2018 Partners
ReadUP is a volunteer-driven charity hosting free reading clubs in downtown Toronto to support children’s emerging reading skills and to foster their love of reading. Its weekly clubs take place in schools, community centres and shelters, with an on-site teacher and dedicated volunteers supporting hundreds of children as they become confident and successful readers.
Rose of Sharon Services for Young Mothers has been serving some of the youngest and most vulnerable families for over 30 years; it is the only organization in York Region to offer services focused on the unique needs of young prenatal and parenting women. Rose of Sharon programs are crucial to building parenting and life skills and offering hope for many young families. Many young expectant and new moms first come to Rose of Sharon having faced judgment and rejection from family, friends, peers, or even life partners. Many struggle with issues of hopelessness, lack of self worth, lack of maturity, and capacity to advocate for themselves and their baby. At Rose of Sharon they find the acceptance, support, and direction they are lacking in their lives since making the decision to raise their baby.
Awarded by the Donner Foundation for the Youth Peer Program as the best-run non-profit social service program in Canada out of 2,000 competing charitable programs, EPIC has spearheaded educational initiatives for youth, young adults and parents in Nova Scotia since 1996. EPIC’s mission is the advancement of marginalized learners through innovation, empathy, volunteerism, diversity and partnership. More than thirty youth-serving community agencies now serve on EPIC's Management Team which results in optimal community-wide impact. By successfully recruiting 90 outstanding youth volunteers each year, EPIC is able to ensure that over 98.7% of funding goes directly into programs instead of administration. EPIC's most recent project, supported by the Fyfe Foundation, features the enhancement of social-emotional well-being in 100 marginalized youth ages 10-18 through the delivery of 520 hours of interactive Wellness Workshops across Cape Breton Regional Municipality, with half delivered on-reserve for Eskasoni First Nation.
Kids Can Play
Kids Can Play of Cambridge believes participation in the arts, music and sport is crucial to our children’s mental, physical and emotional well-being, regardless of income. For 24 years, our volunteers have raised funds to pay the enrolment fee on behalf of low income families with children 0-18 years of age, to participate in local organized cultural activities.
Strong Start's vision is all children read. Our mission is to help children learn to read by providing unique programs and services through community-wide partnerships. Strong Start's literacy intervention programs reach children early in their development, when the greatest impact is possible. Learning to read is an essential life skill that enables learning and gives children confidence which helps ensure they will be successful, healthy, and positive contributors to their communities. Since it's inception in 2001, Strong Start has helped over 38,000 children learn to read, with the help of over 28,000 volunteers.
The Start2Finish Running & Reading Club after-school program helps make the dream of graduation a reality. The program addresses the need for enhanced literacy and physical activity among children experiencing poverty/deprivation in the communities it services. S2F currently has Running & Reading Club programs successfully operating from coast to coast, and just achieved our strategic goal of being in 50 communities!