Raising funds and community awareness to support FACS Niagara in its mission to protect, support and strengthen the lives of children, youth and families.
After more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the kids and families that FACS Niagara supports need something to look forward to and to smile about this summer!
As summer quickly approaches and with health precautions easing, we need your help to send at least 340 children and youth to week-long, YMCA day camps in the Niagara Peninsula. And, we hope to help provide 200 “Summer Smiles at Home” activity kits and access for 140 kids to attend virtual camps.
Your donation now will give vulnerable children and youth a summer camp experience they desperately need and will cherish forever!
Children, Youth and Families
Need Your Emergency Support
With the COVID-19 crisis now in a third wave, it is increasingly difficult for the vulnerable children, youth and families served by FACS Niagara to meet even their most basic needs. Families needing to turn to food banks or other community resources are finding those supports overwhelmed.
That’s why we need your help for vulnerable families and youth – to ensure they have what they need to make it through this economic crisis.
For information about changes at FACS due to COVID-19, please click here.
Thank You for Giving the Gift of Hope!
Thank you for helping to change the lives of vulnerable children, youth, and families this past Holiday!
Generous donors helped make the holidays brighter and special for 233 children in 114 families who were facing hardships during what should be a joyful time of year.
In addition, 52 families or workplaces “adopted” 57 youth and helped to fulfill their needs for their apartment / home.
Thanks as well to the financial donors helped provide “Home for the Holidays” gift packages – including a pillow, chocolates, donated masks, and gifts cards for a Holiday Dinner and other personal gifts – to 50 FACS Niagara youth.
T♥gether for Kids “Non-Gala“
Since we couldn’t provide a high-quality Gala experience in a virtual way, FACS Niagara asked previous Charity Gala sponsors, donors, and guests to participate in and support the Together for Kids “Non-Gala” in late-2020.
FACS Niagara’s mission includes strengthening families, so we asked people to purposefully do something that would help improve their relationship with their spouse, children, friends, or loved ones. We encouraged people to enjoy an evening or afternoon however they wanted with that person and then to make a donation to support the work of FACS Niagara.
What type of activities did participants do?
- Candle-lit, take-out dinner from a local winery.
- An afternoon hike in the woods with friends.
- Family games and pizza night.
- A fireside chat with hot chocolate.
- A wine and dessert video-call with friends / Gala guests.
- Baking and decorating cookies together.
- Dancing in the living room.
We appreciate each of our many sponsors, including: Rinaldi Homes, Commercial Cleaning Services, IG Wealth Management, Assante Wealth Management, Beatties Basics, Durward Jones Barkwell & Co., CI Investments, Furniture Gallery, Lancaster, Brooks & Welch, Fidelity Investments Canada, TD Asset Management, Dynamic Mutual Funds, Wormald Masse Keen Lopinski LLP, and others.
Because of the generous support of sponsors and donors, we received nearly $20,000 to support the work of FACS Niagara. All this while helping to strengthen families and improve relationships. Thank you!
Family & Children’s Services Niagara works with some of our community’s most vulnerable children, youth, and their families.
While FACS Niagara works to protect children and youth and strengthen families, the Niagara Foundation for Family & Children’s Services raises funds and awareness to support and help children, youth and families in the Niagara Region to reach their full potential. Although FACS Niagara receives funding to provide protection and support services, the FACS Foundation raises funds so that local kids in need can enjoy a summer camp experience and youth in care have opportunities for college, university and job skills training. Thanks to generous donors and volunteers, the Foundation also provides emergency COVID-19 supports so youth and families can help meet their basic needs and stay strong. The Foundation also supports capital improvements at FACS Niagara facilities and works with the community to support children and families during Holidays and the Festive Season.
Thanks to the community’s generous support, in 2020:
- 65 children enjoyed COVID-safe YMCA summer camp experiences and 110 children and youth received “Summer Smiles at Home” activity baskets;
- 37 youth received education grants and COVID emergency support to pursue post-secondary studies and training;
- 140 youth received help making the transition from foster care to living independently including 57 youth who were showered with food, housewares and seasonal gifts;
- 233 children in 114 families and 50 youth in the received toys or gifts and food during the Festive Holiday season;
- 186 of our families received emergency COVID-19 supports for food and basic needs;
