Annual Report 2014 - 2015
Community Service Committee - Annual Report 2014-2015
We thank all of our committed members and the guidance of Binoy Luckoo (Chair), Rafael Lopez (Secretary) and Ross Amos (Board Liaison).
In addition to the Committee’s broad-based community work, the Community Service Committee has an Environmental Sub Committee, chaired by Alex Zalewski, which takes the lead on environmental issues within our Club.
Through a combination of financial grants and people assistance, including sweat equity, the Community Service Committee supported the following new and continuing philanthropic initiatives:
- The Neighbourhood Centre – provide Christmas hampers containing meals, toys, books, winter clothing to needy families of the Secord & Taylor-Massey Communities of Toronto. This donation is to help the Neighbourhood Centre to purchase these hampers and distribute them to the qualified families ($1,500)
- St Joseph & Margarets – purchase and distribution of winter boots, coats and survival kits to homeless people ($1,400)
- Aids Committee of Toronto (ACT) – to support the Totally outRIGHT program undertaken by the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT), a leadership program to help develop leadership skills of 45 young GBTQ men in Toronto ($3,500)
- Seeds of Hope Foundation – purchase and distribution of socks to the homeless people of Toronto in winter 2015 ($500)
- Metropolitan United Church – support the Out of the Cold program at Metropolitan United Church which provides a place where those on the streets in the Queen Street/Church Street area can come in for a hot meal on Thursdays during the winter months ($2,000)
- Metrpolitan United Church – help fund the church for the purchase of a replacement minivan to be used in the outreach program to help homeless and needy people. The van is used to transport the homeless to homes/shelters, to pick up non-perishable food items, to deliver food, furniture and other items to the homes and shelters ($5,000)
- St Michael’s Homes – St Michael’s Homes consist of 4 houses in downtown Toronto providing residential treatments, transitional support and out-patient services to men 19 years and over. They are setting up a new food program to help the men they service prepare their own food on a budget. This program will help the men be able to transition out of the homes and be able to take care of their nutrition requirements on a budget ($2,500)
- LEAF Adopt-a-Park-Tree Program – help the support and training required for Friends of parks groups to establish successful tree adoption activities in the Regent Park area. The program consists of planning, training of group leaders and mulching and Tree Tour event ($2,500)
The Environmental Sub Committee assisted the following organizations with their environmental initiatives:
- Urban Forest Associates - Rotary Ecosystem Project – tree planting projects ($1,700)
- LEAF Project Regent Park – Funded a gardening program in Regent Park ($2,500)
- Eva’s Initiatives – Funded a gardening program for homeless youth at one of the downtown shelters administered by Eva’s Initiatives ($767).
It has been both a privilege and rewarding experience to serve as members of the Community Services Committee during the 2014/15 year.
We thank the outgoing executive members for their continued support and all of the Committee members for their active involvement and commitment.
We look forward to making 2015/2016 a great year of service for the committee and its members.