to help with breakfast and lunch needs. Their breakfast program opened its doors in September 1998 and started offering a lunch program in September 2010. Teacher Valerie LaCapruccia is the...
Alex ~ Scholarship Recipient 2016 Growing up, Alex was interested in architecture or design, fascinated with drawing and making new things that could be tangible and memorable. Unfortunate circumstances, including foster care and later an independent living situation, placed financial constraints that applied a troublesome pressure on Alex, forcing him to make the decision to work full-time in property maintenance...
The Children’s Foundation is proud to work alongside neighbourhood groups in Guelph, connecting families to much-needed support and services. This story came to us from Linda Busutill at the West Willow Village Neighbourhood Group, and speaks beautifully to the powerful impact connection and community can have on a family. This is the type of impact that our Adopt-A-Family donors...
Meet Morgan (age 9) and Briar (age 7), two young girls from Elora using their artistic talents to raise money so they can adopt two families this holiday season. With help from their parents, they lovingly created 40+ personalized pebble art pieces, surpassing their goal. When they stopped by the Adopt-A-Family site, they presented the Children's Foundation with our very...
For one local teenager, living on her own without any family support, the gift of a new pair of woolen socks and winter boots was a highlight of her Christmas. In addition to going to school full-time, this young woman works part-time at an outdoor job in the freezing cold. She wrote, “Working outside for eight hours straight is much...
Lesley and Brandi, the new Food & Friends program coordinators at the Brisbane Public School snack program, wanted to provide more than a healthy snack to their 410 students; they wanted to encourage healthier habits for the whole family. Lesley shared "Food is not a topic that we tend to focus on in our schools unless it’s under the heading...
Story by Emily Jones Stepping outside into that cool, crisp air, we all know it’s coming. Soon enough, if not already, we’ll be thinking about making a list of whom we need to shop for this year. Week by week, we’ll be getting closer to that moment. The moment we get to see the smiles on the faces of...
As a single mom working part-time and going to school, Donna* often has classes or has to work late, which means she relies on a babysitter to take care of her kids until she can get home. Days are long and Donna often feels like she could use a break from the daily stress and demands of parenting, working,...
*Janine’s career goals changed a few times throughout her youth, but one thing that never changed was her perspective of what a meaningful career meant to her. The common denominator was always the same - she wanted to work with oppressed people who were in need of help. Once she settled on social work she then had to address...
“I’m bored!” It’s a familiar refrain of summer. While parents and kids alike look forward to the more relaxed pace of summer, there comes that inevitable time when the lack of structure leads to kids who don’t know what to do with themselves. All too often the devices come out and kids are sitting for too long in front of...
When children and youth attend the Food & Friends student nutrition programs, we know that the healthy foods they receive will have a significant impact on their potential to focus and learn. But the Food & Friends programs often go beyond feeding a student a healthy meal. The environment that the programs provide is a calm, safe and welcoming...
We received an email from a mom that moved us to tears as she has so beautifully captured why it is so important for children and youth to experience a magical, memorable Christmas. And how donors' support gives even more than the wonderfully wrapped gifts under the tree ~ they give the gift of hope. Here is her story: "When...
Each of the 1,268 families helped this past Christmas through the Adopt-A-Family Program have their own unique stories of the hardships and challenges they face, the love they have for their children, and the hope they hold for a good and happy life for their family. One of the unique qualities of Adopt-A-Family is the partnership with social and...
“According to what we have been through the last couple of years, I have never thought that my son will have the chance to do a normal activity like other kids. I am so thankful that we are here in Canada to know exactly what humanity is.” We are fortunate at the Children’s Foundation to receive so many heartwarming messages...
“The past few days, I had been in a state of despair over the lack of humanity I was experiencing during this awful time. Then just at the perfect time, my neighbor knocks on my door and says ‘there is food here for you’.” Anna*, a single mother of a three-year-old girl, has experienced both sides of the economic...
The first Fresh Food for Kids baskets from Market Fresh were delivered this week to five families and the response from them has already been so uplifting. We heard from one parent with three children who just two weeks ago, was a determined single mom about to graduate from college and confidently return to the workforce. This was to be...
During this pandemic, we are all being challenged in many ways and called to draw upon our resiliency to cope with the isolation and restrictions we’re facing. Children are not immune to the damaging effects of long-term isolation and may struggle even more than adults without their usual outlets for learning and development, including free play. Over the past 14 weeks,...
What do we do when a pandemic hits and we need to rethink how we deliver our Food & Friends school nutrition programs? We call on our amazing and dedicated volunteers to step up and help with our Fresh Food for Kids initiative! With 23 wonderful volunteers helping at our Elora packaging facility and more helping at our Guelph packaging...
Millions of people across Canada have come together during these times and found meaningful ways to give back to their community. We would like to tell you an inspirational story of our Food & Friends at Home volunteers. These individuals have truly made a difference and are feeding their passions through volunteering. When COVID-19 hit, the organization needed to take...
Beatrice, or Bea as she’s known in her Elf role at the Children’s Foundation Adopt-A-Family Program, has volunteered with the program for about seven years. Bea first became involved with the program by wrapping gifts. Not long after, she was introduced to other roles that included matching families and donors, greeting donors at their gift drop-off, helping process...
With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your family, and your community. Pam Wakefield has made her commitment to volunteerism a priority in her busy life. Pam started volunteering with the Children's Foundation in October 2016. She originally took on the role of Office Volunteer,...
As we approach the busiest week of the year at the Adopt-A-Family site, we still have over 400 families' gifts to come in. It is easy to forget when we have our nose to the grindstone, just how hard everyone is working. We want to take a moment to recognize a wonderful and amazing group of volunteers. ...
The volunteer team Christmas spirit abounds this year at the site of Adopt-A-Family (AAF) on Huron Street in Guelph. Claire is a volunteer editor and she works in the office ensuring that every detail of the donor and recipient paperwork for AAF is accurate and complete. Claire loves her position and states that "what keeps me here is the people", meaning...
Over a million Ontario students will have access to healthy food at school again this school year thanks in part to the support of Student Nutrition Ontario (SNO), The Children’s Foundation Food & Friends Program and their partners. As students head back to school, many are looking forward to accessing healthy food provided in one of the province’s 4,500+...
The Children’s Foundation Free to Grow Program helps hundreds of kids from low-income homes get in the game every year by funding them to participate in recreational activities like sports, camps, and the arts, as well as life-skill activities like babysitting training and driver’s education. With so many activities being cancelled this summer due to the ongoing pandemic,...
The Children's Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it has appointed Emma Rogers as its new Executive Director. A proven social entrepreneur and experienced local leader in charity management, Emma will assume the reins on Tuesday, December 10. The position has been vacant since the spring and the board initiated an extensive search and interview process...
Triumph Tool Ltd. is a family-run business that has operated in Guelph for 41 years. Currently run by John, Patrick, & Leslie Duffy, the local business believes in taking care of their community. After years of throwing a Christmas party for staff and their families and taking care of them as family, Leslie realized that they wanted to...
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what my life was like as a kid. I remember getting to try everything I wanted to try. When I was 6, I said to my mom, “I want to play soccer!” and she said without hesitation, “Okay, let’s get you signed up for soccer.” Now, I wasn’t the best at...
Resilience helps kids navigate stressful situations. When kids have the skills and the confidence to confront and work through their problems, they learn that they have what it takes to confront difficult issues. The more they bounce back on their own, the more they internalize the message that they are strong and capable. Check out the 7 Cs of Resilience...
Bill Gillam, owner of the Shelburne Home Hardware store, started the Donate A Plate fundraiser four years ago because he wanted to do more for the community. So he asks for donations from the contractors who purchase goods from the store. The community participates by purchasing a paper plate to represent a breakfast plate for one of the five...
The unprecedented demand 2016 brought to our Free to Play and Adopt-A-Family programs made for a challenging year. Although we could not reach everyone, we were able to help more children than ever before. Thanks to you, $1.94 millon was invested in bettering the lives of local children. As we reflect on 2016 and prepare for 2017, we see the...
We hope you’ve had a chance to see our Inspiring Kids. Inspired Futures publication. This joint project with the Guelph Chamber of Commerce and Energize Guelph is a beautiful publication highlighting the importance of recreation. We all know it’s fun to play soccer, go to camp or take music lessons – but it’s also much more than fun. It helps...
Thanks to a grant from the Musagetes Fund, a donor advised fund within the Guelph Community Foundation, more children in our community had the opportunity to explore what they are most passionate about including pottery, drawing lessons, music, dance, acting and improv. The lessons, funded through the Children’s Foundation Free to Play Program and taught by inspiring local instructors, fostered...
May 24th not only marks a royal birthday; this year it marked the 25th birthday of the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington. To reflect and celebrate, teams of the Foundation’s Sunshine Squad toured around Guelph, Wellington and Dufferin to visit over 70 community members and organizations that have been involved with and supported the Foundation over the past 25...
1987 Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County (F&CS) launched the Children’s Fund Campaign to raise funds for programs that helped create a healthy childhood for children they worked with. Two funds helped achieve this. The Stephen Promoli Memorial Fund, which was established in 1976 as a memorial to Stephen Promoli who lost his life in a canoeing...
Our community was exceptionally generous in 2015. You made last year a life-changing year for so many children and for that we thank you! With more children on the path to wellness and success, does this mean our work is done? Unfortunately, it does not. Until there are no children in our community who go hungry, who are feeling...
Carrie learned what she likes. This year she played soccer with the support of the Children’s Foundation Free to Play Program. She even scored a goal. However, when asked if she would play again, she says "I would but I love to dance and sing and act.” Follow your passions Carrie! Kirsten is following her dream to become a veterinarian...
Thanks to the generous support of our community at our Around the World Gala, we were able to meet some immediate needs for eight Food and Friends student nutrition programs. Through a process of budget submission, eight student nutrition programs determined that additional funding would either increase the days of operation or enrich the offerings of the program. Below are...
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington has been included on the Financial Post’s annual Charities of the Year List. This year’s list “The Top Children’s Charities Worth Your Money” features 23 charities from across Canada and includes primarily national charities. To build the list, the Financial Post scrutinized 740 children’s charities that raise more than $100,000 annually. The ratings...
You did it! We knew 2016 was going to be great. But, it was even brighter than we thought. Watch this video to find out how: Help us keep 2017 bright by making a year end donation or sign up to be a monthly donor and support local children all year long. Thank you for everything you did to...
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington’s Food & Friends Program hosted the Wellington County Live Free celebration breakfast at Elora Public School last Wednesday. This breakfast helped kick-off the Help Kids Live Free from Hunger Campaign that raises much needed funds and awareness for our local schools’ student nutrition programs. Approximately 600 students and their families, staff and...
Alliance Roofing is ensuring that one graduating student in our community will have the chance to attend post-secondary education by providing financial support for the 2017 Future Fund Scholarship for Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School. Future Fund Scholarships are provided to each high school in Guelph and Wellington every school year. The scholarship is awarded to an...
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington’s Food & Friends Program supports 107 student nutrition programs in Dufferin, Wellington and Guelph. Student nutrition programs offer children and youth nutritious food through breakfast, morning meal, lunch and snack programs in a safe and convenient environment to ensure they have the energy they need to focus on their school work. With the...
Every day, in our communities, children are going to school too hungry to learn. Many of these children come from families struggling to make ends meet and at a time when nutritious food is at a premium, it is often a luxury they cannot afford. The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington’s Food & Friends Program works to bring healthy...
"Playing with a team of new friends” was what one nine-year-old boy enjoyed the most about playing hockey with the Stanley Stick Hockey Association. His mom added, “Hockey has been so good in helping him learn about working with a team and was a great opportunity for physical fitness and socializing.” Since 1975, Stanley Stick has been providing a fun,...
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington’s Food & Friends Program supports 106 student nutrition programs in Dufferin, Wellington and Guelph. Local children and youth have access to nutritious food through breakfast, morning meal, lunch and snack programs in a safe and convenient environment so they can have the energy they need to focus on their school work and get...
Taylor McDaniel, Jennifer Mochrie and Clark McDaniel present $17,000 to the Children's Foundation Food & Friends Program. Jennark Homes and Williams & McDaniel Property Management are increasing their annual support to the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington Food & Friends Program to ensure students have the nutrition they need to learn. For the fourth school year, Jennark and...
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington has evolved their Free to Play Program, now called Free to Grow. The Free to Grow Program will still fund recreational activities like sports, arts and camps. However, families will now be able to choose to receive financial assistance for life-skill development activities such as babysitting, driver training, tutoring and more. In...
Giving can not only help the person receiving your support, it can also provide you with great joy and sometimes even a learning experience. Many staff, volunteers and donors have reflected that participating in Adopt-A-Family has made them grow as a person and increase their compassion and understanding. Adopt-A-Family focuses on supporting families over the Holidays who are in a...
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington’s Adopt-A-Family elves have been hustling and bustling over the past two months, matching families referred to them by social workers with generous donors in the community. With a wonderful outpouring of support from the community, they are overjoyed that all 1,134 families referred are being helped! “Every year, tears flow as we...
Like so many in Guelph-Wellington, the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington is concerned about how best to support the most vulnerable in our community during this unprecedented time of shut-downs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are especially concerned about the children who rely on food support through our Food & Friends student nutrition program, and we've been working...
The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington is taking important steps forward to ensure that children’s overall health and well-being are supported, by expanding their Free to Grow program to include mental health counselling for local children and youth from low-income households. The Foundation serves children and youth that may have been impacted directly or indirectly by anxiety, depression, addiction,...
With all the changes the pandemic has brought about in the community, the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington is adapting their popular holiday support program, Adopt-A-Family. This year, Adopt-A-Family will still match donors with families in need to brighten up their holiday season but the program will be moving to a gift card model rather than asking donors to...
The annual Adopt-A-Family Program, run by the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington, is still bringing hope and joy home for the holidays to local families in need, but in a different format this year due to COVID. For the health and safety of all those involved, the Foundation made the decision to adapt the program to a gift card...