Rotary Club of Peterborough Increases Water Accessibility With Aquatics Wheelchair Donation to YMCA

The YMCA of Central East Ontario Balsillie Family Branch’s pools are now more accessible thanks to the Rotary Club of Peterborough-Kawartha with a donation of an aquatic wheelchair.

Rotary’s Len Lifchus (Rotary Club Secretary), MaryAnne Wooldridge (Balsillie Family Branch General Manager) and Bill Gordanier (Rotary Chair of Community Service Projects). Photo courtesy of the YMCA.

The specialized aquatic wheelchair allows members and guests with mobility issues a more accessible entrance into the swimming pools.

“We are thrilled to have a new small chair to access the pool. Our members who are users of a chair can have some comfort in ways of entering the pool,” says Shannon Hunter, Regional Supervisor of Aquatics and Camp. “This chair is great for adults and children. The old chair was not fit for use anymore and we are so thankful that people can still entre our lap pool and therapy pool.”

Members can access the aquatics wheelchair by asking the guard on duty to get it for them. If there is no guard available, staff will direct the member to get it themselves.

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"Rock the Docks" Event Raises $2,000 For Bridgenorth United Church Food Bank

The Bridgenorth United Church Food Bank received a donation of $2,000 raised from the Rock the Docks event in a cheque presentation at Bridgenorth United Church on Tuesday afternoon.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The donated money will help the food bank purchase perishable foods to distribute to their clients based on what has already been donated to them.

“We shop every week. Whatever we don't get from our membership with Kawartha Food Share and what we don't have for donations from neighbouring organizations and our congregation goes to the fresh produce,” said Rev. Cathy Gradante of Bridgenorth United Church. “So it's cheese, eggs, juice and things that are more easily spoiled so we have to purchase them on a regular basis.”

Rock the Docks was put on by the Bridgenorth Beautification Commitee at Great Outdoors Landing on Aug. 12. The event featured food (by Chemong Lodge), live music, door prizes, 50/50 draw, dancing, a silent auction and kids activities. Adam Brown, Chemong Lodge owner was happy to contribute especially after learning the increasing number of families that rely on food banks such as Bridgenorth Food Bank.

“It is somewhat discouraging when you see how many families need it but it’s great that the community is there so I’m really encouraged by that side of things,” he said.

The church on average feeds 75 families monthly in the Selwyn township, a number that has been alarmingly increasing according to Patta Latour, church co-chair.

“We used to be able to help people from Peterborough but we just got over capacity and we couldn’t,” she said. “The number of people that we helped just from Selwyn Township last month was the same number from Selwyn and in Peterborough.”

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RBC Donates $20,000 to Jumpstart Local Net Zero Farms Pilot Project

RBC has donated $20,000 to Net Zero Farms for a new pilot project that will assist farmers in incorporating sustainable practices into their operations at Woodleigh Farms on Thursday afternoon.

Representatives from RBC cut the ribbon to represent the launch of the Net Zero Farms Pilot Project alongside non-profits GreenUP and Farms at Work. Pictured from left to right:  RBC Community Manager Karalee Murray, Green Economy Peterborough Net Zero Farms Program Coordinator Natasha Sheward, GreenUP Director of Programs Natalie Stephenson, GreenUP Executive Director Tegan Moss, Green Economy Peterborough Hub Coordinator Jackie Donaldson, RBC Relationship Manager for Business Markets Deanna Baker, Farms at Work Executive Director Heather Ray, RBC Relationship Manager for Agriculture & Agri-Business Specialist Scott McCaig. Photo courtesy of GreenUp.

The program coaches business leaders in the agriculture sector to measure their greenhouse gas emissions, set reduction targets, further understand their role in sequestering carbon and develop a plan for reducing their impact on the environment, all while sharing experiences and the greater community according to a press release.
 
“We know farmers like to learn from farmers. We’re thrilled to be developing this networking piece to help support their sustainable practices, and to develop a culture where farmers don’t feel alone in their efforts to become more environmentally friendly,” says Heather Ray, Farms at Work executive director. “Farm-to-farm engagement and mentoring is essential for an agricultural business looking to adapt to a changing climate.”
 
The Net Zero Farms pilot seeks to support up to 10 farms in their efforts to take climate action while building local capacity within the greater agricultural community, as stated by GreenUp.
  
“Measuring greenhouse gas sources in agriculture is different from measuring the emissions of a downtown retail store,” says Natasha Sheward, Net Zero Farms program coordinator. “We want to include all of the relevant aspects of this sector within our GHG measurement in order to ensure relevance and accuracy. This will provide insight and opportunity for our farmers to identify actions that will reduce their costs and increase their resilience.”

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CRCC Receives $20,000 Grant From Bell Let's Talk For Therapy For Trauma Survivors

The Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund has given a grant of $20,000 to The Community Counselling and Resource Centre (CCRC) to provide therapy for trauma survivors.

Photo courtesy of the CCRC.

Types of therapy used for treatment include the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) to help people cope with a variety of psychological issues, particularly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related symptoms. Developed in the late 1980s, EMDR has been used effectively to help those impacted by distressing symptoms of PTSD.

“CCRC sees a lot of clients presenting with symptoms of PTSD, many of whom have no other option for professional counselling services,” said Kirsten Armbrust, CCRC executive director. “Support from the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund allows us to see these clients sooner, getting them the help they need quickly.”

“Bell Let’s Talk is pleased to provide a $20,000 Community Fund grant to CCRC to support people in Peterborough suffering from trauma,” said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “The Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund supports organizations that are working to create positive change to improve access to mental health care, supports and services for more Canadians in communities around the country.”

Funding from this grant has allowed the CCRC to reallocate our EMDR trained counsellors to those who would most benefit from EMDR treatment.

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Fleming Student Administrative Council Seeking Sponsors To Aid Student Food Insecurity

Fleming Student Administrative Council (SAC) is seeking sponsors for their monthly ‘Lunch Grab&Go’ initiative to help combat student food insecurity.

Photo courtesy of Fleming SAC.

The program provides free lunches for Fleming students especially to those who struggle to afford food daily according to a Fleming SAC representative.

“Times are tough right now and every little bit helps,” according to a Fleming SAC statement. “Help feed Fleming students so they can focus on school and no\tw where their next meal is going to come from.”

Sponsors will have their logo on display to SAC’s marketing to create brand awareness for the event in exchange for sponsorship.

Potential sponsors can e-mail info@flemincsac.ca for more information.

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100 Women Peterborough Returns to In-Person Philanthropy With Donation of Over $10,000 to Hospice Peterborough

With 100 Women returning to their first in-person gathering since 2019, their first donation of $10,800 was made to Hospice Peterborough.

100 Women’s first donation was made to Hospice Peterborough in 2018. Photo courtesy of 100 Women Peterborough.

The decision was made after a majority vote as representatives of Abbeyfield House Society, Hospice Peterborough and Peterborough Veterinary Outreach made their cases to be the recipient on Sept. 19.

“We're honoured that 100 Women Peterborough has chosen to support us again, marking a full-circle moment," said Aimée O’Reilly, Hospice Peterborough manager of development. “This community of women initially helped us build our 10-bed end-of-life residence and expand our programming facility. Their renewed investment speaks volumes about the trust they place in us. Importantly, their donation will help sustain programs that aren't government-funded including special touches of care and grief programming.”

With 108 active members, 100 Women contributed $100 each towards the total donation.

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Sentinel Risk Insurance Group and Darling Insurance Donate $20,000 to Food For Kids From Fundraising Golf Tournament

Peterborough Food for Kids and Kawartha Lakes Food for Kids walk away with $10,000 each in a donation from Sentinel Risk Insurance Group and Darling Insurance announced on Wednesday afternoon.

The golf tournament had taken a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The funds were raised from an annual golf tournament hosted by both insurance companies held at the Peterborough Golf and Country Club on Aug. 31. All proceeds from the sold-out event go to the chosen charity, with a new charity chosen in each calendar year.

Proceeds go towards Food For Kids’s local student nutrition programs—working to provide students with access to nourishing food at school which helps with concentration in class, a reduction in school absences and achieving higher academic scores according to a press release.

“This donation was a true group effort on behalf of everyone involved and we are beyond thankful for that,” said Greg Kruk, partner, Sentinel Risk Insurance Group. “Supporting students and providing them the right tools to be successful in school has always been crucial—perhaps now more than ever given today’s cost of food.  Our team is thrilled to be able to help to the Food for Kids organization and highlight the important work they do.”

“Giving back to the communities that we live and do business in is an important part of the work we do,” said Peter Blodgett, Darling Insurance president. “This year’s tournament was the first year we’ve been back post-pandemic, and the support we saw from our communities, partners and teams was incredible—this level of donation is not possible without their support--and we are sincerely thankful for that.” 

“100 per cent of the money raised at the golf tournament will go directly to helping local student nutrition programs to provide nourishing food at school for all students,” said Angela Fuchs, Peterborough Food for Kids community development coordinator. “Last year there were over two million meals served in Peterborough City and County and your donation will help to support students to be able to do their best each day at school.”

“The nutrition programs in City of Kawartha Lakes will be serving almost a 1000 more meals every day due to growing need and this donation will directly help schools afford more food,” said Megan Curran, Kawartha Lakes Food for Kids school nutrition program coordinator. “With the increasing cost of food, donations like this help our schools sustain their programs and continue to help students thrive.”  

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Auto Connect Sales Donates $2,000 to Peterborough Patriots Sports Club For Arena and Ice Time

As part of Auto Connect Sales’s quarterly contribution to local organizations, they have donated $2,000 to Peterborough Patriots Sports Club in a cheque presentation at their Lansdowne Street facility on Friday morning.

(from left to right) Martin Tempelman, Autoconnect; Thomas Rutherford, Patriots Club; Cheryl Watson, Autoconnect and Matt Abbott, Patriots Club. Photo by David Tuan bui.

The money was raised from a portion of the sales on each vehicle sold at Auto Connect for the quarter.

The club has been active for the past 35 years. They promote and coordinate events and activities for physically disabled teens and adults. The proceeds help pay for arena/ice time in sports such as sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball and curling.

“It's going to help out our charity a lot,” said Matt Abbott of Peterborough Patriots Club.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Patriots Club.

The club currently services ten athletes but is welcoming more into its activities.

All are invited to attend sledge hockey regardless of disability (even if you’re fully abled) on Oct. 14, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Warsaw Arena. The club supplies equipment such as the sledge and sticks for those who do not own any.

Auto Connect’s next quarterly contribution will be made to Kawartha Food Share.

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Rotary Club of Peterborough Donates $25,000 to Camp Kawartha For New Health Centre

The Rotary Club of Peterborough took another step toward their $100,000 multi-year pledge to Camp Kawartha with a $25,000 cheque presentation towards creating an environmentally sustainable health centre for staff to look after the health needs of campers and other guests.

(From left to right) Rotarian Jim Coyle, Camp Kawartha Philanthropy Coordinator Susan Ramey, and Rotarian Ken Seim. Photo courtesy of Rotary Club of Peterborough.

The $25,000 payment brings the total contribution up to $75,000 toward their $100,000 pledge.

“Our Rotary Club, has and always will, support Camp Kawartha and its Outdoor Education Centre,” said Jim Coyle, past Rotarian president. “Rotary has always been involved with programming to Develop the Youth of Today to be the Leaders of Tomorrow and that is what Camp Kawartha programming is all about. This new Rotary Health Centre is not only a necessary component of the Camp infrastructure but it is a shining example of construction methodology that is mindful of the environment that it is situated on.”

The Rotary Health Centre is a carbon-neutral straw bale building that replaced a smaller cabin that was built in 1955.

“The Rotary Health Centre is an inspiring example of sustainable design in action. It shows campers, students and even health professionals, what a Healthy Health Centre can look like. We are enormously grateful to the Rotary Club of Peterborough for making this project possible,” said Jacob Rodenburg, Camp Kawartha executive director.

“I am pleased to be presenting this cheque in the amount of $25,000 as another step towards meeting our multiyear pledge of $100,000 to Camp Kawartha for the creation of a unique environmentally sustainable health centre,” said Betty Halman-Plumley, Rotary president.

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United Way Announces 2023 Community Campaign Cabinet

United Way Peterborough & District has introduced their Community Campaign Cabinet members for their upcoming 2023 campaign, announced on Monday morning.

The cabinet members during a break from a meeting to walk through thier 2023 campaign plans. Photo by David Tuan bui.

This year’s cabinet includes 25 members for the 2023 campaign including six new additions.

The following are the cabinet members:

• Jim Hendry, Campaign Cabinet Chair

• Dr. Marcus Harvey, Past Cabinet Chair

• Maryam Monsef, Women United Chair

• Darcy Bonner, Community Ambassador

• Brian Desbiens, Community Ambassador

• Galen Eagle, PVNCCDSB

• Coby Fewings, Scotiabank

• Dr. Bruce Gibson, Community Ambassador

• Marg Glenn, Community Ambassador

• Tracy Keough, RBC

• Greg Kidd, KPRDSB*

• Lawrence Lam, Trent University*

• Richard Lambert, BMO

• Scott Mancini, Ashburnham Realty,

• Jen McFarlane, City of Peterborough*

• Amanda, Pinder, RBC

• Dr. Stephan Ragaz, Community Ambassador*

• Paul Rellinger, PTBO Performs Event

• Heather, GM Financial

• Sebastien Tinor-Roy, TD Bank

• John Townsend, Peterborough Police Service*

• Shirley Turner, Community Ambassador*

• Jim Russell, UWP, CEO

• Anne Ondercin, UWP

• Sara Mountenay, UWP

*denotes new member

The Cabinet is a hands-on team that makes decisions around campaign strategies, communications with donors, making workplace visits and even organization according to a press release.

“We fund 20 different community agencies. Some of them are small and can't afford to do fundraising on their own,” said Hendry. “Some of them big but we give them a fair bit of money. The organizations we fund affect everyone in the community in some way, homelessness, food insecurity and literacy.”

The 2023 campaign kicks off at the Healthy Planet Arena on Sept. 6.

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