#12DaysOfGiving Day 12 - Community Care

Throughout the #12DaysOfGiving we had bins in our office to collect winter clothing and canned food for Community Care. What began in 1919 as food and clothing assistance has grown to 17 programs - with their vision for a healthy, caring community where everyone lives with dignity and purpose, they are making a huge impact in our community!

Fast facts about Community Care:

• EVERY client is interviewed, assessed and registered for need
• 1 can of donated food is one can of food we did not have the day before
• 6 times per year (or every other month), a registered client may access 3-5 days worth of food, as well as clothing at Community Care, plus in emergency situations
• 12 percent of our trusteeship caseload are baby boomers
• 13 percent of the population of St. Catharines will access our food services
• 17 different programs are offered at Community Care
• 30 community garden plots were tended by 78 adults and 47 children
• 39 years of age is the average life expectancy of a homeless person in Canada
• 40 percent of our food bank clients are children
• 47 percent of all clients served at the ID clinic are children and youth
• 70 percent of youth seeking shelter assistance are female (16-24 years of age)
• 84 people seek shelter-related assistance through Housing Help on a daily basis
• 206 volunteers are scheduled weekly at CC in St. Catharines & Thorold = 30,900 hours
• 262 clients were supported through the Regional Trusteeship Program to stabilize their housing and keep them safe and warm, including youth 16-24 years of age
• 440 individuals participated in our seasonal tax clinic program in 2014
• 482 children and youth were given the opportunity to participate in sports through the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program
• 566 ADDITIONAL volunteers assisted in many capacities at Christmas=1,700 hours
• 1,087 households had IDs replaced/obtained for the first time through our ID Clinic
• 1,500 children received back to school support through the Snacks 'n' Sneakers Program
• 1,850 households have access to food security each month
• 1919 is the year Mrs. Leone Taylor recognized a need within the community, leading to the agency now known as Community Care
• 3,638 phone calls were received seeking assistance with utilities
• 4,000 pounds of food is distributed daily, 5 days a week
• 13,000 students are fed each school day through Niagara Nutrition Partners (Region-wide)
• 13,732 phone calls were received by Housing Help seeking access to shelter needs
• 358,180 dollars was distributed to 733 families through NEEF (Niagara Energy Emergency Fund) utilities program
• 1 person can make a difference in the life of someone in need in our community

#12DaysOfGiving Day 11 - Acts of Kindness

This year we wanted to add a new way of giving. We thought acts of kindness would be a great way to give people a surprise Christmas present.

We packaged up thermal socks, gloves, hats, and a $10 Tim Horton's gift card in a little bag to be handed out to the homeless. These packs would offer them warmth in the winter and a hot meal. We drove around downtown to try and find people that we could offer these gifts to. We will continue to hand out the packs till we run out.

We also had $2 Tim Horton's gift cards to offer to people we ran into on the street - it's always a nice surprise to be offered a free Timmy's coffee!

We hope everyone enjoys their Christmas with a little warmth! :)

Michael making up our warmth packs to hand out.

#12DaysOfGiving Day 10 - Site Visits

Michael, Paco & Danielle bringing coffee and timbits to site.

Yesterday was our annual site visits! This year we took Paco along for the ride - we brought Tim Hortons coffee and Timbits out to Merritt Meadows, Rosewood Estates and Optimist Village. It wasn't as cold yesterday as it has been but it was still a nice treat for everyone to warm up with some fresh coffee. 

As someone with a nice and warm office job, I'm not sure how all of our guys and the trades do it. I was out there for just a few short hours and my toes were frozen! They say you get used to it, but I'm not sure I would. It's not easy being out there everyday, but we really appreciate our guys and our trades! They help us to maintain our high quality and build your dream homes on time. Thanks guys for all that you do, we are very grateful.

#12DaysOfGiving Day 9 - Canadian Martyrs' Breakfast Club

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for kids who are growing and learning all day long! Robyn let us know about Canadian Martyrs Elementary School, who runs a Breakfast Club on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for their students who may not have access to a healthy breakfast every morning.

Norma and Pam have taken on the task of feeding the children before classes begin. It's a very short window they have between buses arriving and the bell ringing, but they manage to do it in a very smooth manner.


On Wednesday we brought an extra special breakfast in for the students! With the help of Sunset Grill (Fourth Ave), we were able to serve up a big hearty breakfast of pancakes, bacon and fruit. You could smell it down the hall and throughout the whole school by the end of serving - smelt amazing!

The kids' faces were priceless when they walked in - I think the best word to describe it is "shock". They were stunned when they walked into the room and saw a big heaping pancake on their plates. Some were so excited just to have bacon, which they don't normally get at home. They were all so polite and grateful - one student said to Joan, "Wow, thank you so much for this. This is the best breakfast ever!"

We were in and out with the children in about 15 min - but those 15 min meant a lot and we were so happy to help out with such a great program. Thanks to Pam and Norma for putting in the effort every day to serve the children a healthy breakfast to start their day off right!

Andrea, Don, Joan & Danielle serving up breakfast

Robyn & Andrea helping out at Breakfast Club

#12DaysOfGiving Day 7 - Welland & District Humane Society

A member of our team, Brian, brought up donating to the Welland & District Humane Society this year and we thought that was a great idea. He supports the centre and has adopted his family dogs from there in the past - as animal lovers, we were totally onboard! 

Paco wanted to make his contribution to the #12DaysOfGiving this year too!

The Welland & District Humane Society is an affiliate of the Ontario Humane Society and that affiliation gives them authority to investigate cases of animal cruelty and prosecute offenders when necessary. Over the last few years Welland & District SPCA has grown to include its own spay/neuter clinic and a mobile S/N clinic. A close partnership with Petsmart Charities of Canada has helped their clinics and their S/N initiatives. They continue to set the PACE for animal Protection, Advocacy, Care, Education - and they are striving for a future where no animal is left alone, unwanted or mistreated.

If you have ever visited the SPCA you know how hard it is to see all of the animals there without homes (and not take them all home with you). This year we brought them lots of treats, leashes, toys and food. Paco helped to bring all of our donations to the centre and visit all of his buddies!

#12DaysOfGiving Day 6 - Start Me Up Niagara

Start Me Up Niagara operates a vibrant Outreach Centre located in downtown St.Catharines serving those in Niagara who are experiencing significant life challenges such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, addictions and mental illness. They provide opportunities to improve health, increase community integration and support employment.

On Sunday we brought lunch to SMUN, as they provide lunch every weekend to those in need! They envision a society where all people are included, healthy and self-sufficient. 

Looking to get involved and give back in the community? SMUN's Coldest Night of the Year is coming up in the new year, February 25th, 2017 - look at the impact their event has had on the community!

#12DaysOfGiving Day 5 - World Vision

This year we had a lot to celebrate at our Christmas party!

It was a record year for our company - we closed 64 homes and added more team members than ever before! That's why we wanted to make our Christmas party extra special this year and Peller Estates helped us do that - the venue really set the tone for the night and the staff was amazing!

 

Looking back on the year, our team had a lot to be proud of. We were CHBA & OHBA Finalists, NHBA's company of the Year, and we contributed to a number of organizations in our community: Big Brothers and Big Sisters, The Holmes Foundation, YWCA, Niagara Dog Rescue, Niagara Life Centre, Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre of Niagara and Community Care to name a few.

For our #12DaysOfGiving we wanted to go bigger as well, we looked at giving back outside of our community to those in need. With World Vision we made a donation on behalf of each employee - we gave the gift of food, a source of income, health and education to families in need.

The impact that World Vision has in communities around the world is amazing:

• 41 million life-saving medications were shipped to stock medical clinics
• 1.7 million people including children benefited from food distributions, helping them to fight hunger and malnutrition
• 318,326 books were distributed to support children's learning and development
• 55,537 people including children are better equipped to protect themselves from disasters and respond to emergencies 

We are so proud of our team and what they have been able to achieve this year, we are so excited for what the future has in store for this amazing group of people!

#12DaysOfGiving Day 4 - Community Living

This year one of the members of our team, Ryan, suggested we look at giving back to Community Living St.Catharines - and what a great idea! As soon as I reached out to the organization, Mary was more than happy to tour me around their facility and show me all of the amazing programs that they run. My tour ran at the perfect time, I was able to see a sneak peak of their Christmas pageant finale!

If you aren't familiar with Community Living St. Catharines (CLSC), let me take a moment to give you some history. CLSC was formed in 1953 by a handful of parents who were determined that their sons and daughters would get every opportunity to reach their full potential. With this in mind, they have been serving children, teens, and adults with intellectual disabilities for over 63 years. With a population base of approximately 165,000; they assist some 800 individuals and their families residing in St. Catharines, Thorold, and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Their services include a participant driven adult day program that promotes individual growth through meaningful community and center based recreation and leisure activities. This program currently creates opportunities for about 285 people throughout the week with plans for adding evening and weekend programming for newcomers. They also provide 24 hour/7 days per week staffing support to assist 65 residents living in group homes throughout Niagara. Individualized support plans offer life skill development and learning opportunities that promote healthy lifestyles. The staff are also made available to provide assistance to another 62 individuals either living with host families or renting their own apartments. Further, nearly 400 children and their families are aligned with members of their staff team providing emotional support and practical assistance navigating the service system.

Danielle & Michael with Board President, Rick Jones, and Peter Doherty

They have recently finished the construction of a modern, fully accessible Community Living Center. Program space has been doubled allowing for new and innovative activity areas. If you have the chance, I strongly encourage you to check it out! They are working hard to achieve their mandate which states that; “People with intellectual disabilities have the opportunity to participate in all elements of living in the community.”

As part of our #12DaysOfGiving we attended Community Living St.Catharines' Christmas pageant and presented them with a new stereo system for the gym. The system is an integral and very fun part of their day programs. We were happy to help support this amazing organization and help them make the community truly accessible for all members of our community!

#12DaysOfGiving Day 3 - Out of the Cold

Start Me Up Niagara's Out of the Cold program began again in November - and this year they are seeing record numbers. We have been very lucky with the weather thus far, but if the last few days are anything of what's to come, we are in for a cold winter!

In an article in Niagara This Week, Director Susan Venditti has said there is an increase in attendance in not only the dinner program, but also overnight stays. “We’ve had nights where there have been as many as 46 people staying over,” she said, adding that’s well over the usual “busy night” of past years that would see a high of 25 to 30 people.

This year we continued the tradition of serving at Out of the Cold. Seeing the number of families and individuals that don't have a warm place to stay or food to eat is really heartbreaking, especially around this time of year. It is hard to describe that feeling of realization and appreciation for what you have after that experience. It really brings a new meaning to the holiday season!

We were very happy to help the Out of the Cold program and serve a special meal to those in need.

#12DaysOfGiving Day 2 - Community Care

The tree is starting to fill up here at the office!

This year we sponsored a family of 4 with Community Care, we were so happy to give back to such a staple in the Niagara community!

Community Care has been meeting the needs of the less advantaged since 1919. Their mission is to compassionately provide vital service and assistance to individuals and families that meet their basic needs and help bridge their journey to self-sufficiency.

Their impact in the community is best seen through their clients' words:

"Community Care went beyond what would be required to ensure that I had proper housing first and foremost...and nurtured me back to a place where I once again am beginning to feel as if I belong to this community."

"Having warm water for the first time in 6 weeks meant warm baths for all of us. Thank you for giving us back our dignity."

"I have a new outlook on life with a brand new smile on my face. I am no longer in pain with my infected teeth, and I enjoy smiling!"

"My son went to school in his new sneakers today with his new backpack. He was happy to go back to school for the first time ever."

"Thank you for listening...that is all I needed today."

#12DaysOfGiving Day 1 - Big Brothers Big Sisters

The #12DaysOfGiving is back!

It's time to get in the Christmas spirit, and what better way than to give back to our community. This year we started by reaching out to our team to see which organizations they would like to partner with, and we have come up with a great line-up!

Day 1 of giving began on Saturday when we had our Construction team out to the Niagara Ice Dogs game. Along with our team we welcomed a big group from Big Brothers Big Sisters! With our team being so busy, it was a nice outing for them to relax and enjoy some team bonding. The mentors and kids from BBBS loved the game and they had the chance to see an exciting one that ended in OT!

The Big Brothers Big Sisters organization has such a huge impact in our community and we were happy to be able to kick off the #12DaysOfGiving with them. The proven results that mentorship has is amazing, take a look below:

We would like to thank not only the staff at BBBS, but also the volunteers that dedicate time to mentoring children in our community! 

Day ELEVEN: Spreading the Holiday Spirit!

Today we were all over for the #12DaysOfGiving! We started off delivering a tray of lunch meats and buns to Start Me Up Niagara. They serve lunch on the weekends and usually offer snacks and a warm cup of coffee during the week for lunch. What a great organization!



Then we travelled around to all of our sites to spread the holiday spirit! To show appreciation to our site guys and trades we delivered coffee and timbits. Here's the crew out at Optimist, Tetherwood, Coyle Court and Rosewood!





To top it off, our Construction Manager got an early Christmas gift from our Design team - a nice new custom hard hat! (The front says Design Diva, the back says "In training")

Day TEN: Animals Need Love Too!

Today along with the help of Brigit & Arthur from Pet Valu Welland, we donated items for all of the animals at the Lincoln County Humane Society. Thanks to Brigit for helping us out with donations! We were able to donate hay for the bunnies, litter, toys and food for the cats, and treats for the dogs. It was so amazing to walk through and see a majority of the animals already adopted!

Lincoln County Humane Society has been protecting animals since 1881. Dealing with a diverse animal population they are faced with many different situations, oftentimes in severe climate conditions.

The Lincoln County Humane Society is a charitable not-for-profit organization dedicated to the humane treatment of all animals; to alleviate their suffering and neglect, support the human-animal bond and foster an environment in which people respect all living creatures. They provide safe refuge and compassionate care for animals.

Day NINE: Community Care is much more than just a food bank!

Community Care, St. Catharines & Thorold has been meeting the needs of the less advantaged in our community since 1919. The fundamental principles on which the agency was founded have not changed. Community Care compassionately provides vital services and assistance to individuals and families that meet their basic needs and help bridge their journey to self-sufficiency.

Fast Facts

Community Care currently offers 18 programs

1,850 households have access to food security each month

4,000 pounds of food is distributed daily, 5 days a week

40 per cent of our food bank clients are children

We will assist over 3,000 families with our Christmas program

Over 200 volunteers help out on a weekly basis in St. Catharines and Thorold

1 can of donated food is one can of food we did not have the day before

Want to know more facts? Learn more here http://communitycarestca.ca/fast-facts

Community Care clients say it best...

"Community Care went beyond what would be required to ensure that I had proper housing first and foremost...and nurtured me back to a place where I once again am beginning to feel as if I belong to this community."

"Having warm water for the first time in 6 weeks meant warm baths for all of us. Thank you for giving us back our dignity."

"I have a new outlook on life with a brand new smile on my face. I am no longer in pain with my infected teeth, and I enjoy smiling!"

"My son went to school in his new sneakers today with his new backpack. He was happy to go back to school for the first time ever."

"Thank you for listening...that is all I needed today."

Our tree is full again, this time with food and winter clothing donations - awaiting a new home with Community Care!

"A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal."
- Steve Maraboli

Day SEVEN: It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

We are just over half way through our #12DaysOfGiving, and that means we are so close to Christmas! Have you finished all of your shopping yet?!

It's a crazy time of year, with all of the hustle and bustle around the malls, we don't seem to have much time to slow down and really appreciate the things around us. The 12 Days of Giving has really given us a chance to be grateful for everything we have! It's been a time to reflect on so many things that we take for granted.

Think about your morning routine - you get up, have a shower, eat breakfast and rush off to work in your car. You don't really think too much about it. You always have shampoo, conditioner and soap handy in the shower, fresh clothes to put on and you struggle over the decision if you want a bagel or a smoothie for breakfast. What I've realized over the last couple of days, is that even that warm shower I wake up to every morning is a luxury! Some people (more than you might have ever thought right here in Niagara) are struggling to eat everyday, let alone put a roof over their head.

Tonight we will give thanks and be grateful, as our whole team comes together to celebrate our accomplishments in the past year and what's to come! The most important thing is that we will all be together and we can share in the happiness of the season. Along with our Christmas party tonight, we will be collecting food and winter items to be donated to Community Care.

"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving"

- Mother Teresa

Day SIX: A place to go. A place to be somebody. A place to do something.

Start Me Up Niagara (SMUN) began as one of five sites opened in 1999 by the National Network for Mental Health to offer self employment services to people who self identified as mental health consumer survivors and wanted to start a business. This pilot project was funded by Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) to determine whether self employment was a viable work option that could improve the unacceptably low participation rate of this group in the labour market.

During its first year SMUN found that self employment was a good option for a few people but that others needed different options. It also found that mental illness was only one of the issues that  eople accessing self employment services faced. Poverty, unemployment, homelessness compounded by disabilities, poor health, isolation impacted lives and created barriers that prevented an acceptable quality of life.

In response to these findings and with the help of community members who wanted to make a difference, Start Me Up Niagara was incorporated as a charitable organization in September 2000. It works with individuals who are having a difficult time at this point in their lives. Start Me Up offers a variety of opportunities that improve health, increase the level of community integration, support housing and employment.

Start Me Up and Out of the Cold work closely together to make sure that anyone who doesn't have a place to call home, has a safe place to go through the holiday season and beyond! Out of Cold is open every night from November 1 - March 31 serving a hot supper to all who come. They also provide a warm bed for anyone needing a place to sleep overnight. It closes every morning at 7:30.

Start Me Up is open during the day, 365 days a year. It is a safe welcoming place with multiple resources that help individuals get started again. Services include daily drop in, housing and employment supports. In 2015 the SMUN Centre has hosted approximately 30,000 drop in visits with Out of the Cold providing 3,500 nights accommodation and over 20,000 meals. Both Out of the Cold and Start Me Up Niagara are busy happening places that serve many of the most vulnerable people in our community.

Tonight we will be volunteering at Knox Church to help serve dinner!

"The greatest gift you can give someone is your TIME. Because when you give your time, you are giving a portion of your life that you will never get back." 

Day FIVE: Empowering Youth Through Mentorship

Big Brothers was founded in St. Catharines on May 28, 1937. As Canada’s leading child and youth mentoring charity, Big Brothers Big Sisters facilitates life-changing relationships that inspire and empower children and youth to reach their potential, both as individuals and citizens. In the past year, Big Brothers Big Sisters served 1037 children! Wondering how it is possible to pull all of this off? There are 542 volunteers who gave their time to provide friendships and guidance to the young children of our community.

The Mentoring Effect

"Mentoring is the key to unlocking a young person’s potential and making a lifelong impact. through our research, carefully documented outcomes and evaluation process, we at Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Catharines- thorold & district know that mentorship positively and dramatically alters the course of a young person’s life and the volunteer’s life too." - Dale J Davis, CEO

Changing the course of young lives changes the future of communities. Big Brothers Big Sisters returns positive results in the mental health, employment and civic engagement of the recipients of our mentoring programs. In a recent Social Return and Investment Study, $1 invested in mentoring by Big Brothers Big Sisters returns $18 to society!

The effect of mentoring on youth:

63% of mentored youth went on to have post secondary education

Adults who had a mentor in their youth earn $315,000 more income in their lifetime.

47% hold senior leadership positions.

Teens who engage in mentoring are 1/2 as likely to engage in alcohol and drug use.

Boys are 2 times less likely to engage in bullying.

Girls are 4 times less likely to engage in bullying.

Volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters

Have you been thinking that mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters only includes one-to-one, long-term matches? Think again!

Big Brothers Big Sisters offers a wide range of mentoring opportunities to meet the varied needs of volunteers, children and families.

Serving as role models, our mentors teach by example the importance of giving and giving back, of staying in school, and for having respect for family, peers and community

Mentoring Programs include:

• Big Brothers Mentoring
• Big Sisters Mentoring
• In-School Mentoring
• Big Bunch
• Go Girls! Group Mentoring
• Game On! Group Mentoring 
• Enrol a Little
• Kids Corner

Learn more about BBBS: http://www.bbbsmentors.ca/en/Home/mentoringprograms/default.aspx

Rinaldi Homes Welcomes Big Brothers Big Sisters to the Ice Dogs Game!

We donated 20 tickets to Big Brothers Big Sisters for children and mentors to attend the game tonight. We are so excited to share in a great night! Keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live pics at the game. GO DOGS GO!

Day FOUR: Hope for Homeless Women and their Families since 1927

Established in 1927, in an effort to respond to identified needs in the community. The YWCA Niagara Region has a long standing history of providing safe, supportive housing and programs directed to the development of homeless and impoverished women and their children.

As the largest provider of Emergency Shelter in the Niagara Region and a recognized expert among funders and community agencies, the YWCA offers innovative housing programs and services that provide hope for women and their families living in poverty. The YWCA provides shelter and programs, including:

• Two 20 bed emergency homeless shelters across the region
• 6 apartments throughout Niagara, which serve as emergency shelter for families
• 3 phases of transitional housing across Niagara
• Skill development programming, including at-school programming for youth
• A new modified men's shelter
• A new family shelter that will be built in 2016

Curious how many individuals in Niagara the YWCA has helped?

The YWCA helped 1254 women, 444 children, and 71 families last year. In 2014/2015, 1254 women, 444 children, and 71 families stayed in YW Emergency Shelter last year. They served over 59,835 meals and 4,414 women took part in their skill development programs. 

The YWCA is committed to social change and work to create a community that supports women who are living in poverty and provide support through each step towards financial stability and independent living.

What a humbling experience - bringing over 330 items to be added to the many donations they have already received for the Christmas program this year. All being sorted by volunteers to be packaged and given to over 300 women, men and children! Some of these individuals may have never received a gift before, so having something to open on Christmas is such a special experience (and something many of us take for granted). It's amazing to see the impact such a small gesture can have! 

A Year to Transform Margaret - A Success Story

How much time do you think it would take to get your life in order when it’s brought you to a place you never imagined you’d be? This varies from person to person depending on their commitment to change and Margaret exhibited unmatched drive from the very beginning.

Leaving behind her old life meant starting fresh. Without the trust of her family, Margaret bravely set out to navigate her own journey on the road toward independence. Coming to the YWCA Women’s Shelter was no easy task, but moving on meant leaving a home that held too many memories of a lifestyle best left behind. Margaret faced her fear of strangers as she joined the other guests at the Shelter, unsure if she could even trust the Women’s Advocates.

Margaret proved to be the definition of not only a success story, but a woman of inspiration. She is who I think of when I consider how I would react if ever faced with hardships that challenged my every concept of existence.

Read more about Margaret's story here!

Do you want to learn more about the YWCA and their programs?

• The YW offers transitional housing to help women and families to overcome poverty: http://www.ywcaniagararegion.ca/our-work/transitional-housing/ 
• The YW now also runs a program for men who struggle with homelessness: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/12/15/lafleche-sheltering-men-at-the-ywca
• Interested in volunteering? The YW is always looking for helping hands: http://www.ywcaniagararegion.ca/ways-help/volunteer-2/

Day THREE: Project SHARE = Support. Housing. Awareness. Resources. Emergency.

Project SHARE started back in 1989 and was formerly known as C.O.E.S. (Community Outreach Emergency Services). The offices were located within a small building on Victoria Avenue.

In 1992, the agency became incorporated and changed its name to Project SHARE, with the acronym meaning Support, Housing, Awareness, Resources and Emergency. The name change was accompanied with a move of their offices to 1st Avenue. By 2002, the organization found a need for a bigger building due to the increase in demand of its services. Project SHARE then relocated to Stanley Avenue, where they currently are situated.

Project SHARE serves individuals living in poverty in the Niagara Falls community by:

• Addressing the short-term need for food and creating long-term solutions for food security
• Mobilizing resources in the community
• Adapting services to respond to changes around us

Project SHARE has numerous programs to help the community:

An average of 100 families go to Project SHARE every day for emergency food. 30% of those are children. The most requested items in their food room is fresh fruits and vegetables.

Individuals were helped with emergency food 39,671 times during the last fiscal year! Over 800,000 lbs of food is distributed each year. The food bank usage has doubled since the 2008 recession.

The Christmas Program provides a holiday meal and gifts for children ages 16 and under. An average of 4500 Niagara Falls residents are helped each year through this program. The items that are most needed are peanut butter, canned fruit, canned fish and gifts for teenagers.

Project SHARE is more than just a food bank and runs several support programs including Homelessness Prevention Program, Clothing Referrals, Funding for Emergency Utility Assistance, Funding for Emergency Prescriptions, Recreation Funding Programs and more! There are also educational programs including 2 community garden sites, cooking and canning workshops, as well as healthy recipes to help increase food security.

This year, we partnered with Project SHARE to sponsor a family of five. It was so exciting to buy for the children, and give a little something special for the parents who might not be able to treat themselves very often! We had Santa Don help deliver the presents, with his decked out work truck - if you look close you can see the Christmas lights lining his truck.

Project SHARE helps residents of Niagara Falls who are living below the poverty line as defined by Statistics Canada. Each client must show proof of residency, income and dependants every time they come to Project SHARE. For more information on programs and services, please visit www.projectshare.ca or call 905-357-5121.

Day TWO: Together in Excellence - Leaders in Healthcare

Dropping off donations to the TLC team

What a change healthcare in Niagara has seen over the last couple of years! 

Since the St.Catharines NHS Site has opened, thousands of patients have benefitted from new and expanded regional services that brought care closer to home in a state-of-the-art-facility. 

We partnered with the NHS to donate colouring books, crayons, candy canes and toys to the Children's Unit. The unit is specifically designed for younger patients and their families, with vibrant colours, a play room, artwork on the walls, special lighting, a family apartment suite, a family lounge and other unique features. We hope the toys and activity books will help comfort the children and brighten their day while they are in the hospital, especially those that are spending the holidays there. Bringing the donations to the charities is the most rewarding part, today we donated over 95 children's items to the NHS!




I think the proof of their impact is in the facts:

• For the first time in Niagara, residents of the peninsula had access to a full spectrum of cancer care including radiation therapy through the hospital’s Walker Family Cancer Centre. 7,600 radiation treatments were provided to 700 patients.

• Almost 1,300 cardiac care patients were able to receive diagnostic procedures at the Heart Investigation Unit (HIU). The opening of the HIU has meant access to cardiac catheterization, and as of April 2014, interventional care (stents) for the first time in the region.

• Approximately 2,700 babies have been born at the St. Catharines Site new regional Women’s and Babies’ Unit. The patients and specialized team in this program have benefited from being in one location with the availability of concentrated expertise and training, and a multidisciplinary environment.   

• The Mental Health and Addictions Program has started seven new programs, hired 105 new staff members, and recruited seven new psychiatrists with an additional four to join the team in 2014. The availability of new longer-term mental health care has meant that many patients and families no longer have to travel outside the region for care.

• The Kidney Care Program has expanded its care model to include a community-based satellite Kidney Care Centre in Niagara Falls; the first of its kind in the region. The Niagara Falls program has provided 15,400 treatments to 80 patients. NHS now provides dialysis across the region; in Welland, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls. 

• The NHS’s Niagara District Stroke Centre at the Greater Niagara General Site continues to have the best “door-to-needle time” (the amount of time patients wait to receive life-saving t-PA) in the province at an average of 31 minutes.

• The Welland Site opened a Respirology Clinic and has been building a regional Comprehensive General Ambulatory Ophthalmology Program. The program has performed 5,600 cataract surgeries and had patient 2,200 visits.

• The Douglas Memorial, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Fort Erie sites have focused on building improved specialized complex and palliative care services.

The NHS is always looking for volunteers, especially in the Emergency Department to escort children and parents to children's surgeries and for pre-natal tours. If you are interested in a rewarding experience giving back in our community, check out http://www.niagarahealth.on.ca/en/volunteer-resources

"At the end of the day it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished... it's about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It's about what you've given back." 

- Denzel Washington