Blog - Page 3 of 5 - 100 Women Who Care Norfolk

Continuing to Make a Difference! $16,100 donated to St. Joseph’s School

NOVEMBER 2019 – In just 42 minutes, we raised $16,100 for St. Joseph’s Catholic Elementary School (presented by Ashley Malo). Congratulations!

This money will be used to purchase playground equipment for this school located in Simcoe. St. Joseph’s is the largest elementary school in Simcoe (530 students) and largest elementary school in the entire Brant-Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board.

School boards are mandated to provide many programs & services for their schools, however, they do not provide funding for playground equipment. This falls to independent fundraising. Each piece of equipment costs between $15,000 & $30,000….not inexpensive. Fundraising to date, has resulted in one piece of equipment valued at $24,000 being purchased and installed this past fall. This money will be directed to the purchase of the second piece of equipment.

Not only will the current student population of 530 enjoy this new equipment, but the children who attend the “before and after” school program will also utilize this play area. Outdoor play areas have been proven to promote smarter, healthier and stronger children, and the children form foundations of friendships that last a lifetime.

Norfolk Community Help Centre Receives $16,600 Towards Mom’s & Tots Program

Photo l-r: Michelle Grummett, Maria Zacharias, Family Support Worker, Frank O’Connor, Program Director, Janice Warrell, Presenter and Beth Redden

Currently there are 30 women registered. This program enables the attendees to work towards a high school diploma and engage with volunteers and peers to improve their social skills including their command of the English language. Many attendees are from the local Mennonite community. This program is offered at no cost to the attendees and since many of these women live in remote, isolated areas of the county, travel is subsidized.

Not only are Mom’s provided with a great learning opportunity, support and mentorship in this environment, but their pre-school children learn valuable skills to ensure they are ready when they enter school. This year, Norfolk Community Help Centre partnered with H-N REACH to provide the best that Early ON Child and Family Centres have to offer.

Literacy can empower individuals to make informed choices about their lives, make better financial decisions, manage their health, utilize technology which in turn allows them to engage with society more fully.

Janice Warrell (centre) presented on behalf of Norfolk Community Help Centre. Other presenters were June Dorie (right) for St. Paul’s Anglican Church and Annette McGill (right) for the H-N Children’s Safety Village.

South Coast Special Needs – Golf Cart Dedication

On Saturday July 13, 2019 the Golf Cart which 100 Women Who Care Norfolk funded, was dedicated at a brief event at Springview Farms Golf Course.
Directors, parents and young adults from the South Coast Special Needs organization as well as 100 Women Who Care Norfolk attended. The golf cart was manufactured in Texas and personally delivered to Ontario by the company owner. The cart cost over $16,000, has a sun roof, rotating chair, hand gas & brakes and elevates the driver from a sitting to standing position. This enables them to comfortably swing their club. The golf bag sits securely on an angle on the front of the golf cart so the rider can easily and safely access their clubs.
This brings the total number of golf carts to two (2). They both reside at Springview Farms Golf Course.

NGH Foundation Rehabilitation Department is the successful recipient of $16,400!

On May 8, 2019, NGH Foundation Rehab Dept was selected to receive $16,400 (presented by Jennifer Walker). The money will be spent on purchasing new equipment which delivers the latest in technology and maximizes the rehabilitation process. The two top items on the wish list are “S.A.R.A.” – Standing and Raising Aid and a specially designed bike which promotes safe movement of arms and legs. The Rehabilitation Department is also in need of additional wheelchairs and walkers. The population in Norfolk County can take comfort in knowing that our local hospital is investing in the best equipment on the market.

This brings the total donations since May 2014 to just over $330,000 – supporting 21 local Norfolk charities.

Langton Public School is the successful recipient of $16,700

On February 13, 2019 100 Women Who Care Norfolk selected Langton Public School as the recipient of $16,700 (presented by Diane Luke).

The money will be used to purchase playground equipment. Equipment which was originally installed in 1993 was deemed unsafe in 2017 and removed. As the school board or province doesn’t pay for playground equipment, this fundraising activity fell to a parent group and teachers. After organizing multiple events, this group has raised $35,000 of their $50,000 goal. Their goal will ensure that multiple pieces of equipment are purchased which will be suitable for children ages 5 to 12. This equipment must be accessible for children with special needs. The Langton school has a self-contained autism class who will also benefit from this purchase.

The entire Langton community will be able to take advantage of this equipment as it will be utilized at night, on weekends and all summer long. This investment will help local children build strong bodies, social skills, confidence and work off energy in a positive way.

This brings the total donations since May 2014 to just under $313,900…supporting 20 local charities.

Haldimand-Norfolk Literacy Council

The succesful recipient (presented by Anita Hillis-Krause) was the Haldimand-Norfolk Literacy Council. The $16,600 will be spent on new books, upgrades to technology (software updates) and other learning tools required to round out their program.

The organization serves a population of adults over the age of 19 who have the need to upgrade their reading, writing and math skills in order to obtain employment or take their current position to the next level. As a by product, the skills obtained through this program enhance self-worth, confidence and a willingness to contribute to the community.

Students learn in safe, clean environments such as churches, schools and libraries and the lessons are taught individually or in a group session (depending on the requirements of the student). The tutoring is provided by many qualified volunteers. While much of the operating costs are covered by the Government (68%), the balance must be locally raised.

To quote a local student, “Reading and Writing is Magic”. The student, James, who has many children and wanted to advance his employment opportunities to support his family, was in his mid 40’s and couldn’t read or write. In just 2 short years, he was able reach his objective.

The other two, well deserving charities who presented last night were: St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Port Dover (presented by Tish Jones) Natures Calling Environmental Education Program (presented by Maria Kinkel).

Norfolk General Hospital Foundation

The successful recipient (presented by Sue Goble) was the Norfolk General Hospital Foundation. The $16,500 will be spent on a new incubator for the birthing unit. Currently, the hospital only has one, very aged incubator. This new addition of equipment will give families added confidence and enhance our local capabilities. Norfolk General Hospital employs excellent professionals and facilities to support our young families. This investment will be appreciated by both staff and patients.

Norfolk County Agricultural Society (presented by Catherine Akins) and Norfolk County Quilters Guild (presented by Mary Weber) also presented at the August meeting.

The Child’s Nutrition Network

The Child’s Nutrition Network (presented by Barbie Ernst) was the successful recipient of $16,400 on May 9. Other presentations included Nature Calling Environmental Education Program presented by Maria Kinkel and Delhi Community Health Centre presented by Lauren Harrington.

The money raised for The Child Nutrition Network will go towards supporting many schools in Norfolk Country and their in-school nutrition programs. Volunteers prepare breakfasts, lunches and snacks for thousands of children up to 5 days a week based on need. Some of the food is donated but in order to balance the nutritional requirements, some food needs to be purchased. They often source this food, at significantly reduced prices, through organizations such as the Norfolk Fruit Growers Association. It costs $114 to support one student for one school year.

It’s often taken for granted that all our local children have access to regular, nutritious meals and snacks. Unfortunately, this is not the case. This donation will contribute significantly to our Norfolk children.

Friends of the Library Norfolk

Friends of the Library Norfolk (Presented by Nancy Sherwin) was the successful recipient of $16,600. The money raised will go towards the new Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program.
What is this program all about? Parents in Norfolk County can register their children as soon as they are born or anytime up until the age of 5 with the library. Each month, the child will receive (by mail) a book appropriate for their age – as selected by a team of literary specialists. The children will receive books each month until the age of 5. It is proven that children, at the earliest age, who are read to and/or who in turn learn to read to others, excel significantly in their learning abilities. The library currently has private funding which supports 100 children. This evenings donation will expand that reach to 200 Norfolk children. Although not necessary, if parents are financially able to, they are encouraged to help fund this program for their children. Nancy encouraged book clubs around Norfolk County to consider donating to this extremely valuable program.

Why is the program called Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program? Because, as a child, Dolly didn’t have these type of resources at her disposal and feels she missed out on an important learning experience. Her foundation created this idea and has rolled it out to many US and Canadian Library’s.

St. Joseph’s Lifecare Foundation

St. Joseph’s Lifecare Foundation (Presentation by Vera Abbott) was the successful recipient of $17,200.

This local foundation supports the Stedman Community Hospice which is located in Brandford. The Stedman Hospice is a 10 bed facility which welcomes terminally ill patients from Norfolk County as a hospice is not available in our county.

The Norfolk County staff for St. Joseph’s is located on Market Street in Port Dover and consists of a Doctor, a nurse practioner, a grief counselor as well as a person to assist families navigate through all of the available support systems for their loved one. Although these positions are funded by the Ministry of Health, the office space, infrastructure and all other costs must be funded through private donations.

It is a great comfort for Norfolk families to know they can obtain assistance locally as they plan for their loved ones end-of-life requirements. It is also a tremendous comfort to know that they only need to travel to the next county to access a hospice facility.