Community Justice Initiatives

Community Justice Initiatives of Waterloo Region (CJI) is a volunteer-based, restorative justice agency known world-wide for starting the first court-sanctioned Restorative Justice program. Our founding was as a result of a grassroots movement that sought to build community to transform harm through dialogue where all voices are heard. Restorative practice is at the heart of everything we do from conflict resolution services; support for people impacted by sexual trauma; reintegration support for women and men returning to community from prison or custody; and services supporting government assisted refugee youth. Our work focuses on bringing people together who are normally kept apart so that they build relationships that result in a stronger, more connected community. We continue to be motivated by our over 250 community volunteers who contribute to our vision to have connected, peaceful communities where all conflict is resolved in a restorative way (www.cjiwr.com)

Community Living Cambridge

Community Living Cambridge has been responding to the needs of adults with developmental disabilities within our community for 65 years. We are dedicated to serving those individuals by offering skills development, programs, events, and activities that empower individuals to realize their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Support is offered through a variety of programs designed to meet each individual's personalized needs, such as residential homes, assisted independent living, seniors programs, employment supports, education, recreation and leisure courses, and specialized day programs. Supports and services are available for approximately 500 individuals. CLC cannot respond to these needs without the help of our caring community. Funds raised through Race to Erase will go directly to developing and maintaining programs that meet the growing requirements of a changing population. For more information, please visit: www.communitylivingcambridge.ca

COPING Centre

THE C.O.P.I.N.G (Caring for Other People in Grief) STORY: 

Coping Bereavement Support Groups of Ontario was founded as a not for profit charity in 1990 by Roslyn & Glenn Crichton after the loss of their daughter Rachele 5 days after she was diagnosed with leukemia. Coping Bereavement Support Groups of Ontario provides free support for those who have lost a loved one. The charity is financed through a variety of fundraising efforts and community donations.

The Coping Centre located in Cambridge is the headquarters for the organization. The Coping Centre is a beautiful, century-old estate nestled in 6 acres of beautiful gardens and mature trees, overlooking the Grand River.

The Centre offers a peaceful place for support, understanding, compassion and encouragement in the uniqueness of each person's grief. It provides a safe place to meet others who have lost a loved one and participate in the support programs. Coping runs support groups for children 5 to 12 years old, teens, young adults, bereaved parents, adults, and for those who have suffered a loss through suicide.

Coping also hosts retreats and an Adventure Camp for children who have experienced loss. They learn about nature and develop life skills which they can parley into their life experience of losing someone they loved.

Over the past 29 years, thousands of grieving people have received help and support at Coping and it is the future commitment of Coping Bereavement Support Groups of Ontario Inc. to continue this compassionate work across Canada.

Dawn Centre/Cambridge Pregnancy Resource Centre

Since 2000, DawnCentre/Cambridge Pregnancy Resource Centre has worked at fulfilling its mission by providing excellence in compassionate care for individuals with unintended pregnancy decisions and related sexual health and wellness needs. We invite individuals in our community to pursue health and hope in the areas of physical,emotional,relational and spiritual wellness. All our services are free, non-discriminatory, and confidential. Proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to supporting our clients through our various services/programs: pregnancy testing; decision making support; community referrals; pregnancy, parenting, and/or adoption support; maternity and baby clothing; post-abortion support program; community programs for young people. For more information visit our website at www.dawncentre.ca.

Kinbridge Community Association

Kinbridge Community Association is a grassroots neighbourhood-based organization in Cambridge, Ontario that has worked with residents for over 25 years in two neighbourhoods in South Galt Cambridge: Christopher Champlain and Southwood. Last year, our programs engaged more than 26,000 individuals of all ages from pre-birth to seniors in a wide range of recreation, education, social programs and services.

Both neighbourhoods have a diverse economic and ethnic make-up, and a high population density. Many of the residents of the Christopher Champlain and Southwood neighbourhoods are challenged by the effects of poverty, isolation, or inadequate employment.

Along with its own services, Kinbridge works closely with community partners to help meet individual needs and improve community wellbeing. Working with community partners, Kinbridge ensures that services are not duplicated as needs are met.

But Kinbridge does more than deliver programs and services. We encourage residents in the neighbourhoods to both identify issues and be a part of solutions.

The demand for existing Kinbridge programs and services continues to grow. While government partners support some of the work of Kinbridge, their funding does not cover all costs. Kinbridge relies on community donations to keep program costs affordable on existing and new programs. 

Your gift will:

• Provide a safe and positive space for a child to go before and after school.
• Help a teen discover how it feels to be a positive role model through a volunteer camp counsellor position.
• Improve language skills and build social networks for a new immigrant
• Help a senior be active through a group walking program, increasing their sense of wellbeing and belonging
• Restore a family's dignity and respect with adequate access to food and housing

When you give to Kinbridge, you help your neighbours move beyond the effects of poverty, isolation or other life challenge, and build lasting resilience, confidence and hope.

Ontario Christian Gleaners

How are the people of Waterloo Region helping to feed hungry people around the world using our local harvest? This ten-year-old operation, known affectionately as "The Gleaners", produces over 6 million servings of food each year. These nutritious dried vegetable mixes and fruit snacks are given to mission organizations for distribution in developing countries. To date over 57 million servings of dried vegetable mix has been distributed in over 40 countries around the world.

The Gleaners operates on the generous financial donations of those in our community, with the time donations of our eager volunteers and using the produce donations from growers and distribution centers around our province.

Project Read Literacy Network Waterloo-Wellington

Project READ's mission is to provide any adult or family in Waterloo-Wellington with access to literacy training. We achieve this through family literacy programs, educational assessments, Literacy Service Planning and supports. We believe that Literacy and Essential Skills are necessary to function independently to reach an individual's full potential. Low literacy affects many aspects of life including health, income, employment, parenting, education, training & daily living.

"A 1% increase in literacy could boost national income by $32 billion dollars" Craig Alexander, Former Chief Economist, TD Bank

Literacy and Essential Skills include: Reading Text, Document Use, Writing, Math, Thinking Skills, Oral Communications, Working with Others, Computer Use & Continuous Learning.

Project READ has supported and coordinated Literacy and Basic Skills programming in Waterloo-Wellington region to meet the needs of our citizens for more than 25 years.

St. Andrew's Hespeler Presbyterian Church

Hope Clothing assists anyone in our community who needs some extra help clothing themselves and their family. We provide new or gently used clothing, footwear and accessories to anyone needing some help stretching their budgets. Small personal items are often in stock, too. We help out families or singles, men, women and children.If we don't have something that is needed we will do our best to find it.

Hope Clothing is run by the generous donations from the community. The monetary costs associated with running this program rely completely on donations from St. Andrew's Hespeler Presbyterian Church, their members and our community. We are truly grateful for any and all donations that we receive because that means we can help more people.

The Literacy Group of Waterloo Region

"No matter what your age is or where in your life you are, don't be afraid to start again, to move on to better things!"  Chris. A. TLG student.

The Literacy Group of Waterloo Region (TLG) supports adults with low literacy skills. Currently 1 in 4 adults in the Waterloo region is either functionally illiterate or lives with the lowest levels of literacy. Low literacy presents many challenges. Those 1 in 4 adults may not be able to read the instructions on their medications and are 2.5 times more likely to face unemployment for long periods. Low literacy links directly with poverty; nearly 50% of people with low literacy skills live in low-income households, and are more likely to receive social assistance.

TLG provides free upgrading through small groups and one-to-one tutoring. We work hard to help our learners reach their goals and to improve their lives. Our groups focus on foundational literacy, numeracy and computer skills for employment, personal independence and further training.

Money raised from Race to Erase will go directly to support TLG core programming with, for example, specialized student resources and training supplies.

YFC/Youth Unlimited

YFC/Youth Unlimited continues to focus its efforts on meeting the needs of youth, believing that each individual's life is shaped by a number of facets that influence who they are as a whole: physical, emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual. We aim to develop each of these areas through relationships so that every youth may reach their full potential. The staff and volunteers of YFC/Youth Unlimited are dedicated to seeing young people develop holistically.

Cambridge YFC/Youth Unlimited is a satellite of Southwestern Ontario Youth for Christ and was born out of a desire in our region to meet the needs of local youth. Our primary target audience is youth between the ages of 10 to 19. Since the spring of 2007, Cambridge YFC/Youth Unlimited has worked to impact the lives of young people. We have a strong desire to partner with local agencies and churches in meeting the needs of local youth. Dedicated staff and volunteers continue to offer a variety of exciting opportunities for youth including drop-in, Paint With Purpose, an auto mentorship program in Cambridge, and more. Cambridge YFC/Youth Unlimited is currently working to build an even stronger connection with local agencies and churches in our city and surrounding area to meet the needs of youth. Our long-term plans include the expansion of our work to facilitate a greater presence and impact across all of Waterloo Region.

YWCA Cambridge

For over 70 years, YWCA Cambridge has been a respected leader on issues that impact women and girls in our community and respond to their needs through innovative programs, services and advocacy which build capacity and strengthen our community. We provide: licensed child care at four sites (Ryerson, St. Margaret, St. Elizabeth, St. James), LINC preschool, Summer Day Camps, Small Steps to Success (a pre-employment program for chronically unemployed or underemployed women), Roots of Empathy (an evidence-based social emotional learning program for students in JK to Grade 8) and the Women's International Gift & Gallery (a social enterprise of YWCA Cambridge). A considerable amount of our work involves investing in cisgender and transgender girls & non-binary youth: we provide a number of programs, workshops and events through YWCA Cambridge's community space, the W, as well as in-school programs and presentations across the Region. Our programming has proven to increase participants' levels of confidence, communication skills, capacity for resiliency, critical thinking skills and feelings of connectedness and belonging. Proceeds from Race to Erase will go directly to supporting the W to keep this space free and totally accessible for all who attend. For more information on YWCA Cambridge please visit our website: www.ywcacambridge.ca.