Carter’s Professional Corporation is pleased to sponsor the
2015 Community Service Award
Headwaters Tourism
Headwaters Tourism is the recognized destination marketing organization for the Headwaters region, providing tourism services on behalf of the regional tourism industry and on behalf of our municipal partners in the County of Dufferin and the Towns of Mono, Shelburne, Caledon & Erin.
While the organization has evolved over the years, the primary goal is still the same: to work on behalf of and in conjunction with our partners and regional tourism operators to support tourism that is consistent with the region’s rural heritage, respectful of its extraordinary natural environment and that promotes its spirit of community.
Headwaters Tourism strongly advocates for regional collaboration in all their undertakings, understanding that an integrated approach allows individual businesses, groups, committees, communities and municipalities to expand their reach and leverage their impact in the marketplace.
The Food & Friends Program
Food and Friends (Dufferin-Wellington-Guelph) is a program of the Children’s Foundation that encourages all children to eat well in order to positively affect their ability to learn in a safe and welcoming environment. For some students, the meals they receive from Food and Friends programs are the only food they receive that day, making the program vital to the overall health, educational and nutritional needs of the community. The Food and Friends programs provide support to vulnerable children and youth (ages 4 – 25). The programs are universally accessible and any student can access food for whatever reason they are hungry. The programs run on the fuel of dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to feed hungry students. Without these wonderful volunteers the programs would not exist.
Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance
The Farm to School program coordinated by Jennifer has benefited 5 schools and many classes of children in learning about the value of local fresh food and creating connections with farmers who teach about how food is grown. The teachers and parents feedback on this project has been outstanding. The project has supported local food producers, helping them to develop a whole new sales channels, not just from the program but from the food club sales which lead to greater personal orders and activity at farmgate and farmers markets.This program has utilized and developed both business and municipal and Public Health partnerships, all of which are involved in supporting and volunteering for this project. Many families, individuals and organizations have contributed and benefited from Jennifer’s efforts.
Kathryn MacDonald – Orangeville Food Bank & HCIA’s HFFA
Kathryn has taken an enormous amount of personal time and devoted herself to improving the lives of those who struggle with access to nutritious food. She is an active volunteer at the Orangeville Food Bank, and has led the Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance to playing a pivotal role in addressing poverty in Dufferin. The key to addressing an issue of this complexity is success in developing partnerships. She has drawn both Public Health and the municipal leads to the table to begin formulating an action plan that will involve multiple sectors in the community.
Dr. Raj Khanuja – Headwaters Dental Center
Headwaters Dental’s voluntary project, DOING POSITIVE…, offered a day of free dentistry, which included filings, extractions and cleanings, to help out anybody in the community who for some reason has no access to a dentist. We provided free dental care to 35 patients who otherwise could not have afford to see a dentist. This was our 4th year of DOING POSITIVE… in my backyard project offering $11,700 worth of dental services. To date Headwaters Dental has contributed $45,000 of free services.
Family Transition Place
Family Transition Place has been committed to helping women and children in Dufferin and Caledon since 1985. In times of crisis, women have found their way through our doors and into safety, often with their children in hand, and here they start the arduous work of re-building their lives. In our welcoming and cheerful shelter, they meet other women who may share their experiences and they also meet some wonderful, caring women whose professional lives are dedicated to helping them overcome their challenges and build new relationships – at the centre of which are the relationships with themselves and their children.
Optimist Club of Orangeville
Since our inception in 1971, the Optimist Club of Orangeville has provided youth-related programs that have touched and enhanced the lives of thousands of people living within the Orangeville and surrounding areas.
Our Non-Profit Organization continues to be a Community leader in presenting great events such as:
Christmas in the Park, Maple Syrup Festival, Kid’s Bike Rodeo, Breakfast with Santa, Jack Rabbits Cross Country Ski Program, and Optimist International Junior Golf Championships.
Orangeville Dinner Series
Adams’ vision for the Orangeville Dinner Series came to life with the development of the original 5 Chef Team. Each Chef and their restaurant committed to preparing one course at each of the dinners giving patrons a full five course meal each hosted at a different restaurant. The proceeds from these dinners went to support the culinary students at Orangeville District Secondary School; where Adam and other Chefs in the series went to high school. Adam included current students and the culinary teacher as part of the team for each dinner in the series allowing the students to be part of the initiative to raise money, but more importantly to learn from local chefs in a passionate fast-paced atmosphere. Some of the students who worked on the original dinners have since gone to culinary school with financial support from Adam and the Orangeville Dinner Series team.
* Unfortunately, the Orangeville Dinner Series has not been in business for a minimum of 3 years and thus does not fulfill the necessary criteria for the Community Service Award.
Senior’s Santa Christmas Hampers-Dufferin County
Tracy Haworth is the creator and founder of a program started in December of 2010 called the Senior’s Santa Christmas Hamper Program. This is a non-profit organization with the goal to provide seniors that are in our local long term care facilities and retirement homes with Christmas, to show them there is a Santa, to show them they are not alone, you’re never to old to believe, and that no one is forgot especially at this time of year.
Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival
The Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival is a non-profit organization that promotes an appreciation of the art of blues and jazz by hosting an annual festival and related events. The mission is to Promote, educate and celebrate the art of the blues and jazz music. The vision of the organization is to: Organize a free community festival accessible to all, that enhances the quality of life; provide opportunities and recognition for volunteers; create opportunity and establish exposure for local emerging and established blues and jazz artists; Provide economic benefit to the local and regional stakeholder; ensure a financially self-sustaining not-for-profit organization; Be responsible to our community through proper financial accountability; and to partner with other community based organizations.
TorchLight / TeleCheck Dufferin
In 2014, over 32,000 calls were made by trained volunteers to ensure the safety of 185 seniors. We have learned that it only takes a few minutes to have a significant impact in the quality of someone’s life. Volunteers make the most significant impact as they are representatives of the person’s community. For over 10 years we have been utilizing volunteers to reach out to seniors. We started with Ontario Trillium Foundation and now are funded through the Ministry of Health (LHIN). The daily call helps seniors to manage their own social and health needs and maintain control over their life. Through daily conversation, seniors build community connection allowing them to share good news and concerns.