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Creating Vital Solutions - Building Foundations across Oakville

Oakville Community Foundations Report | OCF
Oakville Community Foundations Report | OCF

This October 18, 2016 at Film.ca Cinemas on Speers Road, the Oakville Community Foundation, its community partners and sponsors presented eager spectators with their 2016 Creating Vital Solutions - Building Foundations Across Oakville report. It’s a departure from the 2015 Oakville’s Vital SignsTM report, looking at the progress made in Oakville responding to the challenges collectively identified in that document. It’s also the start of several exciting projects upon which The Foundation is preparing to embark.

“Ever since 2015, we’ve been challenging ourselves as an organization to find ways to move the community agenda forward,” says Foundation CEO Wendy Rinella, “Our continued work providing support to refugees, our commitment to Reconciliation guided by local First Nations and Aboriginal communities and taking a deeper look at the nature of poverty in Oakville are crucial steps in that journey; helping align services to populations in need across the region.”

The presentation included the first-time reveal of a $25,000 increase in funding for bus passes for newly arrived refugees, The Foundation’s recent signature to the Philanthropic Communities Declaration of Action on Truth and Reconciliation and mapping characterizing poverty in Oakville and Halton.

Displaying locations of heavier population densities of low income families in the town, youth unemployment, accessibility to affordable housing and social assistance programs, these newly released maps will play an important part of The Foundation’s upcoming work with Sheridan College. This collaborative effort with several local charities known as the Community Ideas Factory project, aims to improve research, cooperation and illustration of the needs of charitable services in Oakville.

Together with Sheridan, The Foundation is holding Creative Problem Solving (CPS) sessions at several local meetings of organizations and individuals.  These CPS sessions will challenge the assembled groups to find ways of improving support for charitable services in the fields of affordable housing, bridging the equity gap, mental health services and encouraging inclusion and diversity: the Four Pillars of the Foundation’s previous Vital Signs and Creating Vital Solutions work.

The October 18 presentation also looked at Reconciliation efforts in Oakville. Steven Paquette, an Anishnaabe elder and advocate for education on First Nations and Aboriginal culture and history in Halton touched on The Foundation’s commitment to Reconciliation.

As a signatory of the Philanthropic Community’s Declaration of Action on Truth and Reconciliation, The Foundation has pledged to support healing and reconciliation along with further engagement of First Nations and Aboriginal communities in Oakville.

The audience of nearly 100, including local civic, business and not-for-profit leaders heard from a range of speakers from local charities, First Nations and Aboriginal communities, Sheridan College and sponsors for Creating Vital Solutions. They shared their experiences providing services in Oakville, discussed current programs working conjunction with The Foundation’s Creating Vital Solutions work, their appreciation for the continued support for these vital community programs and excited at the prospect of The Foundation’s future work.

You can find this year’s 2016 Creating Vital Solutions update at The Foundation’s website here.