Dear LCF friend and supporter,
I sincerely hope this note finds you and your family keeping well, in physical health and also in spirit, as we continue to navigate these pandemic times.
Never in the history of London Community Foundation have we faced a time like this. The year 2020 has been unprecedented in so many ways. I’d like you to know that it’s thanks to your support that LCF has persevered and continues to help ensure that London and Middlesex County stays healthy and strong.
LCF was founded specifically for times like these – and our endowment model is proving that by taking the long view with your gifts, we can be there to respond to the community’s needs, in good times and in bad.
Our recent Vital Signs report identifies how COVID-19 has exposed the cracks in our system, bringing many longstanding inequities into sharper focus. Did you know that one in seven families in London struggle to put food on the table and that approximately 72,000 Londoners are living in poverty? Our community can only be as strong as its most vulnerable member and right now too many Londoners are being left behind.
With your help, and working collaboratively with our community partners to ensure a coordinated effort, we’ve been able to grant almost $2 million through the LCF COVID-19 Response Fund and the Emergency Community Support Fund (funded by the Government of Canada). By mobilizing the community around our most urgent needs, LCF has been able to join the extraordinary efforts of our local non-profits to ensure our community remains resilient during this difficult time.
“As a volunteer in non-profit organizations, I knew of the financial impact the pandemic was having on these organizations and the work they do to benefit our community. We were confident that LCF would identify and support those most in need.”
– Peter Johnson, LCF donor and volunteer
In addition to our COVID-19 efforts, we’ve granted $2 million in donor-directed funds, with more grants rolling out during the rest of the year. You’re making this possible!
I’m sending you my heartfelt thanks for your kindness, compassion and generosity.
This would normally be the time of year that we gather for the Community Vitality Celebration, announcing the high-impact grants made possible by our Community Fund donors. We’ll miss seeing you in person, but we’re sending along information on our 2020 Community Vitality grants, COVID-19 activity and recent Vital Signs report so you can stay in the loop on what’s happening at LCF and in London and Middlesex County.
This year’s Vital Signs calls upon all of us to think about how we can Be the Change. Too many vulnerable Londoners continue to have unequal access or no access at all to the essentials that many of us take for granted. With a second wave of COVID-19 upon us, there is much more work to be done and we need your support.
These times can feel so isolating, but please remember that you’re part of a group of like-minded community leaders who are making things better for everyone in London and Middlesex County – and the power of endowment means that your impact will last forever. Be well!
Sincerely,
Martha Powell
President & CEO
London Community Foundation
P.S. I encourage you to visit www.lcf.on.ca/vitality to view our special online report honouring this year’s Community Vitality grant recipients. You can view video stories about each recipient and the LCF COVID-19 Response Fund, as well as a message from me and our Board Chair, Jan Pryde.