The foyer of Hugh Foster Hall on May 30th 2018 thronged with a bustle of caring community leaders who contribute their time, lives and support to important causes dear to their hearts.

Community Foundation of Halton North was formed in 2011 by a group of local citizens and offi cially launched in 2014 with a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. To quote the press release from the CFHN: ‘Th e organisation enables donors to donate to a favourite cause or causes for years to come. A donation to CFHN is invested and never spent – it keeps earning interest year after year.’

The 2018 grant recipients include:
Community Living North Halton envisions a society that honours and protects the innate value and equality of each one of its people without discrimination. Support is provided to individuals with special needs and disabilities in Milton, Georgetown and Acton.

­The Halton Poverty Roundtable is a local non-profi t/charity that brings together over 30 community organizations and 100+ volunteers who are committed to working collaboratively to eliminate poverty in Halton and moving towards a common vision where there is no neighbour in need.

Links2Care – Georgetown aims to support healthy living, prevent isolation and foster independence for people in our community. A culture of caring is rooted in being: Respectful, Trustworthy, Accountable, and Responsive to our clients, partners, supporters and each other.

Mario Belvedere Fund for United Way works with community partners to understand root causes, develops strategies to address them, brings together the right resources to get the job done and measures results, creating lasting change in this community.

First Ontario Arts Centre Milton supports Every child, Every year –a Milton Arts Programme which will encourage critical thinking, creativity, and imagination. Representing this helps our community in a multitude of ways By Jenny Panda | Photos by Denise Cooperwhite endeavour at the awards celebration was Carly Anderson (Manager, Cultural Services at FOAC, Milton) who spoke to those present about the Town of Milton’s development of the programme that will provide the opportunity for all students in grades one through eight to experience high quality visual arts programming each year, free of charge.

“By the time a child in Milton fi nishes the eighth grade,” Carly explained, “they will have visited the Arts Centre with their fellow students eight times and seen performances including popular and classical music, theatre, spoken word, poetry, and dance and participated in a hands-on art experience with professional artists.

“The programme will not only become the foundation for this generation of Milton children’s success, but also for all generations to come. ….we are strengthening our community’s educational opportunities and supporting community resiliency through the arts.”

In Carly’s own experience she has seen how the Arts—in its various disciplines— Brad Clements, Linda Bischoff and Grant Recipients July 2018 | Milton Villager | 5 can provide a crucial component in the development of children’s cognitive, social, and emotional well-being. Children’s exposure to the arts can build their capacity for imaginative, fl exible and critical thinking. (Source: People for Education, Annual Report on Ontario’s Publicly Funded Schools, 2015).

“It is our intent” Carly continued “to phase in the programme once there is suffi cient funding to off er it to an entire grade level … the programme will continue to be off ered to that grade level forever. We are on track to meet that milestone next spring—2019, and will be extending the invite to grade eight classrooms at the start of the 2018- 2019 school year…” (Gradually, over time, each grade level from Grade1 to 8 will be included in the programme.) “Currently we welcome approximately 3000 children to the Arts Centre on an annual basis for paid experiences such as classes, workshops, and camps…. Th e Every child, Every year children’s programme will reach nearly fi ve times that number…. It will have a substantial impact on…their awareness, Brad Clements, Nancy Comber and Greg Edmiston and connectedness to arts opportunities and resources in our community. Considering Milton’s rapid population growth, the impact will continue to be immense.

“This is really an exciting time for us!” Carly emphasized, “Th is is the only programme of its kind in Canada!”

“­The Community Foundation of Halton North’s vision is to grant back into the communities which make up North Halton and I am thrilled that the Foundation is now in its fourth year of ful‑ lling its mission.” stated Brad Clements, Chair of CFHN “We are pleased to announce the 2018 grant recipients and congratulate them for their tremendous work in the community of Halton North. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our fund holders for their contributions to make this possible.” Linda Bischo , Chair of the Grants Committee.
Photos by: Denise Cooperwhite

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