The Varkey Family Fund: A Year With LCF

The Varkey family moved to London in 1973, and have been putting down deep roots in the city ever since. “London has been very good to us, so it’s important for us to be able to give back to London,” says Joe, who established the Varkey Family Fund with London Community Foundation in 2022.

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Matthew Brewer
2023 Community Vitality Grants Leave No-one Behind

Five organizations that are addressing London’s most pressing issues received over $1 million in grants from London Community Foundation’s Community Vitality Grant program. Funded by LCF’s Community Fund, this program supports high-impact, innovative, and collaborative initiatives that tackle issues identified in the Foundation’s Vital Signs report.

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Community Vitality 2023 - Strong Start

Strong Start provides programs and services aimed at helping children learn to read and acquire essential early literacy skills. The two-year $65,000 Community Vitality grant will enable Strong Start to make necessary changes to ensure that the program materials are more inclusive and representative of the diverse children, volunteers, and school communities served by Strong Start.

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Community Vitality 2023 - Sakeenah

In London, Sakeenah has provided shelter along with essential support and services to women and children since it opened in February 2021. The two-year $245,593 Community Vitality grant will support Sakeenah in providing sheltering in its London home and remote casework services for women from diverse cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds who require safety and support.  

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Community Vitality 2023 - Thames Talbot Land Trust

Along with ten environmental partners such as the Ontario Farmland Trust and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, they’re reaching out to landowners across Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford, and Perth Counties with a mission to work with local communities to protect, conserve, and restore nature and food production systems. The grant will support TTLT and its partners in identifying a target of 5,000 local landowners to engage in the project which hopes to establish 18 new Conservation Easement Agreements (CEAS), resulting in the protection of over 1,000 acres.

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Nourishing a Healthy Society: LIFE*SPIN's Commitment to Food Security

Food security is an urgent issue that demands attention, and in London and Middlesex County, this concern is particularly pressing. To take action, LCF and our donors have been actively engaged in addressing the issue of food security in our community. In 2022, The Acorn Fund for Youth supported LIFE*SPIN's London Promotes Health and Wellness (LPHW) program, providing crucial aid to pregnant and nursing moms.

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Helen Connell Starts Role of Interim Acting CEO

Replacing a CEO is always a challenge for an organization, but when It’s someone as accomplished as Martha Powell, who has achieved so much in her time with LCF, the task is even greater. For that reason, I’m pleased to say that Helen Connell has started in the role of Interim Acting CEO.

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Matthew Brewer
Leaving a Legacy: Eileen Ruebsam

Eileen Ruebsam passed away in 2018 having never established a fund or even made a donation to London Community Foundation, but she was watching us keenly and felt strongly about what we do. Imagine our surprise then, when we found out that Eileen had left us over $1.9 million of unrestricted money towards our Community Fund in her will.

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President and CEO Martha Powell to retire June 30th

Years ago I used to drive past London Community Foundation (LCF) and think about how lovely it would be to work there. Now, having spent over twenty years here, I can say it has fulfilled and surpassed my hopes and expectations. So, it is with mixed emotions that I share the news of my upcoming retirement with you, with my time at LCF coming to an end on June 30th.

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Matthew Brewer