Family & Children's Services of the Waterloo Region Foundation

In Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek (also known as Grassy Narrows First Nation), 90% of the residents suffer from mercury poisoning as a result of mercury being dumped in the English-Wabigoon river system between 1962-1970 by Dryden Chemicals. The government made them stop putting it in the water that year but air emissions continued until 1975. Fishing in the river was banned in 1970 because mercury levels in fish were 10-50x higher than fish in nearby waterways. That ...destroyed not only a source of income for residents but a food source and a cultural connection to the land and water. In 2017, nearly 50 years later, the Ontario Government committed to funding a remediation plan for the river system as well as mercury treatment centres. As of today, these promises have yet to be honoured. Watch this video to hear from the residents themselves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E06pWtCHIg Now that you know a little about the situation for Indigenous communities in Canada and clean water, are you ready to take action? Join the online rally for Grassy Narrows on Saturday March 27th. https://freegrassy.net/compensation-for-all-virtual-campa/ Learn more at http://thirstyforjustice.ca/ #WorldWaterDay2021

Did you see this image from March 1, 2021? 39, yes 39, First Nations communities in Canada are on long-term boil water advisories, two of which have lasted for more than 20 years. And as this article explains, the deadline to have this issue resolved in all communities by 2021 will pass...incomplete. The pandemic has once again reinforced just how significant this crisis is. But what are we doing? https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-ottawa-pressed-t/

Around the world, water is at the heart of many conflicts about resource extraction and land use/ownership. To understand why, we need to recognize not just the right to water, but the cultural importance of water. From the Assembly of First Nations/Assemblee des premieres Nations: "Water is the most life sustaining gift on Mother Earth and is the interconnection among all living beings. Water sustains us, flows between us, within us, and replenishes us. Water is the blood of Mother Earth and, as such, cleanses not only herself, but all living things. Water comes in many forms and all are needed for the health of Mother Earth and for our health." https://www.afn.ca/honoring-water/ #WorldWaterDay2021

Today is #WorldWaterDay2021 and throughout the day we are going to share some info about water in Canada, more specifically, water and Indigenous people. But first, what is today all about? Check out this link to learn more https://www.worldwaterday.org/

#March21 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination! We want to share in this video how we are addressing racism and racial discri...mination to foster diversity and inclusion in our workplace! We stand for #RacialEquityWR #FightRacism Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership See more

Funding Announcement: Over $2 million in new funding announced for The Resilience Project thanks to the Hallman Foundation’s General Operating Support pilot and Fairmount Foundation. https://www.facswaterloo.org///RP-Funding-Announcement.pdf

Looking for a holiday gift that will make a real difference in someone's life? Check out our Gifts of Hope collections for ideas on how you can show a stranger that you care about them. https://facs-foundation.myshopify.com/collections #MakeSomethingGoodHappen

WOW Thanks to everyone who donated items for our 12 Days Of Hope auction, and to everyone who placed bids. Along with auction sponsor Majorel, you all helped to #MakeSomethingGoodHappen.

Aaand we're done! A massive THANK YOU to everyone who donated items for our 12 Days Of Hope auction, and to everyone who placed bids. Along with auction sponsor Majorel, you all helped to #MakeSomethingGoodHappen.

We are honoured to have been selected by the employees of Heroux Devtek Kitchener (Kitchener and Cambridge) as their charity of choice for donations this past December during #TOH2020. Staff at the two locations donated $10,250 to support children, youth, and families through programs and services that prevent child abuse and neglect. Thank you for your generosity and kindness and we look forward to meeting you all as soon as it is possible so we can say thank you in person! Shout out to Steve Milijasevic for the great photo! #StrongerTogetherWR #community #fundraising

Heri za Kwanzaa! #DYK On each of the seven nights of Kwanzaa, one of the candles on the Kinara (candleholder) is lit. Kwanzaa has seven basic symbols which represent values and concepts reflective of African culture. An African feast, called a Karamu, is held on December 31. Learn more about Kwanzaa at www.history.com/topics/holidays/kwanzaa-history.

Not long left! Our 12 Days of Hope Online Auction ends at 6pm, so get those final bids in! #MakeSomethingGoodHappen https://32auctions.com/12DaysOfHope

Your gift of $200 provides one youth with gift cards to purchase whatever they may need - groceries, clothing, etc. Even better, your gift tells them that someone they have never met cares about them. That's a gift that lasts all year. https://facs-foundation.myshopify.com//holiday-support-for

In Canada, less than 50% of youth in care graduate from high school. For those who do attend college or university, less than 3% earn a post-secondary degree by 25. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we are changing those stats. https://facs-foundation.myshopify.com//scholarships-educat

At-risk youth living independently are extremely vulnerable to the effects of self-isolation and widespread closures that are in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. You can help them get through this. https://facs-foundation.myshopify.com//emergency-support-f

Generous donors make it possible for children to have the life-changing experience of summer camp. In 2019, more than 240 children made new friends, played outside, and learned new songs and games at more than 40 camps across Waterloo Region. https://facs-foundation.myshopify.com//products/summer-camp

For many children in our community, access to sports and recreation is limited due to financial barriers. Our Better Futures fund supports kids who are just starting out, as well as those who need support to get to the next level. https://facs-foundation.myshopify.com//copy-of-copy-of-art

#DressPurpleDay2020 is coming October 27th and we are going purple in a big way! Karen Spencer, Executive Director, and Jill Stoddart, Director of Research, Development and Outcomes are going to dye their hair purple for this important day! The catch? We have to raise $5000 to do it. Think you can help? Follow the link below and help us Go Purple to help families in Waterloo Region. Karen and Jill gave their new look a test run wearing purple wigs at today's staff meeting! https://www.canadahelps.org//c/facs-waterloo/p2p/GoPurple/

For kids facing hardship and adversity, some of the normal "kid things" just aren't possible - like going on an end of year school trip or hosting a birthday party or getting the perfect outfit for prom. That's where Smilemaker comes in! https://facs-foundation.myshopify.com//products/smile-maker

"Sunday October 4 is a day to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people, support grieving families, and create opportunities for healing. The violence experienced by Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people in Canada is a national tragedy. United, we will demand action on an issue that impacts us all!" Light a candle in your window and join the Sisters in Spirit Virtual Vigil on Facebook. Details are in the link below. https://www.nwac.ca/event/sisters-in-spirit-virtual-vigil/

We have seen lots of creativity in charitable giving over the last several months. For groups that have traditionally held events, pandemic restrictions have meant that some fundraisers have been cancelled. Jill Zappatelli of H2R Business Solutions found another way: HR Hot Topics has been an annual event hosted in partnership by Grand River Personnel, H2R Business Solutions Inc.and Gowling WLG Canada for the past 6 years. We typically have a full house with over 300 local... business owners, HR professionals and other leaders in attendance. This year we’re going virtual, which means that we do not have the typical expense for food, venue etc. so we - H2R Business Solutions, Grand River Personnel and Gowling WLG - decided that we wanted to take those funds and give back to our community and to an organization in need. Family & Children's Services of the Waterloo Region Foundation was an obvious choice for us. On behalf of our HR Hot Topics attendees, we have made a donation of $1500. We encourage each of you to consider making a donation too. We are #StrongerTogether! If your business would like to fundraise or make a donation, please contact [email protected] or visit www.facsfoundation.org for more info! See more

Wednesday September 30th is #OrangeShirtDay, a day to reflect on residential schools and the long lasting impact they had on the children who were forced to attend, as well as their communities and their families. Did you know that the last residential school in Canada closed in 1996? This is not something that happened in the long distant past. This IS something that effects the present and the future, not just for Indigenous people but for all of us. To learn more about the day and the residential school system, visit www.orangeshirtday.org

The Foundation is honoured to recognize the important role Kin families play in the lives of the children and youth they care for! There are currently more than 90 Kin families caring for 180 children in Waterloo Region. Thanks to generous gifts from the community, the Kin team were able to provide 135 Activity Kits this past summer to Kin families. These kits offered families some fun during a challenging summer of pandemic restrictions. The kits included indoor activities, outdoor fun, jam-making kits, and baking kits enabling families to have fun, make memories, and foster connection.

Want to make a difference serving Indigenous, Black, African, Caribbean, and Racialized children, youth, & families in our community? Know someone who might be interested? Please share! Apply by September 21st.

Here’s some guidance on face coverings shared by OACAS as children return to school http://www.oacas.org//communications-and-p/face-coverings/

It’s a sign! Interested in learning more about #fostering children & youth? Check out @fosteradoptfacs As OACAS states Foster care provides children/youth with a safe family setting during a time of crisis. Most often, children return to their families once their caregivers address the issues putting their safety and well-being at risk. Call 519-576-0540 or visit www.facswaterloo.org to learn more.

We would like to thank @ONTrillium for a recent grant to support Indigenous youth in maintaining connections to their culture and community. This grant will be used to foster the especially important relationship between youth and Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers by connecting them with their heritage through land-based knowledge and helping them become bundle carriers themselves. Through carrying sacred bundles, Indigenous youth will have access to traditional items, which is their inherent right. Bundles offer reminders of ancestral ties, which can provide pride and strength for Indigenous youth who have been separated from their communities. We are grateful for the support of OTF for this important program which reconnects youth with their culture and supports the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.