Giving Stories

The HopeSpring Story

HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre  is the sole Cancer Support Centre in Waterloo Region. It was founded in 1995 by a local group led by a Manulife business executive with a rare cancer. The organization seeks to empower people living with cancer by providing psychosocial/emotional (mind, body, and spirit) care. They offer approximately 40 monthly programs on topics such as stress management, sleep, exercise for symptom management, and nutrition. In addition they also offer free wigs and post mastectomy camisoles [...]

Hopespring Cancer Support Centre Donor and Volunteer: Loraine Berge

Loraine is a quilter. She learned from her grandmother as a child with baby blankets and continued throughout her life. When she retired a few years ago, she began making quilts to support agencies and causes that have touched her heart. Her quilts provide comfort and warmth to many, as over the past ten years she has donated over 2200 quilts. Each one takes many hours of labour and yards of fabric. This massive investment of time and materials [...]

KidSport KW addresses the significant financial barriers faced by low income families in our community and their desire to have their children participate in healthy, life-changing activities like sport and dance. Sport and physical activity contribute to a child's mental and physical growth. Children's participation helps them perform better in school, develop positive social skills and build stronger, healthier bodies. They build self-esteem and leadership skills, creating a solid foundation for their future endeavours. They develop friendships and support [...]

Bradley’s Story

Making a difference in the community begins with a thought, and that thought becomes something that can make a BIG impact. Such was the story of Bradley’s dedication to the community. From the very beginning, Bradley wanted to actively serve and devote his time and energy to others. Bradley was raised in Toronto, Ontario, and he eventually moved to Kitchener in the year 2008, where he worked as a firefighter for over a decade. However, Bradley wasn’t the only member in [...]

The Reep House Story

Helping our community to live sustainably is the purpose of the Reep House for Sustainable Living. The house is full of technology, from a water heater that captures thermal energy from the air, to an intelligent thermostat that predicts when the home will have occupants, to a rain gallery below the driveway that prevents stormwater from entering the municipal water system bringing pollutants. The house is also very beautiful, with lofty ceilings, sunlight streaming in, blooming gardens, and over [...]

Pam’s Story

  In the spring of 1995, Pam was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  After ten relatively stable years, Pam had five years of slow but steady decline.  Her heart failure slowly progressed and her ability to do daily tasks decreased.  Eventually, Pam lost the ability to walk even a single flight of stairs and one of the greatest losses for her was no longer being able to walk her two dogs. In 2010 Pam’s heart failure became critical and it was [...]

Volunteer Impact Awards

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