In a recent discussion with Martin McIntosh, Director of Education and Community Relations at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, something he said stood out to me. He said, “Racism is real. There’s no debating it. Once we start accepting it we can take action against it.”

That’s why at LCF we’ve made a strong commitment to anti-racism, diversity and inclusion being embedded in our new strategic plan. We’re holding ourselves accountable to tackling inequities within our own organization, to serve London and Middlesex better and create meaningful change. We have been on a journey of listening, learning and unlearning, having brave conversations that create compassion and understanding. We don’t have all the answers but what we do know is that racism in our community is real and we’re committed to taking action and fighting for change.

Our 2021 Vital Signs report Be the Change echoes this sentiment telling us that COVID-19 has continued to exacerbate already urgent issues like housing, racism, mental health and food security, and we can’t wait any longer to take action. This requires a collaborative effort from our entire community – no action is too small.

As a supporter of LCF you’ve already taken the first step. It’s thanks to your trust and generosity that LCF has created a foundation for all - with the nimbleness to respond to our community’s crises such as through the Strong Together Fund, and the foresight to take the long view, ensuring London and Middlesex continues to thrive, with your support for years to come.

We’re uniquely positioned to be one of the few community foundations across the country with a significant unrestricted fund, also known as our Community Fund. It’s these unrestricted dollars that allow us to be agile in responding to the emerging issues in our region. One of the ways we do this is through our Community Vitality grant program.

We’re pleased to announce this year’s Community Vitality grants which we've appropriately themed “building connections” because that’s exactly what they do. You’ll find that guided by our Vital Signs data, these projects are addressing critical needs in our community in innovative ways while embodying the principles of collaboration, equity and inclusion.

Spanning a wide range of issues, this year’s grants tackle environmental issues by engaging Indigenous youth, food security and skills training for adults with disabilities, housing and basic supports for vulnerable populations, support for newcomers and their differently-abled children, as well as pairing mentors with children facing adversities.

Although we are unable to gather together for our annual Community Vitality Celebration, I strongly encourage you to learn more and discover the promising impact of each initiative by visiting lcf.on.ca/buildingconnections where you’ll find short videos and stories on each project.

Though we may finally see the light at the end of the tunnel as we transition back to some normalcy, there is still much more work to be done in London and Middlesex County and we need your support. As you reflect on what you’re grateful for this season, I encourage you to consider making an end-of-year gift to London Community Foundation.

Let’s work together to build the caring, compassionate community that we all want to see.

Warmly,