HCF’s investment in microloan program builds a brighter future for skilled immigrants The distance between Kaew Luerueng’s life in Thailand and life in Hamilton is better measured in dollars than miles. That’s because finding the money to recertify as a nurse was the hardest part of her journey. “I was living paycheque to paycheque,” Kaew…
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HCF leads national effort to invest in the Canadian Canoe Museum’s new home A canoe can take you many places — and only some of them are on a map. The Canadian Canoe Museum’s collection of 650-plus paddled watercraft helps visitors explore Canada’s culture, art, heritage and spirit, as well as find routes to reconciliation…
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Indigenous impact fund is transforming businesses and communities Cheekbone Beauty’s founder, Jenn Harper, wants to own the first Indigenous billion-dollar beauty company—but her dream is about more than money. “This is about our communities. It’s about our people,” Jenn says. “I want every Indigenous kid across the entire planet to see our product on a…
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Equity, wellness and academic achievement are the three themes underlying the newest phase of ABACUS, Hamilton Community Foundation’s initiative to increase the likelihood that young Hamiltonians will graduate high school and access post-secondary opportunities. “We learned a lot from five years of ABACUS,” says Rudi Wallace, Vice-President, Grants & Community Initiatives, “especially about the multiple…
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A recent impact investment from Hamilton Community Foundation will fund health technology companies that support women, children and adolescents, and help make health systems more resilient. The Women’s and Children’s Health Technology Fund is an investment offering from Cross-Border Impact Ventures (CBIV), a Toronto-based impact investor in transformative health technology companies. Using a gender lens,…
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Better transportation. Employment opportunities. Affordable housing. These are just a few aspects of a vision cast by Hamilton Community Benefits Network (HCBN) for how our city will make the most of Light Rail Transportation (LRT) when it comes to Hamilton. A grant from HCF is supporting an HCBN-led community engagement program that will “carve out…
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Tucked inside the Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre is a coffee shop with a name leaving no doubt that you’ll be welcome. In 2019, a grant from HCF supported the Inclusion Coffeehouse as a social enterprise, but the pandemic created multiple delays in its opening. This spring, Inclusion Coffeehouse is officially ready to serve the public….
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Understanding the past helps us face the present and frame the future. A recent series of grants from HCF is supporting the study of history related to Black, Indigenous, people of colour (BIPOC), Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ and Jewish communities. As part of its consultations aimed at supporting equity-deserving communities, the Foundation heard about the importance…
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After almost 18 months of pandemic restrictions, members of Hamilton’s Indigenous communities came together at Gage Park in September to dance, heal and make an informed choice about vaccination. The Indigenous Health Social featured food, vendors, door prizes, traditional singers and contemporary Indigenous artists, including Juno-nominated headliner DJ Shub, to attract a new crowd to…
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There is no overstating how the pandemic has increased both reliance on technology and the technology gap for those already facing systemic inequities. A new pilot program that connects McMaster University and community partners is working to address this need. As part of its environmental stewardship plan, McMaster’s Academic Sustainability Programs Office was exploring ways…
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It turns out putting a price tag on nature can be a good thing. Supported by an HCF grant, communities that intersect the greenbelt are getting the tools and training they need to think of their natural assets as essential infrastructure. As a result, they will be able to value nature’s contributions to clean water,…
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Thanks to the Social Planning and Research Council’s free 2020 tax clinics, clients received an average refund and tax benefit of $3,359. It’s an income boost of more than 10 percent for those living on $30,000 a year that would have gone unclaimed without the program. In total, since 2018, $9 million in refunds and…
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Local students will benefit from The Hamilton Community Research Partnership (CRP) — a coalition whose groundbreaking work will provide insights into their pathways to, and through, secondary and post-secondary education. CRP’s members are Hamilton’s two school boards, McMaster University and Mohawk College. Hamilton Community Foundation and the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario brought the…
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Hamilton Community Foundation will have a new home in 2023. This fall, TAS, an impact development company, announced it had acquired the historic Coppley Building in downtown Hamilton. HCF is both a founding investor in the project and a future anchor tenant. TAS plans to restore the Coppley Building’s original character and footprint, transforming it…
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Learning about history is crucial to how we engage in the present and frame the future. We’re proud to support a series of programs led by, and geared to, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of colour) communities that enhance historical literacy to tackle pressing issues like colonialism and racism. Retracing Colonial Histories in Hamilton Hamilton, like…
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If you were assigned male at birth but identify as a woman, you may consider yourself trans-feminine. While some safe spaces exist where Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ Hamiltonians can spend time with peers, a program run by Compass Community Health (CCH) is helping to address a gap in support for trans- feminine people in the city….
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Hamilton’s high-school graduation rates have improved over the past decade, but there are still pockets of the city where students struggle. With HCF support, Munar Learning Center will expand its already successful after- school programming for Somali-Canadian students using the award-winning Pathways to Education model. Some 80 students aged 10 to 17 at Hess Street…
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Maintaining mental health is a challenge for many people and COVID-19 has made it worse. Fifty percent of Canadians say their mental health has deteriorated, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. In Hamilton, Shalem Mental Health Network has seen demand for its services increase 25 percent. Still, many can’t afford to get…
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In March 2020, Ontario declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many cities across Canada, Hamilton went into lockdown. Intended to keep people safe, the lockdown also meant that many vulnerable Hamiltonians could no longer access needed services in traditional ways. HCF established the Pandemic Response Fund to support charities…
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Some of Hamilton’s youngest citizens will have access to much-needed support during the COVID crisis thanks to the latest grants from the Lawyers’ Legacy for Children – Ray Harris Fund. The Fund recently made grants totaling $19,000 to Essential Aid and Neighbour-2-Neighbour, two local organizations that focus on food security. Essential Aid focuses on nutrition…
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The reality of climate change intensifies the need to support our natural environment. These programs address environmental concerns but also build inclusive communities to ensure equitable outcomes. A Rocha: Operation Wild The impulse to care for our natural environment can come from many sources. For Christian conservation organization A Rocha, it is a religious commitment…
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In Dundas, flooding is more than a headline. It’s prompting action. And Green Venture wants people to see the results. The environmental non-profit is teaming up with local cycling groups to host a bike tour showcasing half a dozen green infrastructure projects in the valley town, including the Depave Paradise garden at Yorkview Elementary School…
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Eight young people will be riding high this fall at The Equestrian Association for the Disabled (TEAD), thanks to scholarships supported by HCF. Located in Mount Hope, TEAD is the only organization in Hamilton to offer therapeutic riding to children and youth with cognitive, physical, behavioural and communication disabilities. Specially trained therapy horses are the…
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A new Hamilton Community Foundation impact investment in a renewable natural gas project will help reduce carbon emissions by approximately 110,000 tonnes over the next 15 years. The project, led by Oakville-based BerQ RNG, will use refining equipment to create renewable gas from organic waste. Like-minded investors The Atmospheric Fund, Verge, and London Community Foundation…
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When it comes to direct routes from Hamilton to Toronto, swimming isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. But for Loren King, it made a good cause a great one. The Wilfrid Laurier University political science professor is passionate about protecting the Great Lakes. In 2016, Loren took a major step towards that…
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When it comes to building relationships with the most vulnerable in our community, lived experience can make all the difference. The Hamilton Social Medicine Response Team (HAMSMaRT) is a mobile interdisciplinary health outreach service that launched in 2016 with the support of HCF. Since then, the service has provided health care to more than 400…
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Friendly Streets initiative builds community from the ground up Ask what the phrase “friendly street” means and responses will vary, from safe and accessible to tree-lined and socially vibrant. “A friendly street belongs to everyone,” says Elise Desjardins, one of two co-ordinators of the Friendly Streets Hamilton project. “It’s a space where people want to…
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Three-year Grad Track program builds resilience in middle-school kids Somewhere in Hamilton, a Grade 8 student is researching the high-school courses she needs to become an electrician. Another plans to study translation at university so he can help others the same way he helps his mom every day. A third is connecting with film and…
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National initiative draws on local knowledge Green Shield Canada (GSC)—the country’s only national not-for-profit health and dental benefits provider—is partnering with HCF to create a new model of corporate philanthropy that draws on the unique knowledge of local community foundations. Through GSC’s new Six 4 Six community granting initiative, the company is investing $1 million…
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Musical connects newcomer students to Indigenous ways of learning In Denise Montgomery’s Grade 6 music class at Hess Street School, students are learning about pitch, volume and pacing. They’re also learning about the symbolic importance of Indigenous instruments, the role of women in Métis communities, how to pronounce words in Michif and the proper way…
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Bus service connects rural seniors to more than shopping The five-seat minibus stops outside Linda Wildhagen’s Waterdown home, and the driver gets out to help her gingerly make her way down a slippery driveway. She’s hardly settled in her seat before she’s enveloped in the warm chatter. How are the grandchildren? How has she been surviving…
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We believe in creating a city where everyone feels that they belong, can be who they are and love whomever they choose. In honour of #PrideMonth, we’re spotlighting five programs we support that serve LGBTQ+ people. Queer and trans youth collaborative After the closing of the Well, Hamilton’s only LGBTQ+ resource hub at the time,…
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The latest Vital Signs data on seniors in Hamilton suggests that the number of people aged 65 and older is significantly increasing. Hamilton can and must be an age-friendly city. We are working towards that goal by supporting a number of programs that provide services for seniors. Hamilton rural seniors’ grocery bus project At St….
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With such a rich heritage of live theatre in Hamilton, it certainly does feel as though “all the world’s a stage”! Here are just a few examples of programs and organizations supported through HCF grants that enhance Hamilton’s tradition of live theatre. Operating grants for community theatres Operating support for community theatre is key to…
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Rodent chow might not be on everyone’s wish list, but it is at the top of the Owl Foundation’s needs. Pine shavings are a close second. For over 40 years, the Owl Foundation has worked with Humane Societies, vets, SPCAs and fellow rehab organizations to care for orphaned and injured owls (and other birds of prey as…
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Soroptimist International of Hamilton-Burlington recognizes that education is one of the most effective means to bring positive change to a woman’s life and that supporting a woman’s desire to improve her own and her family’s lives benefits the entire community. Soroptimist International works to improve the lives of women and girls in 120 countries. Locally, through…
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Hamilton children with disabilities are learning to swim, thanks to a partnership between SWAM Hamilton and Special Olympics Ontario. The program uses rigorously-selected student volunteers from McMaster University to give low-cost swimming and water safety lessons to children with special needs aged 2-18. Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under the age…
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In 2015, Hamilton Community Foundation set out to create a pathway for more kids to graduate high school and move on to post-secondary education: college, university and the trades. Known as ABACUS, this 10-year commitment is the primary focus of HCF’s Community Fund granting and leadership. It is unique in targeting students in Grades 6,…
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The new Serafini Family Ice & Splash Pad, located at the Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre, is a gift to Hamilton that exemplifies the family’s personal and business roots in the city, as well as its lifelong love of recreation. “Hamilton has been central to our family’s history and we’re honoured to support this new facility,” says…
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Virginia Woolf wrote, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” We agree that good healthy food is essential for physical and mental health and well-being. From tackling hunger to providing job training opportunities, here’s a selection of programs we support that revolve around food as a way to…
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It can be easy to take fitness opportunities for granted. However, barriers persist that make access a challenge for many people. Fortunately, there are wonderful organizations in Hamilton working to make sure everybody has a chance to take part in healthy active lifestyles. Here are just a few programs we are proud to support that…
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Teachers are some of the most important adults in the lives of students. As part of our ABACUS program with its focus on the middle school years, we are proud to offer funding through our Small Grants for Teachers program. The grants are designed to support teacher projects that improve students’ achievement and enhance learning…
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Photograph courtesy of Anna Davey As a partner in Hamilton’s Neighbourhood Action Strategy (NAS), HCF operates the Small Grants Program that supports local projects and events that help to build healthier neighbourhoods. These initiatives are organized by residents because the NAS believes that residents know best what their neighbourhoods need, and that residents already…
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When serious complications from a quadruple bypass left Bonnie in a wheelchair and confined to home, every day presented the same difficult choice: order in from a restaurant she couldn’t afford, or not eat at all. All that changed when she learned about a free home food delivery program, co-ordinated by St. Matthew’s House, which…
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They’ve planted corn, beans and squash. Learned a 3000-year-old seed song. Beaded with porcupine quills, visited McMaster University and Mohawk College, made corn husk dolls, listened to stories told by elders, cooked with wild rice and learned to count lunar cycles on the back of a turtle shell. This isn’t your typical school program. It’s…
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Alfred and Joan Robertshaw met on stage at the Players’ Guild—a love story with a legacy, thanks to the fund Joan established to honour Alfred’s 40-plus years in community theatre. “The performing arts have brought much joy to both our lives, not to mention lifelong friendships,” Joan wrote at the time. “Alfred realized how important…
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Anne (not her real name) is a respected professional in our community. She is also a victim of domestic violence who fled her abuser, only to become locked in a succession of legal battles that have put her $100,000 in debt. No longer able to afford a lawyer, today she represents herself in court, cross-examining…
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Hanan is a high school student who dreams of being a nurse one day. James is an electrical engineer who likes to bike from Dundas to downtown. Aref is a dedicated community volunteer who loves Hamilton’s libraries. And Shahd? She’s a recent marketing graduate who has discovered the best ice cream in town is on…
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When Community Living Hamilton established its agency endowment fund with HCF in April 2016, they didn’t expect it to be a teaching tool for their clients. Like other agencies, they established the fund to support the future of their organization in perpetuity as well as to access Hamilton Community Foundation’s investment and other expertise. But…
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To mark Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day we’re highlighting HCF-supported projects that leverage Indigenous knowledge, experiences and communities in Hamilton. McMaster Indigenous Research Institute From Indigenous research reform to innovative interdisciplinary research and knowledge translation, the McMaster Indigenous Research Institute (MIRI) is one of the only institutes in Canada dedicated to study that…
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Our 2018 Hamilton Vital Signs report is out now! In this special edition of Future Intended, we highlight some new key Hamilton stats from the report alongside some recent projects we support that relate to the issue. “According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, 14.8% of Hamiltonians reported experiencing some food insecurity in the last…
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It’s Earth Week! To celebrate, we want to tell you about some great local programs and organizations we support that help protect the environment in different ways including land conservation, natural stewardship, urban farming, and ecological consideration. Save the Bees! Hamilton students are saving the bees! Through a combination of reading material, interactive presentation, a…
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The arts have become a major facet of Hamilton’s rejuvenation. Art – in one form or another — is also important for a thriving community. From the perspective of a community foundation this means support for programs with a variety of objectives including access to the arts, art appreciation, and more. Here are a few…
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Reading and writing can be two of life’s greatest joys. Here in Hamilton, recent research suggests that early childhood literacy rates are steadily rising but there’s still room for improvement. At HCF we understand the importance of education (see our ABACUS initiative) and so we’re proud to support local programs, organizations and festivals that not…
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At HCF we believe that supporting and empowering women and girls is a crucial element in building a vibrant and inclusive Hamilton. Research undertaken by Women 4 Change demonstrates the impact of gender inequality and suggests that women and girls in our city need additional supports to thrive. Here are some of the latest local…
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Hamilton is definitely a music town. Through a variety of funds, we’re glad to be able to support local projects and organizations that spread the joy of music. From dance and jazz to music-related health research, here are just a few great music projects that we’re supporting this year. Hamilton All-Star Jazz Band Did you…
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Hamilton Community Foundation has an important role to play in stimulating and supporting Hamiltonians to be engaged and effective philanthropists. One way we’re playing that role is through a new educational workshop titled Sharpen Your Impact. It takes participants through fun and interactive exercises that help them uncover what is important to them and why,…
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Five years after its launch, a local vision screening pilot program for school children is paying high-level dividends. The Ontario government recently indicated a new mandate for public health province-wide: to address vision. HCF provided start-up funding in 2012 to the pilot at five high-need elementary schools. It discovered vision problems in 16 percent of…
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Women are flexing their coding muscles at a free 12-week bootcamp held at the Eva Rothwell Centre this fall. The program, which is supported by HCF’s Women 4 Change and organized by Hamilton’s Industry Education Council and CitySchool by Mohawk, teaches women not currently in school to build websites and applications. Guest speakers and visits…
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“Brain Smart: Let’s Play Safely,” is a research project that is tackling youth concussions head on. Concussion can have lasting impact on all areas of a young person’s life: cognitive, social, physical and emotional. The project’s objectives are to reduce the risk of concussion in organized youth sports and increase knowledge of concussion management by…
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Next summer, local SoBi bikeshare hubs will be transformed by art, and in the process, increase the artists’ connection to community. The artists will be participants in Proof Positive, a collaboration between Centre[3] for Print and Media Arts and the Regional Rehabilitation Centre that teams up 30 people who are undergoing physical and mental rehabilitation…
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There are more than 700 alleys in Hamilton. In its oldest neighbourhoods, these alleys gave horse-drawn carriages access to homes and businesses. Today they are transportation corridors and impromptu playgrounds, bike paths and shortcuts to school or work. Some are gang-tagged and littered with drug paraphernalia. Increasingly, they are leafy, flower-lined and bordered by public…
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Look behind the stainless steel prep counter at The Rainbow’s End Bistro and you’ll find a pot of gold — a meaningful job for those with lived experience of mental illness. The Bistro anchors the busy food court at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s West 5th location. With a focus on serving healthy, high-quality food, it’s…
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It’s a cold and rainy Saturday morning, but inside Neighbour 2 Neighbour’s Hamilton Community Food Centre on Limeridge Road West, everyone gets a warm welcome. The centre is the first of its kind in Hamilton and only the eighth in Canada—a place that’s changing the food system through the power of a great meal, cooked…
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Canada’s history when it comes to Indigenous people is nothing to be celebrated, but an HCF grant is working to help Hamiltonians heal and move forward together. In partnership with the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th, HCF is supporting 43 wide-ranging projects across Hamilton that inspire understanding, build healthy communities and engage a broad and…
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Using everything from fraction games and make-your-own-book projects to soccer tournaments and campus tours, Empowerment Squared’s Homework Circle is helping newcomer youth imagine a brighter future through education. The program is supported by ABACUS, HCF’s 10-year initiative to increase high-school graduation and post-secondary access in Hamilton. Through ABACUS, the Homework Circle will provide one-on-one…
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A striking new project near the intersection of Parkdale and Barton promises to transform both a local landmark and the lives of the people who will live there. The site is currently occupied by George & Mary’s Tavern, a long-standing fixture on Melvin Avenue in east Hamilton, but one that has fallen into disrepair. Supported…
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Into every life a little rain must fall—and managing it where it goes helps both homeowners and the environment. With support from HCF’s Dougher Fund, a home visit program from Green Venture offered Dundas residents a personalized 90-minute assessment of their property and basement by a certified RAIN Home Guide. Homeowners learned three simple principles—slow…
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Caring Dads is a program offered in Canada, the U.S. and Europe that has shown significant success in working with fathers at-risk of using abusive behaviour with their families. Now, the program will be offered in Hamilton for the first time, filling an urgent local need identified by agencies addressing family violence. Thanks to an…
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The Hamilton Philharmonic continued its tradition of bringing classical music to new ears with a complementary invitation for families living in City Housing Hamilton to attend its Family Concert Experience. Supported by an HCF Creative Arts Fund grant, the program aims to introduce families to their local professional symphony, create a sense of belonging in…
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Essential Aid, a Hamilton organization focused on nutrition for children under four, is filling a critical gap in the food bank system by stocking a wide range of infant formulas. The nutrition needs of infants are unique and many formula-fed infants can’t tolerate a change. Traditional food banks are unable to provide a selection of…
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ABACUS is HCF’s initiative to improve graduation and post-secondary access rates by focusing on students in the middle-school years. To support the critical role of teachers in this goal, Hamilton Community Foundation launched a new small grants program – up to $500 – for Grade 6, 7 and 8 teachers to provide enrichment activities that…
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A new program at the Ellen Osler Home in Dundas is helping women ease back into the community, before, during and after their release from serving a federal sentence. Supported by an HCF grant, the program provides “in-reach” staff who accompany and assist the women during stressful times such as parole board hearings, and the…
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A recent Hamilton Community Foundation grant to a new partnership project called the City of Hamilton Home Improvement Project (CHHIP) is like making two grants in one. The program brings together the City’s Neighbourhood Action Strategy, CityHousing Hamilton, Threshold School of Building and the Foundation, and works toward a dual purpose: providing job skills to…
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Positive spaces, leadership training and employment preparation are giving youth in priority neighbourhoods a leg up through the HCF-supported Growing Youth Leaders project. The project is a partnership between the City of Hamilton’s recreation division and Riverdale and McQuesten neighbourhood residents and community development workers. The goal is to provide local youth with the necessary…
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An HCF grant is striking a chord in support of Sinfonia Ancaster’s inaugural concert season and orchestral programming. Sinfonia Ancaster was born out of the music department program at Redeemer University and is now a part of the Ancaster Society of Performing Arts. The orchestra, consisting of 35 professional and emerging musicians, including students, performs…
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A diagnosis of serious illness in the family can be devastating – and especially to children. Wellwood Resource Centre is lightening the burden for families in these situations. With support from an HCF grant, Wellwood is expanding its Kids’ Program which offers practical assistance like door-to-door transportation to its facilities where it provides meals (which…
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Sacajawea Non-Profit Housing Inc. A loan from HCF to Sacajawea Non-Profit Housing Inc. is enabling the organization to buy property where they will build 23 affordable rental apartment units for Aboriginal families. The project is located in an area well-served by transit, schools and services including grocery shopping, government services, parks and an Aboriginal Health Access Centre….
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HCF regularly supports organizations and initiatives that deal with poverty, health and the environment. But it’s not every day that a project comes along that addresses all three at once, while also helping to unlock a lot more funding. SoBi Hamilton, the popular bike sharing program, was launched with great success in 2015, but limited…
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A remarkable donation to Hamilton Community Foundation will help ensure local cats will be healthy, safe and wanted – forever. The Foundation will give an annual grant of over $65,000 in perpetuity to the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA to fund feline health and well-being, thanks to the donation of an estate from lifelong pet lover and long-time…
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Program builds real-world work experience Michael Young always wanted to work as a security guard. Good Shepherd’s MarketPlace work experience program helped him get there. The MarketPlace is part of Good Shepherd’s Venture Centre, a massive repurposed car dealership in downtown Hamilton that opened as the organization’s clothing and emergency food program in 2015 and…
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Canadian ICT workers are in short supply Ten Grade 6, 7 and 8 students are spending their nutrition break learning how to make a video game—and at the same time learning they could have a bright future in technology. The club at Viscount Montgomery Elementary School is one of 17 currently offered to middle school-aged students…
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Buying property, they say, is all about location—especially when it comes to the purchase of two critical pieces of land in the Dundas Valley, made possible by Hamilton Community Foundation. The properties sit in the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System, an ongoing initiative to protect, connect and restore more than 9,600 acres of some of…
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When your child is in the hospital, the last thing you want to hear is you’ve lost your job because you’ve spent too much time away from work. Thanks to the medical-legal partnership started by Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) at McMaster Children’s Hospital, low-income families can get much-needed legal support when faced with such difficult…
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“When women give today, one thing they want to know about is the impact they are having,” says Renate Davidson. Renate is a long-term, respected volunteer with HCF and many other organizations across Hamilton. As a founding donor to HCF’s Women 4 Change (W4C) initiative, she is struck by how women’s philanthropy “has evolved to…
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The art of spoken word is an ancient tradition that continues today through Hamilton Youth Poets. Created in 2012, “HYP” provides a platform for new young voices to muse on their city through poetry, journalism and hip-hop. “HYP gives Hamilton’s youth have an opportunity to develop their creative skills and have their voices heard,” says…
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The Riverdale Salad Bowl is a community solution to provide access to fresh produce and improve food security. We were proud to support the community garden in this great east Hamilton neighbourhood.
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A grant from HCF is helping to put more girls on the playing field by providing sport hijabs to 20 local schools. For Muslim girls, taking part in athletics can be challenging when wearing a traditional hijab due to the fear that it could fall off, or that the fastening pin could injure a player. …
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New “one-stop” kiosks are bridging the digital divide and making information more accessible to older adults. Responding to a community need, The Dundas InfoSpot for 55+ is a web-based computer application, curating information about programs and services in an age-friendly format. Led by the Hamilton Council on Aging, and supported by HCF, InfoSpot draws listings…
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Community starts early in the McQuesten neighbourhood, and that includes cultivating its young urban farmers through Sprouts Camp. Throughout the summer, kids from this east Hamilton community attended the camp, focused around the neighbourhood’s urban farm. Camp days always included a long visit to the garden, a bounty harvest and a lesson or two about gardening…
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Putting more foundation assets to work in the community is the goal of HCF’s Hamilton Community Investment Fund (HCIF). The fund’s latest loan is a great example. Early in 2015, HCIF provided mortgage financing to Indwell to build 47 supportive housing units on Main Street East just east of Kenilworth – on a former used…
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A banner in the McQuesten neighbourhood meeting room is covered in brightly coloured drawings of veggies and fruit. There’s a market stand. Greenhouses. People. And even a cow. Bold statements like “food oasis,” “80% production,” “school trips” and “from observer to farmer” punctuate the pictures. This is the neighbourhood’s vision for the McQuesten urban farm—a…
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The high school prom is a cherished tradition. It’s a celebratory experience where students say farewell to high school and hello to the next phase of life. But prom has not always been a welcoming, positive experience for every student. In the past, many Hamilton students who identified as LGBTQI often missed out on that…
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Hamilton is getting its act together with a program to support its emerging theatre-makers. ALERT, which stands for Artistic Leadership and Entrepreneurial Training, is a no-cost educational initiative of The Hamilton Fringe Festival. The focus is on helping performing artists aged 19 to 30 develop their artistic and production skills. “We want to give a…
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Back to School Moms has a simple formula: onsite childcare plus certified teachers plus supportive peers equals more women who successfully sit their high school equivalency exam. The goal is to increase the women’s financial independence and, as a result, the quality of life for their children. Newcomer moms aged 19 years and older can…
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Hamilton’s older urban neighbourhoods have one defining feature: alleyways. Ward 3 alone represents 37 per cent of all alleyways in Hamilton, the largest percentage of alleyways in any ward. While they offer easy access to homes and businesses, alleyways have grown to be the site for illegal dumping, overgrown vegetation and drainage problems. Green Venture…
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From the iconic Canadian National Railway tracks to the fast-growing development of the new James North GO station, you will find the past and present converging in north Hamilton. Central Neighbourhood Association (CNA) wants to shed light on the rich history and celebrate the future of the neighbourhood – one story at a time. This…
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Some 80 at-risk youth are singing a new tune, thanks to a Liberty for Youth program. With the help of a karaoke music studio, leadership curriculum and volunteer mentors from Hamilton Police Services, the program helps participants identify their strengths, connect with caring adults and make constructive choices. Supported by an HCF grant, karaoke in…
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Community health brokers build a bridge to wellness in Crown Point A successful cancer screening program called CASTLE (Creating Access to Screening and Training in the Living Environment) is expanding to help residents in the Crown Point neighbourhood take important steps to better overall health. Focus groups in this east Hamilton community revealed the need…
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For older adults, taking the bus spells freedom – no matter what language they speak. Social isolation can affect all seniors but those from ethno-culturally diverse communities are at greater risk. A grant from HCF is helping the Hamilton Council on Aging to expand its successful “Let’s Take the Bus” workshop designed to increase these…
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Beyond food security, Neighbour 2 Neighbour Centre knows that community gardens and food programming offer opportunities to learn the value of local food and build relationships between communities. A grant from HCF is helping N2N to expand its programming to connect teens and seniors through food, creating an intergenerational food garden and cooking programming. Working…
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What happens when Beethoven meets Thomas Edison? The Hamilton Wentworth District School Board’s answer to this is Learning Through the Arts (LTTA), a series of innovative programs that combine core curriculum with art-based teaching methods to create fun learning experiences that encourage students’ creativity and self-expression in the learning process. The HWDSB placed specially-trained Arts…
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A physician’s prescription for learning invites parents to share the gift of literacy with their kids There isn’t a pill to improve literacy. But a new program is offering a prescription that’s getting families off to a great start. Read to Your Baby provides family physicians with the tools to start important conversations with parents…
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Cutting treatment delays for abused children It’s hard to accept that children as young as three are being sexually abused. But that is a reality the Community Child Abuse Council faces squarely every day. They provide proven treatment, education, and prevention programs to Hamilton’s abused children. Timely treatment is transformative for children who suffer sexual…
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The Dougher Community Fund grew from a quiet appreciation of life in Dundas Grants from the fund are dedicated to enabling others to have the same opportunity, now and forever. The donor had a single goal: to ensure future residents would enjoy the community’s many assets as she and her family had. It only made…
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It’s hard for older adults in Flamborough to get to senior-focused exercise classes. That’s why a grant from HCF is helping Flamborough Information and Community Services to expand the Wheel of Fitness, an educational exercise program that helps seniors from isolated rural communities get moving. There is a definite need. A key recommendation in the…
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Monarch butterfly numbers are in freefall. A January 2014 count by the World Wildlife Fund shows North America’s population has hit an all-time low – and may disappear completely. That’s not news to the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club. But it does make its latest project, with partner Environment Hamilton, all the more important. Supported by an…
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HCF is helping more families put money in the bank for higher education through a program to increase access to the Canada Learning Bond Studies show that youth who have even modest education savings are 50 percent more likely to go on to post-secondary schooling than those who have none. Targeted directly at low-income families,…
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Adolescence is hard enough – now consider the additional impact of a cancer diagnosis on a teen or on a young adult anxious to get on with life. A grant from HCF is supporting Wellwood Resource Centre to help this vulnerable group. The Canadian Cancer Society reports that adolescents and young adults have unique needs…
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A bustling new addition to Hamilton’s food landscape represents two milestones: the city’s first co-op grocery store and the latest loan from the Hamilton Community Investment Fund (HCIF). Like all co-ops The Mustard Seed, located just west of Locke Street on York Boulevard, is member-owned, though you don’t have to be a member to shop…
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It was the perfect example of connecting people, ideas and resources when Hamilton Community Foundation helped launch a program that trained out-of-work people in construction and gave downtown residents small exterior property renovations they could not otherwise afford. Last spring, HCF grants manager Sharon Charters learned about the need for a home renovation loans program…
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The Foundation’s ability to connect local needs with national resources means kids will be on the ice this winter at Eastwood Arena. Skate the Dream is a local program that helps remove barriers preventing Hamilton children from learning to skate and to play hockey. This season, the program will be fully funded by a grant…
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A Hamilton Community Foundation grant is helping to support Expansion 2013 at the Ancaster Senior Achievement Centre (ASAC), a project that will enable the centre offer its more than 30 arts, music and health programs and social opportunities to a burgeoning seniors population. Established in 1974, the Centre has undergone a number of expansions. Today,…
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Terry Yates is one of HCF’s longest-serving volunteers. In this 2014 video he discusses the importance of community philanthropy and his view of HCF’s strengths.
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A striking gallery at the corner of James St. North and Cannon Street West represents two landmarks: a new home for Hamilton Artists Inc. supported by the first investment from HCF’s new community investment fund. “It’s a stunning transformation at one of Hamilton’s most visible corners,” says Terry Cooke, HCF’s President & CEO. “We are absolutely…
Blog
September 9, 2017
ABACUS is a research-based initiative at HCF that helps kids to imagine and achieve a better future through high-school graduation and going to post-secondary. It focuses on the middle school years and addresses factors that affect students’ likelihood of continuing their education.
This summer, HCF Donor Services Advisor Celeste Licorish got the chance to attend a reception for Boys & Girls Club Hamilton celebrating the successes of students in their ABACUS-funded program. Here’s what she had to say about her experience.
How did this reception make ABACUS really come alive for you?
The energy was amazing. It’s one thing to hear about ABACUS here at HCF and read about what ABACUS is doing for kids in Hamilton – but to actually be in a space where the program has been operating was incredibly moving. Boys & Girls Club of Hamilton started off by thanking the Foundation for allowing this to happen. BGC is very committed to improving the lives of kids anyway so the alignment of ABACUS with what they’re trying to do is magical. But the really special stuff was when the kids got up and started to talk about their experiences with the program.
What kinds of things were the kids saying?
They talked about how, before the program, they used to act out and do things like toss over garbage cans, flip off the instructors, and were disruptive and unengaged. But the ABACUS program involved things like going to McMaster to learn about science, taking field trips, and patient and engaged co-ordinators attuned to what the kids would find interesting – this really made the difference. Some of these kids were now going into Grade 9, talking about how for the first time they actually care about science and are looking forward to doing better things. They’re also talking about how their instructors and coaches are more like brothers and sisters, and friends, not people they have to reel against.
One young girl stood up and she said that if this had been two years ago, there’s no way she’d even be standing in front of a group to talk about anything! So the confidence that she now had in herself was huge compared to when she started.
To think about HCF being a part of the transition in these kids’ lives at a very fragile and vulnerable time is so rewarding. The kids immediately acknowledged that they had other influences that were not positive and that they could have easily gone in that direction. But because they had this program and people that were invested in them, they were now seeing themselves and their futures in new and more positive ways.
What was your main takeaway from the event?
I sat there at the beginning of this event, thinking it would be a nice celebration for ABACUS. But by the end what it did was bring the whole thing to life in a way that blew me away and it showed me how we are actually changing kids’ lives. It doesn’t take inordinate amounts of time for kids to get from one place to another. Most importantly, it takes an environment that is supportive and a belief in the potential of these kids. And of course, it’s our amazing donors that make it all possible in the first place. It’s wonderful to see that everybody involved in ABACUS is invested so deeply.
June 9, 2017
On June 9, 1846 the provincial statute “An Act to alter and amend the Act incorporating the town of Hamilton, and to erect the same into a city” was passed and with it this city was born. Over the years Hamilton has been known as the Steel City, The Hammer, a City of Waterfalls and…
May 9, 2017
At Hamilton Community Foundation we are in the privileged position of being able to see the positive impact Hamiltonians make in their city through their time, talents and resources every single day. Whether one chooses to support Hamilton Community Foundation or one of the other 85,000 registered charities in Canada there is no doubt that…
May 2, 2017
Are you one of the many of us who crafted their first will literally hours before boarding an airplane to leave your children for the first time? And was that, perhaps, 15 years ago and you haven’t updated it since? You are not alone. While the “pre-vacation” estate plan is common, it isn’t necessarily the…
