London Community Foundation

✨ Meet Ivan Hu, one of this year’s Rainbow Youth Leadership Bursary recipients! 🎉 Discover how Ivan is making a difference in promoting inclusivity and support for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in London and Middlesex County. From advocating for mental health to enhancing school support systems, Ivan's work is truly inspiring. Check out their journey and the impactful work they're doing!

Read the full story here: https://loom.ly/OMu53BM

Meet Urban Roots London, a Community Vitality grant recipient! 🌱 Their mission is to cultivate food security and community well-being through urban agriculture initiatives.

Click the link below to discover how Urban Roots is growing fresh produce locally and empowering London communities.

https://loom.ly/ze_KMdU

Meet Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, a Community Vitality grant recipient! 🌈 Their MAGICAL Project provides safe, accessible gatherings for marginalized 2SLGBTQIA+ community members in London.

Click the link below to learn more about how the MAGICAL Project is building community and fostering affirmation.

https://loom.ly/DEW9xDA

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Meet London Public Library, a Community Vitality grant recipient! 📚 Their Transitional Case Worker Program at the Central Library provides essential support to individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges.

Click the link below to learn more about how LPL is transforming lives in our community.

https://loom.ly/jDgHbf8

Meet London InterCommunity Health Centre, a Community Vitality grant recipient! 🌍 Their Women of the World program supports newcomer women in London with integrated childcare, fostering well-being and community integration.

Click the link below to discover how WOW is making a difference in the lives of newcomer women.

https://loom.ly/qFS_Ke8

Today’s Community Vitality grant recipient is LIFE*SPIN! 🌱 They’re enhancing food security with London's low-income families with the “Food Foundations for Self-Reliance” project. This initiative expands LIFE*SPIN's Community Food Box and Pocket-Sized Farm programs, ensuring sustainable and nutritious food access.

Click the link below to learn more about how LIFE*SPIN is empowering London’s low-income families.

https://loom.ly/5U4R1CM

Meet Forest City Gallery, a Community Vitality grant recipient! 🎨 Their Collaboratory Community Outreach Program empowers artists with state-of-the-art resources and mentorship opportunities in London and Middlesex.

Head to our stories at https://loom.ly/r52WinQ to discover how FCG is fostering artistic expression and community engagement through the Collaboratory.

Meet Changing Ways, a Community Vitality grant recipient! They’re collaborating for a safer London and Middlesex by engaging men and boys in conversations about healthy relationships and preventing gender-based violence.

Learn more about Changing Ways’ efforts to prevent gender-based violence and their impact in London and Middlesex County here: https://loom.ly/MuJq4Hs

Meet CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services (CMHA TVAMHS), a Community Vitality grant recipient! 🌟 Their Friendship Bench initiative supports mental health in London and Middlesex County’s French-speaking communities through culturally adapted support.

Click the link below to discover how CMHA TVAMHS is improving mental health accessibility and equality:

https://loom.ly/aSwoiLk

🎉 Exciting news! We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the London Community Foundation's Community Vitality grants for 2024! This year, over $1.4 million will be granted to eight incredible organizations that are making a difference in our and community.

Join us in congratulating the following organizations for their dedication and commitment to driving positive change in the London and Middlesex area:

⭐ Canadian Mental Health Association Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services (CMHA TVAMHS) CMHA Thames Valley Addiction & Mental Health Services
⭐ Changing Ways Changing Ways
⭐ Forest City Gallery Forest City Gallery
⭐ LIFE*SPIN Life*Spin
⭐ London InterCommunity Health Centre London InterCommunity Health Centre
⭐ London Public Library London Publiclibrary
⭐ Regional HIV AIDS Connection Regional HIV AIDS Connection
⭐ Urban Roots London in partnership with Siloam United Church Urban Roots London

Check out the full list of recipients and their impactful projects on our website starting July 18. Let's celebrate these initiatives that are making a real difference in our community! 🌍💫

Learn more at: https://loom.ly/NjEwcWE

Take a walk with us and explore the future of SoHo! 🏘️✨

Our community is facing an affordable housing crisis with over 7,000 Londoners on the waitlist. Finding a safe and affordable home has become increasingly difficult.

The Vision SoHo Alliance is set to make a difference by building a housing mix that enhances our neighbourhood. These developments aim to create a strong, safe, and accessible community, celebrating the heritage of the Old Victoria Hospital Lands and SoHo. Join us in shaping the future together!

Learn more about Vision SoHo at https://loom.ly/lQFUfro

Meet Shane Butcher. Appointed Chair of our Social Finance Committee in 2024, Shane discusses the committee's role in driving social impact through innovative financing. Reflecting on the impact of our Social Impact Fund, Shane says: "Social finance closes gaps for initiatives that traditional banking overlooks, ensuring they get going and thrive."

🚀 Dive into his vision for the Social Impact Fund here: https://loom.ly/ciY7SKo

Exciting news from our 2023 Annual Report! Discover how Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is nurturing a love for literacy in children across London. Volunteers Betsy Reilly and Sue Carlyle explain the benefits of getting kids interested in literacy before kindergarten.🌟

Learn more about their impactful work here: https://loom.ly/ORGTFlo

From the Annual Report: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library — London Community Foundation One of the key things that makes philanthropy with London Community Foundation so impactful is that it’s sustainable and lasts forever. Many of the organizations that hold funds with us also take a sustainable approach to their work by tackling the issues they’re working to solve at source. One ...

Wrapping up the school year with some big thank yous! The Donald and Elizabeth Ness Fund, through London Community Foundation brought local students interactive learning experiences in financial health, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Students are better prepared for their lives ahead thanks to your support!

The recipients of the Rainbow Youth Leadership Bursary and Pride London Festival Endowment Grant have been announced. Established in 1997, the Rainbow Youth Leadership Bursary Fund recognizes leadership and community contributions among local high school students. The yearly bursary is awarded to individuals whose leadership activities support le***an, gay, bisexual, transgender, tr*******al, and two-spirited people, as well as their supporters and any community group represented under the diverse Rainbow banner.

The Pride London Festival Endowment Fund, established in 2017 to promote awareness and celebrate sexual orientation and gender identity issues, supports diverse projects like workshops, art shows, and educational seminars. Since its inception, it has supported individuals and organizations contributing to inclusion efforts across 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day, Canada!

We’re celebrating the vital work of the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) and its life-changing project Minomode-zewin nunge-gehwin (healthy ways of eating), which received a Community Vitality grant. Minomode-zewin nunge-gehwin offers traditional food, such as wild rice, white corn and smoked fish, to Indigenous people.

Jocelyn Zurbrigg, a dietician and diabetes educator at SOAHAC, says the program is “feeding bodies, minds, and spirits,” and strengthening cultural identity, belonging, and wellness.

See how access to traditional food is changing lives: https://loom.ly/e63j6NQ

Community Vitality Update - Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre — London Community Foundation When Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre applied for a Community Vitality Grant in 2022, they shared with us a concerning 470% increase in clients reporting food insecurity to their healthcare provider from 2018 to 2021. 

Today marks World Refugee Day, a time to recognize the courage and perseverance of individuals compelled to leave their homes. Let's stand in solidarity with them, support their rights, and promote their full integration. Discover more about this significant occasion and find ways to contribute towards positive change at https://loom.ly/LvqRWN0

Join us for the Summer Reading Challenge with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of London. From July 1st to September 2nd, read for 30 minutes daily to support children's literacy. Form a team, read anywhere, and make a difference.

Register now for fun and prizes! To register click: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-dollywood-foundation-of-canada/p2p/readingchallengelondon/

Summer Reading Challenge London / Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of London The Summer Reading Challenge is a celebration of reading and literacy!   We want to support folks of all ages to read 30 minutes daily from Canada Day to Labour Day.   As a fundraiser for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of ...

Yasmin Hussain from Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration - mrcssi shares an update on the work done with the support of the Strong Together Fund. In 2021, $122,203.48 was granted to the MRCSSI to help with the response to the impacts of terrorist attack on Our London Family. Read Yasmin's update at https://loom.ly/xKuMY4Y

An Update From The Muslim Resource Centre on the Strong Together Fund — London Community Foundation Yasmin Hussain from the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support & Integration shares an update on the work done with the support of the Strong Together Fund. In 2021, $122,203.48 was granted to the MRCSSI to help with the response to the impacts of terrorist attack on Our London Family.

Three years ago, an act of terrorism fuelled by anti-Muslim hate killed four Londoners who were enjoying an evening walk -- Talat Afzaal, Salman Afzaal, Madiha Salman, and Yumna Afzaal.

As we come together to commemorate Our London Family, let’s remember the contributions they made to building a better community and commit to taking action every day to create a truly equitable and inclusive city where everyone belongs.

Applications for our Philanthropy Director role close June 27th. Join us in shaping the future of giving in London and making a lasting impact in our community! Apply now at the link in our bio or online at https://loom.ly/oOhjx9o

Our annual report is here! Pick up your print copy today to dive into the heart of our philanthropic journey.

Can't wait? You can also explore the full report online at www.lcf.on.ca/publications.

At London Community Foundation, building community is the driving force behind our impact, shaping a brighter future for London-Middlesex. Your support makes it all possible. 💫

Lorraine Ivey Shuttleworth's dedication built the London Community Foundation into a vital community pillar. The Lorraine Ivey Shuttleworth Society continues her legacy, fostering ongoing generosity. Join us in preserving her legacy and fostering community support in London for generations to come!

Read more about Lorraine's story at https://loom.ly/N3Fndbw

Lorraine Ivey Shuttleworth – A Different Kind of Legacy — London Community Foundation As a fundholder at London Community Foundation, Lorraine Ivey Shuttleworth knew that her fund would continue to grant to the causes she cared about forever, though when thinking about how the fund would continue her legacy, she went down a different path.

Join us for the Summer Reading Challenge with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of London.

From July 1st to September 2nd, read for 30 minutes daily to support children's literacy. Form a team, read anywhere, and make a difference.

Register now for fun and prizes!🌟📚📖

Haven't heard the news? With the incredible support of the King's community, the King's Community Fundraising Committee has raised $13,532 for the Health and Homelessness Fund for Change, administered by the London Community Foundation, during the 2023-2024 academic year.

And there's more good news: the anonymous donor who started the fund will match this donation! 🙌

Meet Eileen, a quiet force of generosity. Her philanthropy continues to shape lives and communities, from aiding the homeless to championing mental health initiatives. Join her in making a lasting difference through legacy giving.

Read more about Eileen's inspiring story at https://loom.ly/OG9mIxs

Leaving a Legacy: Eileen Ruebsam — London Community Foundation Eileen Ruebsam passed away in 2018 having never established a fund or even made a donation to London Community Foundation, but she was watching us keenly and felt strongly about what we do. Imagine our surprise then, when we found out that Eileen had left us over $1.9 million of unrestricted money t