Notable Items of Community Service

About Our Club
The various Philanthropic Committees and our Charitable Foundation work to make an impact on several economic, social and environmental challenges including: homelessness, hunger, social injustice, gender inequality, access to education, environmental sustainability, and challenges of recent immigrants and the poor. Funding priority is directed to the fields of health, education, youth and welfare, primarily in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) but also internationally.
 
THE ROTARY CLUB OF TORONTO AND ROTARY CLUB OF TORONTO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION COVID-19 SUPPORT
 
 
COVID-19 SUPPORT DONATIONS FOR CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS
FROM MARCH 2020 TO DATE
 
 
FUNDED BY THE ROTARY CLUB OF TORONTO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION:
 
LAKE CAMP SCUGOG UNITED CHURCH INC.
 
STREET HEALTH FOUNDATION
 
FIFE HOUSE FOUNDATION INC.
 
HOMES FIRST SOCIETY
 
DANCING WITH PARKINSONS
 
ALL SAINTS CHURCH COMMUNITY CENTRE
 
YWCA TORONTO
 
 
FUNDED BY THE ROTARY CLUB OF TORONTO:
 
ANISHNAWBE HEALTH FOUNDATION
 
WOMEN'S HOSTELS INC.  - NELLIE'S
 
THE STOP COMMUNITY FOOD CENTRE
 
SUNSHINE CENTRE FOR SENIORS
 
SPRINT SENIOR CARE
 
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
 
HORIZONS FOR YOUTH
 
SKETCH WORKING ARTS
 
TORONTO ABORIGINAL SUPPORT SERV. COUNCIL
 
SISTERING – A WOMEN’S PLACE
 
PACT URBAN PEACE
 
ROBIN HOOD ARMY CANADA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
During the 2016/2017 Club activity year alone, over $950,000 was dispersed to over 60 organizations across the GTA (87% of the organizations funded) and internationally (13% of the organizations funded). The following is a summary of the organizations and initiatives supported:

 

Year Associated Committee Recipient Organization/Initiative Contribution 
2016-2017 Community Service Committee St. Simon’s Shelter Supported their Christmas dinner for approximately 75 residents.
2016-2017 Community Service Committee Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre Support for holiday parties for Centre attendees of all faiths and ages.
2016-2017 Community Service Committee Cabbagetown Youth Centre (CYC) Support for the summer camp programs: dance, basketball, junior playgroup, sports, and leadership. 
2016-2017 Community Service Committee St. Simon’s Shelter Support for summer BBQs for their clients.
2016-2017 Community Service Committee St. Andrew’s Support for an Out of the Cold breakfast program.
2016-2017 Environmental Service Committee PACT - Urban Peace Program Grant supported the school garden at John Polanyi Collegiate Institute which is an organic, 1.5 acre urban farm and teaching environment where students from six surrounding primary and middle schools take part in outdoor, curriculum-based lessons.
2016-2017 Environmental Service Committee The Bowery Project Grant supported turning downtown vacant lands into fertile food gardens.
2016-2017 Environmental Service Committee Toronto Tool Library Grant allowed for The Rotary Club of Toronto and the Rotaract Club of Toronto to be the founding sponsors of the West end Toronto Tool Library. This grant combined with a few sweat equity days to get the library painted, sorted and set up made for a fun and high impact project.
2016-2017 Environmental Service Committee Urban Forest Associates (Ufora) A Rotary Ecosystem grant supports the purchase of native trees that grade school students take a few hours out of the classroom to plant in the Don River Valley while learning about their environment.
2016-2017 Environmental Service Committee Earth Day Canada Grant supported POP-UP Adventure Playgrounds with a strategic focus on bringing outdoor adventure play to diverse communities in Toronto. Essential to this model of play are the natural and recycled “loose parts” (spare tires, hay bales, rope, cardboard, fabric, tools and utensils, wood, etc.) – materials that facilitate creative thinking, collaboration and lots of action.
2016-2017 Environmental Service Committee Foodshare Grant supported 3 new colonies for a 6 colony bee yard at the Black Creek Community Farm at Jane and Finch and supported demonstration and workshop resources of The Toronto Bee Keeper Collective for children’s workshops in Regent Park, Eco-Day at Keele and Finch and a children’s event in Thorncliffe Park.
2016-2017 Indigenous Service Committee Native Child and Family Services of Toronto Support for NCFST’s "Here on Turtle’s Back" art program, which provides new and emerging indigenous youth artists with access to a free monthly workshop series rooted in indigenous knowledge and artistic practices.
2016-2017 Indigenous Service Committee Kivalliq Inuit Association  Funding for art supplies for a two-week summer arts camp for Inuit students.
2016-2017 Indigenous Service Committee First Nations Elementary School Funding for art supplies for a mural at the school.
2016-2017 Indigenous Service Committee/ The Rotary Club of Toronto Foundation Save the Evidence Project, Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford Support for a videos project that will record the testimony of those who attended the Mohawk Residential School. The video will be seen by visitors to the restored Mohawk Institute, as well as students in the Brantford region and across the GTA. 
2016-2017 International Service Committee Organizations in Malawi, Uganda, and Tanzania In Malawi, Uganda and Tanzania we have been involved with work around AIDS and have also assisted in the building and renovation of schools in those countries. We also have a major water project in the Zomba area of Malawi. When finished, there will be about 150 new or refurbished wells. 
2016-2017 International Service Committee Project Mainstream in Mumbai, India Support for Project Mainstream, which teaches vocational and small business skills to children on the street.
2016-2017 International Service Committee Syrian Refugee Family Support for a Syrian Refugee family's move to Toronto.
2016-2017 International Service Committee Sri Lanka Orphanages Support of a Sweat Equity trip to Sri Lanka to assist in orphanages there.
2016-2017 International Service Committee Emmanuel International Support of a water and sanitation project in the Zomba and Machinga region of Malawi. A Matching Grant from Global Affairs Canada turned our contribution of $5,000 into $20,000 towards this project.
2016-2017 International Service Committee Children’s Improvement Organization Cambodia Funds to assist in the building and development of a Learning Center for children in Siem Reap Cambodia.
2016-2017 International Service Committee HOPE School Kenya Funds to help construct a water supply system for a school in Kenya.
2016-2017 International Service Committee CanUgan Global Grant Funds to the Rotary Club of Ottawa West in support of their Global Grant supporting people with disabilities in Kasese District, Uganda. This support will provide assistive devices to people with disabilities.
2016-2017 International Service Committee Human and Hope Association Cambodia Funds to support their Sew Many Opportunities sewing program. Our support will be used to purchase the materials required to provide sewing lessons to two classes of students in 2017 with the goal of the students to ultimately find related employment or start their own sewing businesses.
2016-2017 International Service Committee Children of Hope Uganda Funds to cover tuition costs for 2 girls in 2017. These girls were born of rape by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda.
2016-2017 International Service Committee Emmanuel International Funds to support a Sweat Equity Trip of Rotarians and friends to Haiti to help build a school and a bridge on the outskirts of Port Au Prince. This was done in partnership with Emmanuel International.
2016-2017 International Service Committee Alma Foundation Funds to support their Las Palmeras pre-school & primary school project in Bolivia. Our support will help cover the costs of all the education materials, books and classroom equipment for both schools.
2016-2017 Senior Citizen's Committee Annual Seniors' Christmas Party Senior guests from Second Mile Club, Kensington Gardens, Fudger House, Salvation Army, Yonge Street Mission, Little Trinity Church, The Church of Resurrection and Sunshine Centre for Seniors, were hosted for a Christmas Lunch and entertainment at the Royal York Hotel.
2016-2017 Senior Citizen's Committee Thanksgiving Meal Delivery Over 140 Meals for Seniors were delivered by committee members and Rotary volunteers to shut-in seniors in our community.  
2016-2017 Senior Citizen's Committee Summer Senior's Picnic June Picnic held at Kensington Gardens had over 60 seniors attending.
2016-2017 Senior Citizen's Committee Fred Victor Centre Funding for the "Wired World of Seniors" Program during which grade 6 students train seniors on the use of tablets. Provides social interaction and educational opportunities for the program participants.
2016-2017 Senior Citizen's Committee/ The Rotary Club of Toronto Foundation Sprint Multi-year grant for the Toronto Ride program that is a collaborative partnership of 13 non-for-profit, community support service agencies that provide assisted door-to-door transportation for seniors 55+ and adults with disabilities. The grant is going towards purchasing new cars for the fleet.
2016-2017 Women's Initiatives Commitee Interval House Granted to assist Interval House to improve their safety systems and programs, which are fundamental to their operation as a shelter for abused women and children in downtown Toronto
2016-2017 Women's Initiatives Commitee The Sustainable Thinking and Expression on Public Space Initiative (STEPS)  Granted to assist STEPS in the administration and completion of a piece of local community artwork that engages local marginalized women in creating community artwork. This project gives local women an opportunity to express their creativity, build communities, learn new skills and network. 
2016-2017 Women's Initiatives Commitee Walk a Mile in Her Shoes  Donated funds to the annual Walk which provides funding for the White Ribbon Campaign, the world's largest movement of men and boys to end violence against women and girls, promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity. 
2016-2017 Women's Initiatives Commitee/ The Rotary Club of Toronto Foundation Immigrant Women Integration Program (IWIP), a project of the Toronto Centre for Community Learning and Development Funding to assist in the development of a training program for new immigrant women in downtown Toronto. The program offers immigrant women a leadership development opportunity to prepare for work or for volunteering in the social service and community-based sectors.
2016-2017 Youth & Children's Service Committee 87th Annual Holiday Children's Party Hosted a holiday party at which 600 guests/children with various abilities are provided with a day to remember.  The event sees about 200 volunteers, including police officers, firemen, auxiliary officers, Rotarians and their families, Rotaractors and District Youth Exchange Students. 
2016-2017 Youth & Children's Service Committee 5th Annual Youth Leadership Expo Host an event that brings together many community partners, hands on workshops, and motivational speakers to inspire, empower and build leadership skills for up to 300 Toronto’s TDSB and TCDSB Grade 7 to 8 students. 
2016-2017 Youth & Children's Service Committee Annual Youth Day Luncheon and Civic Leadership Awards Five award recipients and finalists from TDSB and TCDSB schools are recognized at our Rotary Youth Day Luncheon. The Awards are provided in recognition of academic excellence, strong character and community mindedness.
2016-2017 Youth & Children's Service Committee Various Support 12 community agencies in providing much needed Baby Essentials to moms in need. Over 1,000 moms were assisted last year many of whom would otherwise not have been able to afford these essentials for their infants and small children.
2016-2017 Youth & Children's Service Committee Youth Assisting Youth Support for the Group Mentoring Program which provides ongoing structured activities for their “mentor matches”, as well as the youth on our waiting list.
2016-2017 Youth & Children's Service Committee George Hull Centre Funding to train 1 staff member and to provide approximately 1 year worth of group therapy sessions for 10 family units, shown to improve the relationships between guardians and children with behavioral and emotional issues.
2016-2017 Youth & Children's Service Committee CameronHelps Funding for purchasing sneakers for low-income students so they can participate in the running program.
2016-2017 Youth & Children's Service Committee Toronto Tool Library Seed funding for starting a new facility for housing tools that are loaned out to community members in the St. Clair W. community.