2021 Beneficiaries
The Windsor Goodfellows Club has been a cherished part of this community for 110 years. Supported entirely through donations and receiving no government grants, the Windsor Goodfellows provides thousands of area families with assistance and support throughout the year, including a food bank, school breakfast programs, children’s footwear program, and much more.
We are best known for our annual holiday charity drive in which hundreds of volunteers stationed throughout the city sell the Goodfellows Special Edition Newspaper, helping to provide Christmas meals and gifts to thousands of children who might otherwise go without. Staffed almost entirely by volunteers, our organization spends over 80% of cash donations directly on the needy, with the remainder going to overhead expenses. Led by our Board of Directors, we are dedicated to a clear mission: to help those that cannot help themselves.
DID YOU KNOW
We provide approximately 15,000 boxes of food to the needy yearlyEach box provides approximately 3-4 days’ worth of meals
We feed approximately 66,000 people yearly
Christmas Certificates cost approximately $120,000 each year
Food costs approximately $500,000 each year
We have a breakfast nutrition program with nine schools which costs $36,000 each year
We provide 1,600 children breakfast daily. This program is co-sponsored by Families First
We provide 1,600 new pairs of shoes and boots to children from JK to grade 8
The footwear program cost is between $90,000 – $100,000 yearly
We receive 120,000 Goodfellow edition of the paper DONATED by The Windsor Star
We have 34 Oldnewsboys Paper Teams with approximately 600 volunteers on the streets hawking the paper. This accounts for approximately 43% of our income.
83% of all monies raised are spent directly on the needy (Fundraising costs 4%, Administration costs 13%)
WE DO ALL OUR OWN FUNDRAISING AND RECEIVE NO FUNDING FROM THE GOVERNMENT
KM (Kind Minds) Foundation provides sport leadership and community programs for special populations. We achieve this mission by working with a network of volunteers and community sponsors, to organize healthy active programming for individuals with special needs, contribute to local mental health supports and mentor the next generation of community leaders (our volunteers).
Our most recent endeavor is the Kind Minds House. My brother has special needs and it has been challenging to watch him try and gain independance outside my parents home, which is what inspired the idea of the Kind Minds House. The house will be a Supported Independent Living (SIL) Unit for high functioning individuals with special needs to call their permanent home. We will start by offering our residents meal supports in the morning and evening, as well as fitness programming. We also aim to provide grocery shopping support and monthly outings to help build the community and friendships. Kind Minds will provide the cleaning supports, shareable household products, as well as the utilities and entertainment. As a result of the generosity of our community, the house is mostly furnished so that guests can move in whenever ready. The house does require some updates for safety and privacy such as a fence and security system, as well as some other items to make the house more accommodating for this population which we are working on.
We are actively seeking volunteers, and community sponsors. Sponsors can help us achieve our goals by:
Sponsoring a room at the Kind Minds House to lower rent for residents. The room will be named after the sponsor for the duration of
the sponsorship, and will help us further fund projects to ensure a safer and more accessible home.Contributing to the scholarship fund for our volunteers. Scholarships can also be named after sponsors who contribute to them
specifically.Contributing to specific programs to help us further adapt them for these special populations. Such as donations for a skating tool
from Alberta to help our participants learn crossovers, or sponsoring a portion of the bike camp so it can return to the area as early as 2023.Contributing directly to the University clubs so they can network with the other clubs across Ontario, carry themselves professionally in their communities, and develop business leadership skills for future employment opportunities.
Supporting costs for programs and events such as medals for the skating program or summer run/walk challenge; t-shirts for
volunteers, skaters, or challengers; ice rental; or prizes for program and event participants.
In July of 1989, five women concerned about social justice and poverty issues came together to begin exploring the need for a women’s agency. During the following six months, a “needs” assessment was conducted and gaps in services were identified. The process of incorporation, obtaining non-profit status and developing fundraising initiatives was established. In February 1990, service delivery began at 142 McKay Avenue. Volunteers became a vital part of the organization.
The aim of the Centre was to create a non-threatening, non-adversarial, comfortable, participatory and supportive environment in which women felt a sense of empowerment. The staff defined empowerment as a model of social support that presented a joint endeavour by the client and staff to increase individual choice. The philosophy of the Centre’s model of support reflects a feminist perspective and this perspective has led to the development of a women-centered program based on the empowerment model.
As early as 1998, the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women was approached by the Social Services Department of the Corporation of the City of Windsor to provide emergency shelter to women experiencing homelessness. New quarters were purchased at 263 Bridge Avenue to replace former smaller quarters at 142 McKay Avenue. In January 2000, the Well-Come Home Women’s Shelter, under the umbrella organization of the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women, was created and began accepting women into the shelter. In 2005, the Welcome Centre underwent major revisions, increasing from 8 to 12 single beds and making additional changes to the structure of the building. In May 2015, the Centre began providing case management and housing support services to any family living in Windsor Essex experiencing homelessness. Families are currently housed off-site in local motels while being provided the same services as single women off site through a housing support worker. The Welcome Centre Shelter for Women now offers programming to women 18 and over as well as any family to assist in ending the cycle of homelessness, poverty and violence.
Second Chance Animal Rescue Windsor-Essex (S.C.A.R) opened in June of 2015 to service the Windsor-Essex area of Southern Ontario, Canada. S.C.A.R is a non-profit organization established to rescue and re-home dogs and cats of all ages and size.
The foundation of our organization are board members with years of animal rescue and pet care experience. Our ultimate focus is to help dogs and cats get off the streets and out of shelters.
With the help of loving foster homes and community support S.C.A.R. aims to be a voice for the voiceless. We ensure that all of our adoptable pets have necessary veterinarian care by some of the best local veterinary clinics.
The animals are temporarily fostered in loving homes until a forever home is found for each animal. All homes are fully screened and checked before an animal is placed into a loving home.
To find out more about Second Chance Animal Rescue Windsor-Essex or see how you can be part of this rewarding cause be sure to ” like ” our ever growing Facebook Page. (See link below)
Their provincial and regional goal is to be a reliable source of information and support for all citizens who have a connection to autism including families, children, adults on the spectrum, caregivers, support workers, and teachers.
What we do:
Deliver quality programs and activities for children, young adults, and adults with Autism.
Offer resources webinars and/or training workshops. These resources promote advocacy, provide support, and the latest news in autism research. These courses are advertised by email on our social channels and on the provincial website.
Work with community partners to promote and enhance awareness and advocacy about autism
Facilitate various fundraising events throughout the year that raise critical funds to support programs and events for individuals with autism and their families.
These programs focus on connecting members of our community to get involved, socialize, and network. Support community fundraisers. Help us help others by hosting your own third-party event. Donations can be directed to a local community; contact us to learn more. Autism Ontario is a registered non-profit charity.
Charity Registration Number: 896568417RR0001.