As we approach our annual Celebration of H.O.P.E., we wanted to highlight our incredible recipient charities from 2024. We’re so excited to be able to support these charities, and can’t wait to present them with the funding raised through another successful HOPE Volleyball SummerFest!
2024 Recipient Charities
Last year, the H.O.P.E. Board of Directors and Membership voted for five fantastic charities to receive future funds from our 42nd annual SummerFest. These are the charities, what they do, and the projects they will receive funding for next month:
Sexual Support Centre of Ottawa (SASC)
Sexual Support Centre of Ottawa (SASC) is a non-profit charity and community-based organization established in 1983. Our purpose is to provide support services by women to women who have experienced sexual violence. This could include rape, childhood sexual abuse, sexual harassment, gender-based violence or domestic violence. We strive to increase public awareness and offer training on the polities and effects of sexual violence. We also engage in social action to pressure for change in the structures and systems that contribute to the practice, maintenance and tolerance of violence, oppression, discrimination and exploitation.
SASC support all women survivors. This includes those from diverse groups, particularly, though not limited to, persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, immigrants and refugees, racialized persons, persons from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, and those with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions.
SASC Ottawa strives to be a safe space for survivors of all intersections. Our services include a support phone line, individual and group support, advocacy and accompaniment to Police, Courts, hospital and housing services.
Program Benefitting from H.O.P.E. Funding
We will be asking Hope to support our Young Women Program this year.
An empowerment podcast for survivors of sexual violence from the diverse communities SASC Ottawa serves. The project aims to capture the stories of 10 survivors, as they tell their stories of survival. Participants will be trained to use different media to capture their stories and to become ambassadors in their communities, to encourage other survivors in their journey of survival. We will use this means to raise awareness for diverse communities of young people, educate and inspire survivors and to provide safety tools for navigating online security, self care and safety planning. We will fund a Program Assistant, who will be overseen by the Young Women Program Coordinator, and also assist with providing ground work and supports for media art and creativity consultants and survivors to ensure that there is both coordination and collaboration with the survivors who will be featuring in the podcasts. The product will become part of our bi annual training resources for volunteers coming into SASC to do the work of supporting survivors and for survivors themselves during our numerous Groups, in the next ten years or more.
Cornerstone Housing for Women
Cornerstone Housing for Women provides shelter, housing, and support for women and gender-diverse people in Ottawa. Our organization was founded in 1983 and operates an emergency shelter for women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness, three supportive housing programs (soon to be four), a transitional housing program, and an outreach program.
Program Benefitting from H.O.P.E. Funding
With the generous funding from H.O.P.E., we aim to implement an enhanced wellness program for residents who leave our emergency shelter. Our goal with the Outreach Support Worker will be to address the unique needs of residents who use substances, with the ultimate goal of reducing harm and facilitating their transition to stable housing.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PEER SUPPORT WORKER:
The Outreach Support Worker will play a pivotal role in achieving the following objectives:
Provide ongoing outreach support to assist residents in maintaining stable housing and preventing relapse into homelessness due to their addictions.
Provide individual and group supports for residents who use substances leaving the Emergency Shelter.
MAJOR OUTPUT: Residents who are experiencing difficulties in their housing outside Cornerstone related use substances will be supported to find solutions which are positive for themselves and the residence as a whole community.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada
The Kidney Foundation of Canada exists to serve the 1 in 10 Canadians who live with Kidney Disease. The Ontario Branch serves the people of Ontario and we work through a number of local chapters to connect with families, patients, renal units and others to ensure that we are making a personal impact on our patient population. The Eastern Ontario Chapter is based in Ottawa.
Our goal is to promote good kidney health for all and to help patients lead a higher quality of life. Our core activities include funding medical research (we are a major funder for The Kidney Research Center at the Ottawa Hospital and other research centers in the province), we provide direct financial assistance to low-income patients to assist with costs associated with diagnosis and treatment, and so much more.
Program Benefitting from H.O.P.E. Funding
We are seeking funding for these following camps: The Kidney Foundation supports patients to attend Camp Dorset which offers on-site dialysis on their beautiful waterfront property. This respite for patients and their families allows them to experience a break and build memories which last a lifetime. It is a vital boost to mental and physical health. Renal centers across Ontario are given the opportunity to send patients to attend this program. The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Eastern Ontario Chapter, supports patient families in our region by covering their costs to participate in the program. The Kidney Foundation of Canada also supports Camp Kivita, an Ontario Camp for children who have received an organ transplant. The program gives these special children a summer camp experience with other young people who are facing similar health challenges. Under the care of medical experts familiar with their personal histories, camp participants can play, grow and explore safely on the natural wooded property. Memories of campfires and hikes alongside new friends, provide a sense of normalcy and an understanding there are many children just like them.
Christie Lake Kids
Christie Lake Kids' (CLK) mission is to enrich the lives and prospects of low income children and youth by providing quality year-round skills based programming. Since 1922, Christie Lake Kids has been responding to the specific needs of economically disadvantaged children and youth between the ages of 6-17 from the Ottawa area.
Approximately 700 low income children and youth directly benefit from experiences in programming each year both at our camp facility (located on Christie Lake near Perth, Ontario) and from our strategically located year round programming which is offered in low-income communities in Ottawa (in partnership with Ottawa Community Housing).
Program Benefitting from H.O.P.E. Funding
We are excited to expand our STAR after school programs to strengthen the development of social and emotional skills for children ages 6-12 living in low-income circumstances by replicating and expanding our multi-sport, Art and S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programming during the critical after-school hours into the Carson Grove and Karsh Court neighbourhoods, serving an additional 200 children facing barriers. This program will serve Ottawa Community Housing tenant families, and will be delivered through our evidence-based Transformative Recreation program model. Like all other programs, our new after school activities will all be offered both cost and barrier free (we will provide food, program supplies and all equipment). While we now have no-cost space in the communities of Carson Grove (partnering with the Rideau Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre) and Karsh Court (in an Ottawa Community Housing facility) to deliver this programming, we do require program supply kits that can be inventoried and used again helping us to maintain this program for many years. Our main needs are sports equipment, sports jerseys, STEM equipment (STEM lab kids for our Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program), Mats for our Martial Arts Program, Art supplies for a quality art and art in the park program and, cooking utensils and kitchen cooking equipment for the cooking programs in both locations.
Ottawa Carleton Association for People with Developmental Disabilities (OCAPDD)
Ottawa Carleton Association for People with Developmental Disabilities's (OCAPDD) purpose is to support community integration and personal well-being of children and adults with developmental disabilities within the City of Ottawa. OCAPDD provides support to hundreds of persons with developmental disabilities, in every aspect of life; whether seeking work opportunities, securing living arrangements or dealing with day-to-day tasks. Since fully a third of the individuals supported by OCAPDD are also affected by physical disabilities and other medical considerations, the scope of the organization’s support is in direct response to the level of needs and there is a history of providing specialized service to individuals with ‘high medical needs’. OCAPDD supports individuals at 26 sites: 14 residences, 7-day programs and 5-community support programs in the Ottawa area, and seven residences and one-day program in the Cornwall area.
Program Benefitting from H.O.P.E. Funding
Will go towards Silver Spring Studio; it is a creative space for ALL. People with different levels of ability are welcome at our studio. Experienced staff are ready to assist in various creative activities including visual arts, crafting, farming, and cooking. We provide a variety of classes for adults with developmental disabilities who are 18 and older. Our Mission: we aim to help people with developmental disabilities spend quality time by engaging them in various stimulating activities guided by experience staff. The program is a comfortable environment for members to create and grow.
