Sep. 30, 2011

London ON – On October 4^th, Community Foundations of Canada will unveil their national Vital Signs ® Report, along with 22 community foundations, who will release their local reports. 

Vital Signs ® is an annual check-up that measures the vitality of our communities and identifies significant trends in a range of areas critical to quality of life. 

London Community Foundation released its second Vital Signs ® Report in 2010 (www.londonvitalsigns.ca), and continues to use it as a blueprint in developing its community granting priorities.

Obesity, and its increasing prevalence, is one of the issue areas that Canada’s Vital Signs ® Report will examine. Locally, London Community Foundation has contributed to the work being done to reverse the trend. The Foundation issued a grant to a new project that eventually developed into a full-fledged research program dedicated to community-based research on children’s environments and health.

Community Foundations of Canada coordinates Vital Signs ® nationally and is the national membership organization for Canada’s community foundations. The 178 foundations under this umbrella help Canadians to invest in building strong and vital places to live, work, and play.

One week after the report is released, Community Foundations of Canada will also publish the Canada’s Vital Signs ® Giving Guide in the Life section of the October 11^th edition of Globe and Mail. The Giving Guide connects Canadians with community needs and opportunities related to the statistics published as part of Vital Signs ®. For more information about the annual national report, visit www.vitalsignscanada.ca.