Kitchener – On Saturday January 19, 2008 KPMG and the Centre In The Square will present the First Annual Celebrity Roast in support of the Centre’s Community Ticket Program. At this inaugural event the Mayor of Kitchener, Carl Zehr will be figuratively put on the spit and roasted in support of this important program.

This innovative program provides access to the best shows at the Centre In The Square for families and individuals that simply can not afford to attend performances and it may be the first chance for some members of our community to experience live theatre. Tickets for this program are distributed through local social service agencies. Jamie Grant, General Manager of the Centre said “We believe that our Community Ticket Program is the first initiative of its kind in Canada and that this program will become a significant force in enhancing the quality of life for people who could not otherwise afford to attend first-rate live theatre.” Mayor Zehr believes that the experience of live theatre is an integral component of a balanced life for all citizens and that is the chief reason he has agreed to be the target of this fundraising initiative.

This fun-filled event will take place on stage at the Centre In the Square and guests will be treated to a fabulous catered meal, wonderful silent and live auction items and all the hilarity that they can handle as the secret life and untold, fabricated failings of our roastee will be exploited for cheap, unfair laughs.

Join KPMG, the Centre In The Square and Mayor Zehr on Saturday January 19, 2008 as funds are raised to build a stronger community - one family at a time. Tickets can be ordered by calling 519-578-5660 extension 239.

New donor assurance program announced

TORONTO - Leading Canadian charities have come together to announce a new initiative designed to maintain public trust in their fundraising work.

At an event at the University of Toronto's Hart House, close to 200 charity leaders gathered for a panel discussion called "The Charitable Sector and the Media: Accountability and Reporting." The event was co-hosted by the Canadian Journalism Foundation and Imagine Canada in response to negative media stories that threaten to erode public confidence in the charitable sector. "While public confidence in charities remains high - in fact, a recent study tells us that 79% of Canadians trust charities -- we recognize the need to be proactive in our efforts to keep relations strong with donors," says Don McCreesh, Chair of Imagine Canada, the umbrella organization that represents and supports many of the country's leading charities. "While there is an important role for regulators such as the Canada Revenue Agency, we believe that charities can do a great deal to self-regulate their activities by adopting standards of good practice. We need a balance between sound third party regulation and charities showcasing that they take these issues seriously themselves. Well-informed media are also key players in influencing the public about these issues."

Moderated by Toronto Life editor John Macfarlane, with United Way of Toronto CEO Frances Lankin, Imagine Canada Chair Don McCreesh, Toronto Community Foundation Chair Martin Connell and Toronto Star journalist Kevin Donovan, the panel presentation and ensuing discussion provided a forum for the release of Imagine Canada's newly revised Ethical Code. The Ethical Code is a donor assurance program that establishes standards for responsible fundraising practices and reporting to donors.

Several event attendees have signed on as flagship members of the new Ethical Code. Among them is Scott Haldane, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Toronto. "Our board of directors has committed to the principles of this new Code and we are building on existing internal mechanisms to ensure we operate in an open, transparent and responsive way to our donors."

The Ethical Code program, set to launch formally in January 2008 with a national recruitment campaign and a compliance process, complements the existing Code of Ethical Principles and Standards of Ethical Practice, operated by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the professional association for individual fundraisers. Together, these two initiatives ensure that both the individuals driving the profession and the organizations behind them are working together to ensure the interests of the donor are top of mind. <<

Ethical Code Flagship Members

The following charities have committed to the principles of the Code and to working with Imagine Canada on further developing the Ethical Code Program:

- Canadian Cancer Society - Ontario Division
- Habitat for Humanity Canada
- Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario
- Plan Canada
- Salvation Army, Canada and Bermuda Territorial Headquarters
- St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation - Hamilton
- The University of Western Ontario
- United Way of Greater Toronto
- World Vision Canada
- YMCA of Greater Toronto
- YWCA Canada

Collectively, these charities represent almost one billion dollars in annual fundraising revenue.

Guelph, ON - What do you get when you take 2,000 breast cancer survivors, 90 teams and a bunch of 45-foot-long boats?

It's the "Abreast in Australia" world dragon boat invitational for breast cancer survivors, and 14 crew members from the University of Guelph-sponsored Breaststrokes team will be competing.

The team members flew to the land down under last week along with coach Pat Richards, co-ordinator of lifestyle and fitness programs in the Department of Athletics, to prepare for the two-day competition that begins Sept. 28.

"I am sure we will do well," said Richards, who began coaching the Breaststrokes at the start of their second season nine years ago. "Our paddlers make up a great team. They are a little older than other teams, but they have lots of heart and courage and they just keep getting better and better."

Team members range in age from 30 to 83, and a majority are part of the University community.

"We have young mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers," said Beverlie Nelson, who joined the Breaststrokes in 2002, just six weeks after she finished her treatment for breast cancer.

The team was launched about a decade ago by two Guelph graduates, Margaret Brewer and Valerie Powell. Brewer and Powell had paddled with a breast cancer survivors' team in Hamilton and brought the idea to Guelph.

Today Breaststrokes has 25 members. The paddlers who will be taking part in the world invitational being held in Caloundra, just north of Brisbane, include Pat Matz, assistant to the director, of Environmental Health and Safety; Mary Visser Kerr, office secretary at the U of G Child Care and Learning Centre; Myrna Dyson, a 77-year-old student at the University, Guelph graduate Connie Jasinska and Nelson.

The Breaststrokes weren't able to send a full team of 22 to the championships, said Richards, so they will be joined in the boat by members of the Tasmanian team, Nipples on Ripples.

"The names of some of the Australian teams are a bit over the top," said Nelson with a laugh. "We're still trying to come up with a name that will combine both of our team names."

Dragon boat races are a great way to build camaraderie, find support and raise awareness about breast cancer, she said. The exercise of paddling also helps breast cancer survivors combat the swelling and constricted movement often caused by the loss of lymph nodes following treatment.

Being a member of the Breaststrokes takes some commitment, said Richards. During the winter, the team does weight training with her at the Athletics Centre and participates in weekly aquafit and paddling classes in the centre's gold pool. As soon as the ice melts on Guelph Lake, they're out on the water, practising twice a week.

Richards has seen steady improvement in the team over the years. They can cover the standard 500-metre course in 31/2 to four minutes and recently won their division at a competition in Stratford.

But the trip to the world championships is not so much about the competition as it is about "celebrating life," said Nelson.

"We're all winners because we are all survivors of this disease. It's good for people to know that there is life after breast cancer and that it's not a death sentence."

Project Serve was initiated in 1997 to introduce students to community involvement and volunteerism. Today it has become an excellent way for new students to learn what needs exist in the Guelph community and is often a springboard for ongoing volunteer work within the city.

Project Serve received national recognition with the 2001 Program of the Year Award from the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services.

Working with teams of five to 15, Project Serve participants will spend a half day doing various jobs from environmental cleanup to sorting food at non-profit agencies that address social, environmental, health and animal welfare issues.

Participating agencies include the Guelph Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and Women in Crisis. Each volunteer group is headed by a team leader who is a senior student, faculty member or staff member.

The day begins at 8 a.m. with breakfast in Rozanski 104. Students will then leave by bus to their volunteer placements and return to campus at 1 p.m. to have lunch and talk about their experience.

ASCC was founded three years ago by Morgan, his mother, brother and sister. They were looking for a way to honour the memory of his older brother who passed away from Spinabifida. The family realized this young man’s passion for physical activity and also discovered there were many other children in the community with this passion who also faced similar challenges. ASCC began with a teen group for the youth to have a place to go and meet with friends. ASCC now provides support for kids between the ages of two and 17 with mental or physical disabilities. ASCC volunteers help children become more active and teach them community and life skills. Two years ago ASCC opened a respite home, "Maitland House", named after Morgan's older brother. This house includes an after-school/weekend program and provides 24hr support on a temporary basis in a group home environment. .

Morgan Elliot’s work with ASCC includes building its mission and vision and developing its strategic plan. As a Board member and Treasurer, he provides financial advice by way of designing and maintaining the accounting ledgers, preparing financial statements and government required fillings, compiling and monitoring budgets and forecasts, and maintaining the management of the treasury. Morgan is also active in organizing and managing fundraising activities.

“Morgan’s personal drive and dedication has enabled ASCC to achieve excellence in all that we do,” says Mary Feather, Executive Director of ASCC and Maitland House. “Morgan’s commitment to the transparency and leadership of ASCC in the community has been a leading factor to the success of our organization.”

The National Volunteer of the Year Award is one of several initiatives of the PwC Canada Foundation. It represents the culmination of PwC’s Volunteer Recognition Program which celebrates the volunteer efforts of hundreds of PwC staff across the country.

Nationally, PwC’s staff and partners nominated over 130 of their colleagues for a Volunteer Recognition Award. The nominees contributed more than 16,000 hours to their organizations in the past year. Each office then selected a Volunteer of the Year and these 20 people formed the candidate group from which yesterday’s National Volunteer of the Year was chosen.

Morgan was named National Volunteer of the Year by a selection committee comprised of PwC staff and respected representatives of the charitable sector in Canada. The selection committee considered the following criteria when determining the recipient: quality of contribution; demonstration of PwC values of teamwork, leadership and excellence; and benefits to the organization and community.

Our PwC Volunteers of the Year contribute to their communities in a range of meaningful ways. The 2007 Award recipients and the non-profit organizations they work with are:

· Adam Hanson, The Movement Centre of Manitoba Inc, (PwC Winnipeg office)
· Aldis Makovskis, Rotary Club of Kitchener, (PwC Toronto office)
· Angela McMurren, Habitat For Humanity Windsor/Essex, (PwC Windsor, office)
· Ben Hurd, Vancouver Hospice Society, (PwC Vancouver office)
· Brandon Hui, Junior Achievement of Central Ontario, (PwC Toronto office)
· Diane Ishiguro, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, (PwC Toronto office)
· Doug Boyce, Ecumenical Support Committee for Refugees (PwC Hamilton office)
· Gary Phelps, Brain Injury Association of London and Region, (PwC London office)
· Gloria Kim, The Toronto Humane Society, (PwC Toronto office)
· Heather Black, Girl Guides of Canada, (PwC Truro office)
· Hugues Jacques, KABIR-KOUBA, (PwC Quebec City office)
· Joanne Heffernan, Ottawa Carleton Catholic School Board, Immaculata High School, (PwC Ottawa office)
· Kerrie Hryniuk, Rushnychok Ukrainian Folk Dance Association Inc., (PwC Saskatoon office)
· Lorraine Jobin, Association des bénévoles du CSSS de Laval (Hôpital Cité de la Santé), (PwC Montreal office)
· Seena Koshy, St. Matthew’s Mar Thoma Church, (PwC Mississauga office)
· Susan Simpson, Calgary Humane Society, (PwC Calgary office)
· Susanne Snow, St. John's Minor Hockey Association, (PwC St. John’s office)
· Valerie Kropf, Tavistock Missionary Church, (PwC Kitchener-Waterloo office)

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - Since the start of Asia's monsoon and typhoon season in June, heavy rains, flash floods, storms and landslides have caused widespread devastation in many countries. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan have all been hit by major floods, displacing more than 235 million people.

"The hardest hit communities urgently need to receive food, clean water, and access to sanitation facilities," says Charlie Musoka, emergencies response program manager at Canadian Red Cross. "But we also need to look beyond this emergency phase, to helping people return to a normal way of life and preparing for future disasters."

Across South and East Asia, volunteers and staff from the Red Cross and Red Crescent have been responding to the widespread disaster by helping rescue people, distributing relief supplies and providing essential services such as health care and clean water.

At the beginning of July, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies issued appeals to support flood-affected people in Bangladesh and Pakistan. In response, the Canadian International Development Agency donated $500,000 to Canadian Red Cross.

It is now only the mid-point of the monsoon season in South Asia and the conditions are deteriorating as more countries become impacted. There are also fears that a lack of clean drinking water will result in an outbreak of water borne illnesses, including diarrhoea, skin infections and malaria.

Canadians are urged to help ease the suffering of this humanitarian crisis. Those wishing to support relief and recovery activities are encouraged to contribute by donating online, calling 1-800-418-1111 or contacting their local Canadian Red Cross office. Cheques should be made payable to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked "Asia Floods" and mailed to Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2.

Canadian Red Cross is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which includes the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and 185 national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Our mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and around the world.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Business Objects, the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, announced that its philanthropic arm, the Business Objects Share the Light Foundation, has completed the mid-year grant cycle, supporting 30 different community programs in four countries. Non-profit organizations in Canada, France, United States, and the United Kingdom have received financial grants from the Foundation, to benefit vulnerable children and youth.

The grant program at Business Objects is entirely employee-driven and aims to fund educational and technology programs for young people. The employees identify the community programs, volunteer their time to review funding applications, conduct site visits, and present grant recommendations to the board of the Business Objects Share the Light Foundation. Once the grants are funded, Business Objects' involvement does not stop there. The company forges a deeper relationship with many of the organizations, also donating employee time and technology.

"Community investment is an integral part of our culture," said Bernard Liautaud, founder, chairman, and chief strategy officer at Business Objects. "The Foundation's grant process is unique as it is driven by our passionate employees. This accomplishes two goals: we help vulnerable children and youth gain access to education, and we increase our employee engagement in the community. Each year I am impressed and moved by the community programs that our employees identify and to which they commit personal time and expertise."

YWCA Emma's Childcare

One of the many 2007 grant recipients, Emma's, located in Vancouver, is a YWCA-run, licensed centre that provides child care for infants and toddlers of teenage mothers who are continuing their education through the Tupper Young Parent Services. Emma's is also open to teen moms in other educational programs and to other parents in the community. More than two-thirds of these families live below the poverty line. Business Objects funding will help build literacy skills in 24 children at Emma's and their teenage mothers.

"Business Objects has a direct impact on us, on our program, and most importantly, on the children," said Joy Chakraborty, senior supervisor of YWCA Emma's Childcare. "The Business Objects volunteers help clean and look after the garden, which frees up more time for us to spend with the children. And the grant money allows us to buy educational toys, books and CDs for the kids, both for use at the centre and for their young moms to use at home. Our overall experience with the company and its people is just fantastic."

KITCHENER – Five organizations in Kitchener are embarking on new projects with the help of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), Kitchener Centre MPP John Milloy and OTF Grant Review Team Chair Don Bourgeois announced today at Lutherwood, one of the grant recipients. In total, local organizations based in Kitchener Centre will receive $429,800. OTF Board Member Harmail Basi was also on hand to congratulate the groups.

“I’m extremely pleased to see these organizations receive OTF grants,” said MPP Milloy. “These organizations, their staff and volunteers perform invaluable work, which serves to strengthen our community.”

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is proud to have awarded the following five grants:

Growing up on the Grand c/o Kitchener Waterloo Rowing Club
$149,000 over five years for a shared professional rowing coach to develop and implement a youth rowing program. This will increase membership, enhance volunteer participation and engage school-age children and youth in Waterloo Region in the sport.

Homelessness and Housing Umbrella Group c/o Lutherwood
$131,600 over three years to research, design, test and implement local and affordable training opportunities. The capacity of staff and organizations in Waterloo Region to work with issues of homelessness and housing stability will be enhanced.

Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra
$22,000 over one year for a part-time promotions manager to raise community awareness of the chamber orchestra in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. The volunteer and audience base will be expanded and corporate support enhanced.

Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support
$117,000 over three years to strengthen staff’s capacity to create and implement a community-outreach and public-education program. A broader range of community volunteers will be encouraged to support refugee claimants in Waterloo Region.

Navy League of Canada, Kitchener-Waterloo Branch c/o Navy League of Canada (Ontario Division)
$10,200 for the purchase of musical instruments, which will enable this small, volunteer-run sea cadet’s band to offer learning experiences to youth in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For 25 years, it has supported the growth and vitality of communities across the province. OTF continues to strengthen the capacity of the volunteer sector through investments in community-based initiatives. For more information, please visit www.trilliumfoundation.org.

Waterloo – Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) has hired a new communications professional to increase its profile during its current period of unprecedented growth and innovation.

Linda Whitmore has been appointed communications & media relations manager to expand MEDA’s image and exposure in the North American public at large. She will develop media contacts in print, radio and TV; prepare news releases; monitor MEDA’s activities for press opportunities; and provide support to MEDA staff on preparing press kits and incorporating media links in their work.

She has 18 years of experience in corporate communication, most recently with St. Joseph’s Health Care in London, Ont., where she worked in strategic communication, media relations, issues management, and publication development and management. Besides having worked as a radio reporter her background includes writing, editing, event planning and brand development/management.

Whitmore has a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology and a master of arts degree in journalism from the University of Western Ontario in London. She has won numerous community service and communications awards.

“We are delighted to have someone of Linda’s calibre and commitment join our communications team,” said Ed Epp, vice-president of resource development. “While MEDA is well‑known in many Canadian and American Mennonite communities, especially among Mennonite business people, her first priority will be to reach a wider audience and enhance MEDA’s influence in North America on key issues.”

MEDA, founded in 1953, has a dual thrust of promoting business-oriented solutions to poverty and encouraging a Christian witness in business. It is a global leader in microfinance, village-level agriculture and investment fund development, improving livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of impoverished people every year. Whitmore will be based in MEDA’s Waterloo office and will work closely with its member services and community economic development office in Lancaster, Pa., and its publications office in Winnipeg.