Thousands of women in low-income situations can’t afford period care products and are often forced to make decisions that not only compromise their health, but their dignity. Sarah Askew is working to change that through Mensadora, her social enterprise that manufactures and sells reusable menstrual products.
Read MoreBetween 10 and 20% of Canadian youths are affected by a mental illness or disorder. With wait times for service ranging from a couple of months to over a year, the need for quality, affordable, and accessible mental health care services is apparent now more than ever. So, in 2015, the London Health Sciences Foundation received a $250,000 Community Vitality Grant from LCF for the Transition Age Project (TAP).
Read MoreIn 2015, Cara Schmidt was waiting in her car for the rain to subside while her son, Andrew, was playing soccer. When the rain stopped, she decided to go out and watch by the field, but quickly realized something was wrong.
“I noticed there was a kid down,” says Cara. “It was Andrew. All the kids started to get off the field and at that point I knew something terrible had happened.”
Read MoreThe tragedy of his daughter Julia’s sudden death devastated Murray Hunter, but a desire to heal and help others was born.
“First thing I did was call the Foundation,” says Murray, “I spoke to President & CEO, Martha Powell, and she suggested that the fund should have a narrow focus. I liked gardening, so I thought if I focused on that, I could start the healing process.”
Read MoreIs the Thames a great river? A grand river (pun intended)? For me, the river is an amazing natural treasure. I have walked its shores in quiet contemplation. I have biked alongside it both for commuting to work and for pleasure. I recall attending family reunions in Springbank Park as a child, playing with my cousins down by the river’s banks. I am grateful for these memories. I hope many Londoners have experienced the same opportunities to make memories. I also wish for future generations to be able to experience that we have been offered.
Fortunately, there’s a plan in place to make that wish a reality. A plan to get more of us Back to the River.
Read MoreResidenza Italia, built and run by the Italian Seniors’ Project (ISP), is a seniors’ apartment building that has been operating for 8 years. In addition to the affordable rent it offers its tenants, Residenza Italia was designed to foster a sense of community and to alleviate the loneliness that often comes later in life.
“Anybody can build a square block, fill it with people and close the door,” says Claudio De Vincenzo, Italian Seniors Project board member. “We’re trying to build communities.”
This philosophy is carrying over to ISP’s next undertaking: Residenza Ortona.
Read More“Belonging” is both difficult to define and difficult to measure. It’s something you feel rather than observe.
On March 6, at Museum London’s beautiful Centre at the Forks, London Community Foundation hosted its first Vital Conversation of the year on Belonging, the first of seven events exploring the issue areas outlined in LCF’s Vital Signs report. Drawing upon the expertise of seven speakers and over 50 engaged community members, we tried to get at the heart of what “belonging” means and how we can foster more of it in our community.
Read MorePart of our role as a community foundation is to curate an understanding of community needs, but it can be challenging to connect donors to projects and organizations that align with their values.Part of our role as a community foundation is to curate an understanding of community needs, but it can be challenging to connect donors to projects and organizations that align with their values.
Recognizing this has inspired us to rename and redesign our General Intake portal.
Read MoreBack to the River is in jeopardy as the City’s Strategic Priorities and Policies Committee reviews and revises the new strategic plan for the City of London.
Read MoreIn 1912, a steam engine rolled out of the George White and Sons Company factory in London. Painted bright green and red, the machine would go on to plough fields, run threshing machines and drive small saw mills. Years later, it would roll into a scrapyard, pitted and rusted with a balding paintjob, fading from machine to memory.
Read MoreMental health is at the root of many of our community’s most pressing challenges. Even when individuals are on the road to recovery, transitioning and integrating back into the community may be a long and arduous process, a process through which many people are forced to suffer alone.
Read MoreThe start of a New Year is always a great time to reflect on goals for the year ahead. It’s time for reenergizing, starting fresh, and sparking positive change. For many, the New Year brings with it a renewed confidence to tackle even the boldest and most audacious goals. With a big year ahead, there’s certainly no shortage of those.
Read MoreWe started the Social Impact Fund wanting to make an impact in our community in a way that wasn’t dependent on grant-making. Today, all of our investments have an impact that align with our mission and they are all contributing back into the community.
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