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Key Notes - Fall 2004The NYWC
Awarded $5,000 Grant The
NYWC was a recent recipient of a $5,000 cheque from
the Toskan Foundation. The Toskan
Foundation is committed to supporting and strengthening community-based
grassroots organizations. The Directors
of the Foundation, Julie Toskan-Casale, Victor Casale and Frank Toskan, are
founders of M.A.C. Cosmetics. The Youth
and Philanthropy initiative is an academic philanthropy program provided by the
Foundation. YPI gives students an
opportunity to award $5,000 grants to grassroots, community social services
charities for which the students research and advocate. The initiative provides high school students
with an academic philanthropy program which gives them the skills to assess
community needs and make grants to organizations meeting those needs. This
year, five students from A
total of 31 grants were awarded through participating schools in the Toronto
District School Board. A celebration of
the winners took place at the Elgin Winter Garden Theatre on May 13th. Students, dignitaries, politicians, school
board representatives and media were in attendance. A cheque presentation was made to all the
charity winners. Celia represented the
Centre and accepted the cheque. The
students have been invited to our Annual General Meeting and will speak about
their presentation. If you are attending
the AGM, please join us in thanking the students for their initiative and hard
work. Beyond the Textbook By Aniska Ali It's
a cliché really, terming something a "constant learning experience" but when I
think of my work term here, that's honestly what comes to mind. Coming from a year of textbook learning about
feminism, anti-oppression and social welfare, working for the North York
Women's Centre, has been an entirely different kind of educational experience
that has dealt with the same topics. Learning
from women whose everyday experiences are what confirm the readings my
professors bury me in throughout the school year has been a much needed
grounding experience. Hearing those
voices has hit me in a way no text ever could.
The phone lines have given me the experience to hear what these women
really want out of a women's centre and that is what I'll take away with
me. Some of those calls have kept me up
at night, researching organizations that could provide specific help; some
(most really) have given me reason to once again praise the tenacity of the
human spirit and the perseverance and strength of women, all of them though
have provided me with an unmatchable learning experience. Within
women's requests, their willingness to take control of their lives and create
change, I've found strength to question myself and search for what needs
changing within my own life. In
addition, calling other women's agencies and learning about what they do, has
renewed my belief in the importance of creating a support network of
organizations and has left me in awe of the amount of women who are dedicating
their time to providing much needed services.
Not the least of which are the women within the centre itself (staff and
volunteers). Watching the diligent and
sustained effort, both with heart and mind, of these women to making the centre
a truly helpful place for women in the community, inspires me to follow from
them. I've felt like a sponge for the summer, soaking up
everything I possibly can. Taking in that information has reformed my
hopes for the future, both professionally and personally, and this experience
has been so much more than a summer job for me. Volunteer Appreciation
Picnic The
NYWC held its first volunteer appreciation picnic on Saturday, June 12th. It was a great day for a picnic, with a
turnout better than we expected.
Volunteers, their partners, children and friends came -- approximately
60 people in all. It
was a wonderful opportunity for volunteers to meet those they don't usually
cross paths with - and for current volunteers to get to know some of those who
have been away for a while. We
would like to apologize to Mary-Ellen and anyone else who walked aimlessly
around Yes,
we said next year. The picnic was such a
success that we plan to make it an annual event. Make sure we have your up-to-date contact
information so that we can invite you.
Great Deals for a Great Cause! NYWC's Annual
Silent Auction Held during
our 15th Anniversary Celebration and Annual General Meeting Support our Centre and find some
excellent items! Featuring Donations from: The Hot House Café Soulpepper
Theatre The Keg Venus Mastermind Toys The Tarragon Theatre Annick
Press Buddies in Bad Times Theatre William Ashley Mysteriously Yours . Dinner
Theatre And much more!! September 21st, CONGRATULATIONS NYWC The North York
Women's Centre has such a rich history that it is hard to believe that we are
only fifteen years old. So much has
happened in those fifteen years; so many women have passed through
our doors. Women who
helped and women who needed help.
We do have much to celebrate. It was
difficult getting started. A group of
women with a common goal: to help other women.
But, how and where to implement the goal. We never seemed to falter on ideas, it was the
implementing that sometimes was difficult. Thanks to The
Anglican Church of St. Philip we had a home.
There were some women who were always willing to help, and they did,
often. There were some women who could only afford to help once in a
while, and they did. All gave to the
best of their ability and time. We
needed everyone and appreciated every hour was contributed. There were many
satisfying times. Such
as, when we first "opened" our doors; the first woman who came to us
for help. How terrifying for some
of those women who struggled with the language as well as
their problems. We never turned anyone
away. The first year we held our annual
general meeting at the North York And we shall go
on "Opening Doors for Women" as long as there is a need. Luella Lumley Past President Community News We welcome the following new
volunteers: Ewa
Szumowska (office & legal clinic), Mulu Haddis (legal clinic), Shara Vermezyari (office),
Lucinda Velasquez (office), and Rathi Jay (office). Our September placement students
will be Sherry Turcotte, a student from George Brown
who has been also volunteering in our office for the past year and Stella Mah, a Ryerson student. Janet Gigliotti,
the parish secretary of St. Philip's Church, is leaving her job and will be
performing with Mamma Mia. We wish her
all the best and thank her for the support she has given us. If you haven't seen Mamma Mia yet or want to
see it again, make sure you go and see Janet. A big thanks to our summer students, Aniska Ali and
Kim Trenchard, for all their hard work this summer. Thanking our Supporters
We
would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their
recent donations to the North York Women's Centre. $5000 & over Toskan Foundation $2500 and over Women's Inter-Church
Council of Canada $250 and over Kimberly-Clark Inc. $100 and over Bell
Express-Vu employees Sheryl
Brodey Concert
Properties Ltd. Susan
Flynn Sue
Griggs Luella
Lumley Francine
Morissette Andrea
Sarkozi To $99 Amy Block Catharine Dziak Karen Edson Nancy Foster Angela Haberhauer Helen Hansen Beverley Kent Marsha Li Beverley Ohaski Araba Obeng-Arhin Berte Rubin Gloria Shaw Proscovia Ssonko Thanks to all those who
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