Making a difference in our community

FirstOntario is proud and privileged to be able to assist and touch the lives of so many in our communities.

• Through team sponsorships, we've encouraged thousands of youngsters to enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle while learning the values found through team sports and sportsmanship. We encourage our Members to apply for sponsorship for their child's house league team by completing a Sponsorship Application and returning it to your Branch Manager.
• FirstOntario supports charities throughout our geographical regions and assists Members in their fundraising activities for charitable causes. Members are encouraged to apply for a donation and return the completed form to your Branch Manager.

 

We have and continue to assist many charities, teams and organizations. Below is a list of our most recent community activities:

 

ACT Foundation (Advanced Coronary Treatment Foundation)

In January, FirstOntario kicked off its efforts as a Lead Community Partner with the ACT Foundation. The ACT Foundation is a national, award-winning charitable organization dedicated to promoting health and empowering Canadians to save lives. ACT is driving a national campaign to establish CPR as a mandatory program in every Canadian high school. To date over 900,000 youth have been trained in CPR in more than 1,200 high schools across Canada. FirstOntario is playing a key role in helping to empower local youth with the skills and knowledge to save lives by committing to support the program in Hamilton area high schools. More than 4,400 Grade 9 students from 20 high schools will now be empowered to save lives every year. Eighty physical education teachers have been trained as CPR instructors and will train their students using the 660 mannequins that have been donated to their schools.

For more information visit: www.actfoundation.ca .

 

Child Advocacy Centre of Niagara

FirstOntario is proud to commit to a donation of $15,000 over the next 5 years to assist the Child Advocacy Centre of Niagara in purchasing and renovating a property at 8 Forster Street in St. Catharines to house the Centre. The CACN offers a multidisciplinary team of professionals who investigate allegations of physical and/or sexual child abuse. It also provides support services for child victims and their families in a comfortable home-like setting.

 

Gillian's Place

Gillian's Place, formerly known as Women's Place, is a shelter for abused women and children. They have been providing a safe refuge and non-residential programs that enable women and children to break the cycle of violence since 1977 . They provide a variety of services including: emergency shelter, counseling, outreach and legal advocacy, prevention and pro-active research.

Gillian's place recently opened their new facility in St. Catharines, which now accommodates up to 50% more women and children and provides greater privacy and accessibility. FirstOntario has committed a total $10,000 to Gillian's Place.

$5,000 will be put towards the building fund. $5,000 will be used to put together “Starter Kits” for women and children that are leaving the shelter to re-build their lives.

 

One Scarf Can Warm a Community

For the fourth year running, employees at FirstOntario branches sold specially designed Roots scarves to support community programs. Our efforts this year raised $9,000. This money will be used to support the following charities:

• St. Catharines Out of the Cold
• Welland Hope Centre
• Niagara Falls Project Share       
• Hamilton Out of the Cold
• Oakville Fareshare Food Bank        
• Tillsonburg Helping Hands Food Bank
• Simcoe Caring Cupboard         
• Thorold Community Cares Food Bank
• Cayuga Legion
• Burlington West Family Support Network Food Bank