Events and Donations

events & donations

FUNDRAISING EVENTS CAMPAIGNS

Our fundraising revenue is generated through three major annual fundraisers: a celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), the HOPE Project event and Heidi’s Walk. Since the onset of the pandemic, all three of these events have been held virtually to accommodate COVID-19 safety protocols. The IWD event has historically been held as a luncheon, but it was adapted (2021) to an online fundraising initiative called the Phenomenal Women Campaign. This event invited community members to publically show their appreciation for inspiring women through the purchase of lawn signs and greeting cards that were distributed around Dufferin and Caledon in recognition of IWD (March 8th). This campaign was held again (2022), with the addition of custom Phenomenal Woman keychains and totes. Over 100 lawn signs were purchased and over 500 women received a Phenomenal Woman greeting card or gift item. Heidi’s Walk encouraged the community to get out and walk 5k in honour of Heidi Lee Ferguson (nee Bogner) who tragically lost her life to a domestic dispute with her estranged husband on September 12, 2009. This event was formerly run as a third-party event by Gus and Penny Bogner as the Ferguson Memorial Walk, but the reins were passed along to FTP and the name was subsequently changed. The HOPE Project event has historically been run as a fall luncheon (typically in September), but we moved the 2021 event to November 25th to coincide with the International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The format was a virtual gala, providing guests with the opportunity to watch a video developed in partnership with Theatre Orangeville, which featured a glimpse inside the work of FTP.

MONTHLY DONORS

Monthly donations provide us with a consistent and reliable source of income. We are continually working on ways to grow our monthly donor program. Over the last year, we were able to count on over $28,000 in monthly donations. AWARENESS EVENTS

International Overdose Awareness Day Each year, the Dufferin-Caledon Drug Strategy Committee hosts an event to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31st). As a member of this committee, FTP staff took part in launching an anti-stigma campaign, which includes a video featuring six community members who have been affected by addiction and the stigma attached to drug use; posters and rack cards developed to honour those who have been lost to addiction; and a new webpage on the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative website. This campaign was launched on August 31st through funding from the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative and adapted from the Stop Overdose BC campaign, which features the tagline: People who use drugs are real people. Stop the shame. Stop the blame. Stop the stigma. Wrapped in Courage Campaign In partnership with members of the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH), FTP participated in this year’s Wrapped in Courage event, which is held annually in recognition of Woman Abuse Prevention Month. This year, participating agencies were asked to raise a flag developed in recognition of this initiative in their municipalities. The Town of Orangeville raised the flag at Orangeville Town Hall on November 25th and a proclamation recognizing the International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women was read by the mayor. National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Each year, FTP hosts a ceremony in recognition of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6th). The ceremony has historically been held outside, and unlike the 2020 virtual ceremony, we were able to host it outside once again, with COVID-19 protocols in place. We invited guests to join together in a conversation circle, and welcomed the sharing of perspectives, reflections and experiences.

THIRD-PARTY FUNDRAISING The generosity of our community and their efforts to raise funds on our behalf through third-party events makes up a large portion of our annual revenue. In the last year, third-party events contributed over $21,000 in support of our programs and services. DONATIONS

Despite the challenges of the last two years, the kindness of our community never wavered. Folks reached out to us throughout—even during the difficult lockdown periods—to make sure that we had everything we needed for our clients This continued generosity has touched all of our hearts. Here are photos of just a few of the wonderful donations that we received in 2021-2022. We absolutely love our community!